Lyn Bishop : Sharing Secrets

Teaching the advanced three day playshop at San Francisco Center for the Book last week was pure enjoyment. The facilities at SFCB are spacious, well lit and filled with inspiring people and projects. While the center’s focus is devoted to teaching the art and craft of handmade bookmaking, they also offer a diverse curriculum of related classes for all skill levels.

This playshop (or if you prefer: workshop) focuses on the printed image. It is designed to allow artists to take their digital images and photography beyond the standard inkjet print. Students work with their own completed digital imagery to output files to alternative surfaces such as acrylic skins, handmade paper, non-porous surfaces, and transfer film. Participants work with several unique processes in alternative digital fine art printmaking during the workshop with an emphasis on exploration, experimentation and developing new approaches to printing their digital images.

The additional information provided by our two guest speakers offered students the opportunity to explore further. Nina Deckart of Golden Artist Colors spent an afternoon with us answering questions on different materials and mediums, sharing samples and observing the students working first-hand with the new Golden Digital Grounds.

Peter Inshaw of Plotter Pros visited the class to share his wisdom on digital printmaking, color management and the latest and greatest info on new print technologies hitting the market. In addition, Plotter Pros, based in San Jose, supplied the Epson 9800 printer used in the class. It was really fun seeing this “new” technology side by side with 100 year old traditional presses.

One student commented: “This was the best workshop I’ve taken at SFBC. There was a wealth of information presented.” Wow, now that says a lot. I’m honored!

The playshop took students through four main processes:

• Transfers: Creating an effect much like a Polaroid Transfer process, students prepare their own transfer film using a mylar surface prepped with Golden Digital Grounds for Non-Porous.

• Textured Surfaces: Creating surfaces with subtle texture similar to fresco, students use printmaking paper treated with a thin coating of Golden Moulding Paste, then later prepped with Golden Digital Grounds White.

• Luminescent Surfaces: Surfaces that shimmer and reflect light are created by coating printmaking paper with iridescent acrylic paint and prepped with Golden Digital Grounds Clear.

• Gel Skins: To create stained-glass like, transparent skins students use Golden Self-Leveling Clear Gel to make their surface and then prepped with Golden Digital Grounds for Non-Porous.

The playshop ended with a group discussion / critique and exploring new ideas for taking the processes farther. Students left the class confident that they could take the techniques presented back into their studios and incorporate them into their own art making practice.

If your interested in learning more about Alternative Digital Printmaking, I’ll be offering three more playshops in 2008. Please visit my Playshop page for further details.

October 13-15 2008  (10am - 5pm)
Plotter Pros
1068 The Alameda, San Jose, CA, 95126
Class Fees: $300 plus $65 material fee
Contact Lyn for registration or questions (408.773.1363)

November 1 & 2 2008 (10am - 5pm)
Cederwood School
3030 SW 2nd Ave., Portland, Oregon
This class is co-taught with Digital Artist Nance Paternoster.
Class Fees: $275 plus $65 material fee
Contact Lyn for registration or questions (408.773.1363)

November 7-9, 2008
Bainbridge Island Creativity Center
9463 NE Business Park Lane, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Friday  2-5pm, Saturday 10-5 , Sunday 10-5
Plus, Open Studio Saturday Night 7-10
Contact Bainbridge Island Creativity Center directly for pricing and registration.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am and is filed under Art. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.