kcolell’s blog

Renaissance dry point print by Corey Vickery

Printmakers Caitlin Bailey and Corey Vickery worked in A-1 this last Friday. Following an excellent presentation by Christine Sellin on Rembrandt and his etchings the printmaking I students are showing Renaissance quality work.

Thank you to all faculty and staff who contributed a wealth of telephone directories to the “green” print shop. They are being used and appreciated everyday, especially Thursdays.

2008 Summer Thursdays in the print shop (A-1) are coming to a close. Those visitors to the shop this summer have had a great time and put out some outstanding art. You can visit Bret Bays blog and enjoy the solar plate prints he has completed Thursdays. Bret is still working on a large woodcut print. Art opportunities continue here at CLU even after graduation. When ever the woodcut is ready Bret knows he can come pull prints in A-1.

Tuesday, the 12th and Wednesday, the 13th, I have invited art staff to enjoy an hour or two making Plein Aire prints. We will be using solar plates, sticks from the environment, water and water based Akua inks to complete the process.

A brief August vacation and the print shop will be open once again for CLU artists.

The printmaking course at CLU is working on a “green” class environment. We could use any and all OLD telephone directories for printmaking. If your old discard telephone book needs to find a perfect recycle home just drop it off on the door step of A-1. (Located in the Art Department building.)

Thank you,

Kristi Colell, CLU printmaker instructor

Seem to be having problems getting the photos attached to go with this note.

photo 1: Jason Nguyen, and Jillian Friend finalize solar prints from Welden workshop.

photo 2: Jason Nguyen, Bret Bays and Jillian Friend working on solar images in Colell’s Printmaking II class.

photo 3: “Ideas and Thoughts” a drawing created in Printmaking for a solar image by Jason Nguyen

Take this week off CLU Thursday printmaking group because I am off to Santa Fe New Mexico to continue bringing “making art safely” to our Printmaking program.

The philosophy of the workshop is not always about making safe art, but making art safely. No longer is it true that being safe and conscientious in the studio is at odds with making great work. Forget “die for your art,” live for your art! And this is my philosophy in our printmaking shop at CLU. I am here in Santa Fe to grow, to learn, to develop better ways to make art, to get safe in the studio so we can make the art and not worry about having toxic materials or bad process dictate our options, and future.

Looking forward to sharing making art safely in the printshop this summer and Fall. Attention will be given to the expansive means of expression represented by recent innovations in low-toxic printmaking. These advances in printmaking are opening up the mediums’ expressive nature and make it very relevant to contemporary artists while maintaining quality of imaging and materials.

With luck I will be attaching photos of the prints I develop during this Southwest experience in future blogs.

Notes from Colell

Good to have Bret Bays using the printshop this summer and successfully pull additional solar prints. I am looking forward
to Bret’s 4′ woodcut piece. By the time he gets the “plate” carved I should be able to procure some large kozo paper for
the woodcut print. Etching may have to wait for another week since I need to get the hotplate cleaned up from years of misuse, so be patient with printing your etchings Bret.

Jason Nyugen is also taking advantage of having the shop up and running Thursday afternoons. He is using the shop time
to complete graphic designs, drawings for scholarships and image on prints.

Students who attended the Dan Welden Solar Plate workshop are also enjoying use of A-1 and pulling some very handsome artwork.

I am busy cleaning the printmaking equipment and checking on finding the correct machinist to get the squeeks out of the press so the shop will be ready for classes this September. I am also working on my own solar prints and working up an August 2009 study/travel trip in Florence, Italy. (an instructors work is never done)

If you are interested in the printmaking program join us on Thursday.

