Matiu Somes: On The Island

Solander Gallery Wellington invites you to participate in the upcoming program.

The “Matiu Somes: On The Island” program consists of 3 parts.

1/   An exhibition of selected works from the very successful Matiu Somes: The Next Chapter exhibition featuring seven New Zealand artist’s responses to a weekend residency on Matiu Somes Island.

2/  Public printmaking workshops

3/  Meet the artist opportunities.

  

Part 1

Matiu Somes: On The Island

A selection of 14 works will be exhibited on Matiu/Somes Island over the Wellington Anniversary Weekend (19-21 Jan).  This exhibition will take place in the Caretakers Cottage and will be open to the public from 10.30am to 4.00pm each day over the weekend.

The exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to the Island to experience the artist’s works in the direct context of the Island environment. The public will be able to gain valuable insight into the artist’s motivations and creative processes and more importantly reflect on their own experiences and thoughts on the Island’s stories, historical places, and environment. The exhibition gives an opportunity for the public to compare their responses to the Island with that of the artists and, in a way, to validate their own creative interpretation. 

Part 2

Workshop experiences

Public printmaking workshops will also be conducted over the weekend and is an important opportunity for people of all ages to understand and appreciate the exhibition and the Island’s history and environment in a multi sensory way.

The workshop experience is not only an enjoyable process but provides a platform on which to explore, examine and discuss the significant historical places and stories surrounding Matiu Somes Island. By making a small piece of art to take away, visitors have a signifier of their visit which potentially could generate conservations to a broad audience.

There will be workshop experiences available at two different locations on the Island over the course of weekend. Both workshop venues will operate from 10.30am until 3.30pm

Workshop 1: Screenprinting workshop – Caretakers Cottage

This workshop will be run by Lynn Taylor who is a very experienced art tutor from Dunedin and one of the artists included in the Matiu Somes: The Next Chapter exhibition. Lynn will provide a number of silkscreens with prepared images from the Island for the public to print from using non toxic and environmentally friendly materials. There will also be opportunities for older participants to create their own papercut stencils to screenprint their designs onto paper and fabric.

This workshop will operate on Saturday & Sunday from 10.30am to 3.30pm

Age range

• Suitable for adults and children as young as 8 with supervision by a parent

Typical experience duration

• Approximately 15 -20 minutes for each experience

Workshop 2: Monoprint Workshop – Barracks Building

 This workshop will be run by Basia Smolnicki  and Vincent Drane who are both practicing printmaking artists and experienced art tutors (both with over 20 years teaching experience). This workshop will introduce relief and monoprints on paper created from the surface of a variety of found objects such as feathers, leaves and grasses as well as prepared woodcuts that illustrate the diversity of wildlife on the Island. All materials will be nontoxic and environmentally friendly.

 

This workshop will operate on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10.30am to 3.30pm

Age range

• Suitable for adults and children as young as 8 with supervision by a parent

Typical experience duration

• Approximately 15 - 20 minutes for each experience

Bookbinding - Gelatine Print Covers

I thought this would be a quick project but like most projects there was a lot of fiddling! I made the covers by gelatine printing Clematis leaves on old Encyclopedia pages. (Ex Readers Digest - the pages print well as they are quite absorbent. Used one of my favourite colours for this process - green black.) Then I couldn't find end papers to match so handprinted a blue/green on French Arches Paper. (Again, not so quick because each book needs two end papers = 32 and both sides have to be printed = 64 times through the press + the experimenting to get the right look! I ended up using oil based ink) All stitched up with embroidery thread and French Link Stitch Binding , 12 signatures of 4 pages each, steel grey paper 80 gsm.  They are A5 size - I am happy that the local Warehouse Stationery slices a ream of paper in half for $2. I got them to trim a bound book too, but decided to keep the forecreep to retain the handmade feel. An edition of 16 - to be posted on Monday to The Little River Gallery, Banks Peninsula, for a shared exhibition titled 'Taylormade', opening soon!

Photo from The Star newspaper

At Bradford School....
http://digital.thestar.co.nz/OLIVE/ODE/STR_DAILY/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=U1RSLzIwMTIvMTEvMjk.&pageno=NTI.&entity=UGMwNTIwMA..&view=ZW50aXR5

Textile Art @ Bradford School

I spent a wonderful week at Bradford Primary School working with textile processes to enhance one of the school's rooms into a meeting place. We looked  artists Tracey Tawhiao, Richard Killeen, Cliff Whiting and Reuben Paterson along with Pacific Tapa and Maori tattoo designs for inspiration.

We had various goals - making curtains which displayed the school values and whanau groups: Pikorua   - Friendship, Koru – New life, Matau – leadership/determination and Manawa- Heart. (5 year olds did these - painting with pieces of plastic in a palette knife fashion and then overprinting symbols with foam stamps they made.)

