An exhibit of prints from two print shops in South West Nova invites the viewer to think about print-making as an evolving art form.
Tradition & Innovation is running from January 5 thru February 26 2012 in the Community Room of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch, Yarmouth Nova Scotia. Opening reception was held Saturday, January 7.

More than two dozen printmakers from La Manivelle in Church Point and Th’YARC Print Shop in Yarmouth contributed works including Cecil Day, Ruth Rideout, Denise Comeau,  myself and others who have worked at one or both of the studios over the past decade.

The title ‘Tradition & Innovation’ describes the way in which  the evolution and discovery of new methods of creating  printed images are being used alongside traditional print-making techniques in the two shops. Over the course of the two-month exhibit, workshops tied to the techniques of etching, linocut, watercolour and trace monoprint will be given by Cecil Day, Virginia Stoddard, Flora Doehler and myself.

Sometimes artists welcome the chance to step outside of our normal practice and try a new approach or medium. For the exhibit, The Sounds of the Siren, recognizing the 200th anniversary of the local volunteer fire department, fellow artist Wayne Boucher and myself collaborated on two large trace monoprints.   Using a length of old fire hose as the plate, we inked, printed, then over printed six 9 ft long vinyl curtain blinds over the course of 3 days.   For a press, we used the weight of our bodies and fancy footwork.

 Firefighters and their family filled the opening of the exhibit held at a local gallery in November 2011.  Ironically, halfway through the opening speeches, the fire hall siren wailed clearing the room of the very people we were honouring.

click on thumbnails to enlarge images.

Dan Welden, master printmaker and innovator of the solar plate method spent the day at  La Manivelle Print Shop teaching a small group of artists the very basics of solar plate printmaking.  Accompanied by Holly Maiz, photographer, facilitator, wife and all in one support system for Dan and the participants.   I am not usually one to gush but this was one workshop that curled my toes and tickled the primitive part of the creative process in me.  Dan and Holly took the learning experience beyond process to focus us on pure printmaking and the integrity of the image.

Until the snow flies I will be spending a couple of days each week at La Manivelle concentrating on printmaking and developing a new series of images loosely connected to falling from grace and facing our regrets. Thank you Flora Doehler for the documenting the day and providing photos.

Click on image to enlarge.