I invite any of my CLU printmakers from the last two years to work in the print shop and add a new Edition to your portfolio, join me in A-1 Thursday afternoons, June through July, 2008 1:00 pm to 3:00pm. If interested contact me via my CLU email or cluprinter@yahoo.com
Printmaking Instructor Kristi Colell

This summer come by (A-1) in the art building any Thursday afternoon, 1:00pm-3:00pm, and meet me. I am Kristi Colell,  the Printmaking instructor here at CLU. Maybe you have taken an art history course that introduced you to Rembrandt and Durer, master printmakers of the Northern Renaissance?  Check out the copper etching and woodcut relief processes that these Renaissance masters perfected. Both Rembrandt and Durer’s painting, drawings and prints had enormous impact on their contemporaries and influenced the style of many later artists  inspiration for future generations.

Our printmaking courses here at CLU offer you the opportunity to work in a variety graphic mediums that artists from medieval times to today use to express their creativity.

I invite any of my CLU printmakers from the last two years to work in the print shop and add a new Edition to your portfolio, join me in A-1 Thursday afternoons, June through July, 2008.

The California Lutheran University Printmaking program hosted a workshop by International master printmaker Dan Welden . Faculty, students and community members participated in this inspiring and creative four day experience.

Dan Welden, a world renown Master Printmaker who developed the Solarplate etching technique in 1971 as a simpler and less toxic alternative to traditional printmaking techniques which use strong acids. Welden, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., is an abstractionist who works in solarplate landscapes. Welden coauthored a 2001 book with Pauline Muir about the Solarplate process called Printmaking in the Sun. Dan has worked with dozens of artists including pop artists JasperJohns and Robert Rauschenberg and abstract expressionists Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Robert Motherwell. Welden has worked on all continents. He finds different lands make teaching and collaborating very exciting. He thoroughly enjoys dedicating a significant portion of his life educating people in the Solarplate technique.

CLU Printmaking instructor, Kristi Colell, invited Weldon to CLU to share his expertise on the Solarplate Etching process when planning to work with Welden in Lima Peru this last January was cancelled because of an accident. According to Colell “His Solarplate Etching printmaking methods are challenging, creative and inspirational. I wanted my students to experience working with the originator and master of this contemporary printmaking process. My goal here at CLU is to develop a strong printmaking program by inviting members of the world printmaking community to work with my students. This to help provide an enriching and creative printmaking environment for artistic expression through dialogue, instruction and active learning with world renown masters. “

Welden is an international innovator and his special gifts and dedication to the creation of art affected and inspired the involved students, faculty and community .

The workshop was a huge success as noted in the photos from the four day event.

Fine artist and Master printmaker Daniel W. Welden, whose work has shown around the world, will be presenting a workshop at CLU April 27-30. Welden will speak on campus April 27th at 4:30pm followed by a hands-on solarplate demonstration. The full workshop will continue Monday morning .

CLU Printmaking instructor, Kristi Colell, invited Dan to CLU to share his expertise on the Solarplate Etching process when planning to work with Welden in Lima Peru this last January. “His Solarplate Etching printmaking methods are challenging, creative and inspirational. I wanted my students to experience working with the originator and master of this contemporary printmaking process.” Colell is encouraging the use of non-toxic methods of printmaking in the Advanced Printmaking course offered here at CLU. Welden’s innovation of Solarplate etching provides a means for creative expression and also an etching process that is healthy and safe. 

Welden, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., is an abstractionist who works in solarplate landscapes. He developed the solarplate technique in 1971 as a simpler and less toxic alternative to traditional printmaking techniques such as etching, which uses strong acids. Welden coauthored a 2001 book with Pauline Muir about the solarplate process called “Printmaking in the Sun” Dan has worked with dozens of artists including pop artists JasperJohns and Robert Rauschenberg and abstract expressionists Willem and Elaine de Kooning and Robert Motherwell. Welden has worked on all continents. He finds different lands make teaching and collaborating very exciting. He thoroughly enjoys dedicating a significant portion of his life educating people in the Solarplate technique. The CLU community is fortunate to have this international innovator work with students, faculty and community.

Take advantage of working with a living Master. Contact Colell for a place in the hands-on portion of the workshop, April 28-30.

Kristi Colell: 805  797 3018 or cluprinter@yahoo.com