We looked at the Three Baskets of Knowledge legend: the kete - aroni which held all the knowledge that could help mankind, the kete-tuauri which held the knowledge of ritual, memory and prayer and the kete-tuatea which contained knowledge of evil or makutu , which was harmful to mankind.   We made our three kete's by wrapping fabric around sticks - here are two  of them. Rooms 3 and 4 made the insects and birds that the blown to earth by the wind in the legend. Thanks to Elizabeth Marshall who came in and helped with this project and provided wire which we used for the handles. 

These details are of a ceiling to floor artwork of the poutama pattern panel which Room 5 collectively painted/stamped and screenprinted. The pattern represents 'steps of learning' and so numbers and letters were included along with direct printing of some of the leaves from the school environment.

 We also had the goal of making  Polynesian themed patches which were made a variety of ways – painting, screen-printing and stamping. I especially loved the cut paper stencil work. These now decorate curtains and cushions and some are 'patched together in large wall hangings -this one photographed in situ by the mirror. 

School librarian Gill said I had to be in one of the photos...here i am with my two scarves on!  I appreciated help from staff member Val in helping sew these patches onto the curtains. We also worked on a mural thinking about the Tane Mahuta legend
 - with plans to finish it next year - phew! I so enjoyed all the responsive pupils, parent helpers and the explosion of colour.

New Zealand Printmakers: Matiu Somes, 26Sep-27Oct, Wellington

New Zealand Printmakers: Matiu Somes, 26Sep-27Oct, Wellington: The exhibition Matiu Somes: The Next Chapter is opening at Solander Gallery in Wellington on 26 September. The artists featured in...

Summer Solar Printmaking class in the Hutt

Please check out Hutt Art Soc's website for an outline of workshops
http://www.huttart.co.nz/#!summer-school-2013
PRINTMAKING IN THE SUN
SOLAR PLATE PRINTING BY LYNN TAYLOR
(4-day workshop)
Dates: 10-13 January 2013
Level: see below
Time: 9.00 – 4.30
Room: print room
Number: Minimum=4: Maximum = 6
Cost: $480
Materials: to be advised
Other notes: Adult or over 16 yrs only
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
Printmaking in the sun will introduce to and advance students in using solar plate
printing. Both emboss and intaglio processes will be explored.
Participants will be introduced to ways of manipulating images that are relevant
to them. Images are printed out on a transparent film prior to make them ready
to expose on solar plate. This is an opportunity to try something different and
produce a range of results and you will be encouraged to experiment.
Individual research strands will be encouraged in this workshop, making it
suitable for beginners to advanced printmakers. This will endeavor to encourage
linking personal ideas with practice, while considering how art might
communicate to a viewer. On the final day each participant will have a one–on–
one session with the tutor as an opportunity to discuss and format an individual
current or future project.
This course is relevant to people who are interested in process and also to artists
working in other media who are interested in extending their current art practice
through the graphic surprise of printmaking.

REGISTRATION
All workshops
Name: _____________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
Phone (Day ): _____________ Phone (A/H): ____________________
Email: ____________________________________________________
Workshop(s): ______________________________________________
If your workshop choice is full, we will contact you and let you know of other
workshops that might be of interest. There will be a waiting list on a datereceived
basis.
Deposit Due ($60 per workshop) _____________ cash/eftpos/internet
Post or deliver to: Hutt Art Centre, 9-11 Myrtle St Lower Hutt 5010
Email to: huttartsociety@xtra.co.nz
Payment may be made in person in cash, cheque or eftpos, or via internet
banking direct to: BNZ Lower Hutt 02 0528 0031079 00
(please indicate your name and "summer school" in the description on
our account).
Registration & Cancellation Policy:
Because of the limited numbers in the workshops, we will operate on a first-paid / first in
basis. A deposit is required to secure your booking, and must be paid before 1 October. If
a workshop is filled, you will be contacted to pay the full amount by 1 December. If you
have not paid by 1 December, and there is a waiting list, your registration will be forfeited
and the place given to the next person on the list – you will be refunded part of your
deposit.
If a workshop is filled, you may be put on a waiting list (in order of receipt) and advised if
a place becomes available.
If you withdraw before 1 October, you will be refunded your deposit, less $10 admin fee.
If you withdraw before 1 December, you will be refunded all you have paid less half your
deposit. If you withdraw after 1 December you will be refunded all you have paid but not
your deposit. Withdrawals after 24 December will not be refunded unless we can fill your
place from the waiting list.
All workshops have a minimum number before they will proceed. If this is not reached by
1 December, the workshop may be cancelled. In this case you will be refunded any money
you have paid. You may like to transfer the registration to another workshop, if available.
People who have transferred, will be given priority.
Balance of Fee (and any material fees) by 1 December.

Japanese Book Binding Class

A Japanese Book Binding Class will be held on Sunday October 7th 10 -12 at Diadem Studio, Portobello, Dunedin. Tutor - me! Limit of 6 students. Cost $35 each (materials included). Please contact Mary if you wish to enroll  027 3195033