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Join Anjeanette at the Smartplate Printing workshop with Abigail Felber at Platetone, Nashville and learn how to make your own prints.
Workshop Details
Date:
Saturday, July 11at 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Hosted By: Abigail Felber
Venue:
Platetone Printmaking
Price: $80
Tell us a little bit about the workshop, the aim of the class and who it was organised by?
We were taught Smartplate, a simple non-toxic printmaking process.
The aim of the class was to teach us Smart Plate, a technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate directly to the printing surface. Its a lithographic process, which is based on the repulsion of oil and water.
Organized by the members of Platetone Megan Little and President Kaaren Engel, and taught by printmaker Abigail Felber. Abigail was a fantastic teacher, and explained the process so well. We had a range or levels in class, from students to professionals, and even a neat lady who claimed to have no art talent but turned out beautiful prints. Abigail was able to make us all comfortable and make the process feel easy to even the most novice.
Where was the workshop held and what was the venue like?
Platetone is a printmaking studio offering membership to fine art printmakers. They have open studios for letterpress, mono and lithographic prints, workshops, gallery events, and educational opportunities for all ages.
Platetone shares its building with Turnip Green Creative Reuse, a nonprofit retail, gallery, and education space dedicated to redirecting useable materials away from the landfill and into the hands of artists, educators, and artisans.
What projects were the class making and how did your creations turn out?
First, we learned how to print imagery can tell a story in an accordion book structure, and drew our images on Smartplates with sharpies for bold dark lines, or Atlantis Pens for details. Paper gaurds were necessary to keep hand oils off the sensitive paper, basically Smart plates are specially treated vellum like plastic sheets. Then we mixed ink and Magnesium Carbonate and got ready to roll our plates! finally we built easy accordion pages to be folded and printed on with out images.
For fun I doodled our fearless crafty leader Crafterella- I wish I had taken more time and delicacy with her hair and details but the overall idea was a lot of fun to execute!
I liked how my prints turned out- I do wish I had a more balanced line quality- mine were too bold or too delicate! With practice I really think this is a fun and simple skill to turn out beautiful prints. I felt similar to fine art painting feeling of mono prints, with the added excitement of getting multiple prints!
Were you supplied with any materials and did you get any goodies to take home?
All the materials were included in the class, with every smart plate and print on fine art paper coming home with the students!
Most students were able to complete an accordion book containing their prints.
What were the teachers like and did you get any one-on-one time?
Platetone is a great space, large enough to work in comfort yet not big enough to get lost. Our class size was about 6, which definitely gave us one on one time with the instructor, and room to experiment and make art. We all got messy and made art! Of course, aprons are provided, but I get my fingers into the ink a bit ;)
Abagail shared her work with us as well, like her Rooster series book, and Egg shaped accordion book. They were so lovely and inspired me to create.
Did you pick up any useful tips or tricks that you’ll continue to use at home?
I was tickled to learn some great tips for tight book covers as well from Abagail. I have been making books like these a long time for fun but Abagails crimping the corners with her fingernail technique helped me get a nice, precise fold and finished look to my covers.
How big was the class and did you get a chance to chat to any new crafty friends?
Same as above:
Platetone is a great space, large enough to work in comfort yet not big enough to get lost. Our class size was about 6, which definitely gave us one on one time with the instructor, and room to experiment and make art. We all got messy and made art! Of course, aprons are provided, but I get my fingers into the ink a bit ;)
What type of crafters would you recommend this workshop to?
This class would be fantastic for beginners to professionals, and anyone interested in a fast fun and easy way to make fine art prints and assemble art book.
Have you been inspired to go home and craft something from the class?
I make a lot of my gifts to loved ones- I am excited to try my hand at further Smart Plate prints and share some printed works with them!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Supply list:
Lithography inks
Magnesium Cabronate
putty or palatte knife
Smart Plate paper
scrap paper to use as guard
brayers
ink trays or glass
large plastic bowl
water
clean sponge
permanent markers
Atlantis Bic Pens
Gum Arabic
wiping pads
Bone folder for burnishing and paper creasing
rulers/straighedges
Reeves BFK or fine watercolour paper for final book
Chip or Davy board
Fabric for cover
PVA glue
latex gloves optional
drying rack
Is there a craft workshop or cooking class in your town you'd like to test out for us? Send us a message!
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