kcolell’s blog

Put the CLU Senior Art Show BE BOLD on your calendar. Opening is April 25 in the Kwan Fong Gallery. Reception will be April 30th beginning 5:00pm Ten artists including Aihua Zhou, Amy Shibel, Chloe Warden, Christy Sutphen, Kristiann Lopez, Lindsey Tucker, Maxwell Buchanan, Rachel Ferguson, Sheila Barrera, and Tuan “Jason” Nuygen will be showing their artwork. Artwork includes, drawings, paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography and printmaking. Jason Nuygen is presenting as part of his senior work a commissioned portrait painted in tribute of Maria Altman, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Austria who waged a successful legal battle to reclaim five Klimt paintings stolen from her family by the Germans during WWII.

Spring Semester at CLU has brought an additional room to the Printmaking program. The printmakers are participating and experiencing solar plate, dry point, etching, aqua tint, monotype and lino print processes. There are two printmaking labs A-1, home to “Laguna” our original electric press and the newest edition inhabiting B-1, a Takach manual press, un named as yet. Print makers travel between the two labs regularly Mondays and Wednesdays.

B-1 houses printmaking 330 and 430, and the Senior art show. Lots of activity and art coming from the print shops.

Visit us when you are in the area

Kristi Colell, CLU printmaking instructor brought Mitch Lyons master printmaker and creator of the printmaking process “Clay Monotype” to the University student printmakers. The workshop was a huge success.
Rachel Ferguson felt the workshop provided “an environment that was easy to be creative in. Clay Monotype is a media that allows students endless possibilities to be successfully expressive.”

Since 1968 Mitch Lyons has been pioneering his image making from a slab of clay. First a slab of stoneware clay is rolled out about 1/4.thick. After allowing the slab to dry to a “leather hard” consistency, colored slips are made using China clay and permanent pigments. These colored slips are brushed on, dried and rolled into the clay slab, one color over another, building the design with images, colors and textures on the “matrix”.
Once the slab is rolled flat, a moistened piece of paper/canvass is placed over the slab. Pressure is applied using a rolling pin to transfer the clay slips onto the substrate. Because China clay is inert and the pigments used are permanent and stable, the clays remain intact and will give pleasure for many years.

There was a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement by the end of the September 15-18 Clay Monotype workshop. According to Ashley Bowman, “Clay monotype printing is unlike any art form.” It’s like a combination of ceramics, painting and printmaking. The reason clay monotype print making is so appealing is because everyone starts at the same level. It allows the artist an opportunity to not think about the finished product and more about the creative process.”