Schedule: There will be no class on Friday, November 29 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Description: In this 8-session class, students will explore three distinct styles of printmaking: relief, monotype, and collagraph. Each technique offers a unique approach to creating art, and participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of:
- Tools: Learn to use various printmaking tools effectively.
- Materials: Explore different plate/block materials and papers.
- Techniques: Master registration, inking, how to use the press, tool handling, studio etiquette
This class emphasizes play, discovery, and the expression of ideas through newly acquired skills. Students will learn to produce both single and multiple images.
Level: Beginner, Ages 17+
Please note: Registration will close Saturday, October 19 at midnight.
Supply fee includes:
- Pansion Paper - a Japanese, machine made washi paper
- Hahnemühle Paper
- 6” x6 “ Shina Block
- Tetra Pak
- Various tapes and sandpaper choices for collagraphs
- General studio fee to cover shared tools and equipment such as carving tools, plexiglass, rags, paper towel, caligo oil washable inks, cleaning solvents, press, blankets, brayers
- A portion of your supply fee covers studio maintenance
Students should bring:
- Sketch book and something to write with
- Apron
- A snack and something to drink
- Your own wood carving tools and your favorite olfa or exacto knife is you have
- Tetra Pak (optional) - Tetra pak is a common packaging material used in your favorite Almond, macadamia, oat, coconut, soy, and rice milks. This material can be cut open, washed, flattened and dried and stored to be used a collagraph plates.
About the Artist: Gerald Thomas Walsh III, orJerry, is a local artist who has lived in the Big Island all his life. Graduating from University of Hawaii at Hilo, Gerald’s major was a B.A. in general art. In the process of studying and practicing art, he soon found his passion for printmaking. His work explores patterns in both the organic and geometric sense as they embody images in relation to the human figure. Gerald’s prints have been shown in numerous exhibits of the Donkey Mill as well as the Annual Japanese Chamber of Commerce Exhibit in Oahu. Gerald Walsh was a full time teacher at Makua Lani Christian Academy where he taught art from Kindergarten through 7th grade. He is currently the Print Studio Assistant at the Donkey Mill Art Center where he teaches and mentors young printmakers and hosts a monthly Guided Open Studio. He also is focusing on his own printmaking work and manages the Parrots in Paradise Sanctuary.
Weekly Syllabus
Week 1: Introduction & Studio Tour
- Meet your instructor and fellow students.
- Overview of the class structure and objectives.
- Explore the studio and familiarize yourself with the materials.
- Introduction to relief printmaking: abstract reductive techniques.
Week 2: Relief Printmaking
- Delve into abstract reductive printmaking with multiple primary colors using Shina wood blocks.
Week 3: Tetra Pak Collagraph Creation
- Experiment with creating small test plates using various textured tapes.
- Begin construction your collagraph plate
Week 4: Printing Tetra Pak Collagraphs
- Focus on the printing process for your collagraph plates
Week 5: Monotype
- Learn various monotype techniques such using water-washable oil based inks.
- Create one subtractive black ink print and two color abstract prints.
- Explore ghost image capturing methods.
Week 6: Watercolor Monotype
- Create monotype prints with watercolor.
- Work on the subject matter of your choice.
- Due to time constraints, prints will be smaller and completed within the session.
Week 7: Combining Techniques
- Layer monotype over relief and/or collagraph prints for complex, multi-technique pieces.
Week 8: Final Projects & Review
- Finish your projects and prepare for the final class.
- Participate in a cleanup session.
- Share and discuss your completed works with the group.
About Our Programs: As a place of convergence, the Mill serves as both a community and a physical place–celebrating the power of the arts, bringing people, ideas and perspectives together. We are proud to offer adult and youth programs that focus on awareness of one’s individuality in the contexts of family, community and the natural world. Our classes & workshops are designed to inspire creativity, foster connections, and provide enriching experiences for all participants. We invite you to join us in the studio.
