Florida School of Woodwork in Tampa is kicking off its first printmaking venture!
The director of the school, Kate Swann, has asked me to start up their woodcut program and I feel very honored and excited!
This first class will be offered on Sunday, July 14th, and will go from 9:30 till 4:00. They call it a Sunday Funday, and I certainly believe it will be a hoot!
Within that time students will learn about the tools of the trade; namely chisels, brayers, inking plates and the actual etching press. We will make a basic one color woodcut, and students should have time to experiment with a few different papers and colors.
This carved block is a piece of basswood, which is quite easily carved with our small chisels.
I will provide some patterns that students can make their own by the way in which they carve. It's a lot of fun to see how each person approaches carving. No two prints will ever be the same, even when using the same pattern. We will work on a 4 x 6 block; if you come in with an idea of your own, that is wonderful too. We may use a variety of wood material, including Shina plywood
Hand printing will be shown as well as printing on an etching press. Anyone can set up a small workspace at home with just a few tools, but there is nothing like the satisfaction of seeing your work go through the press.
I will bring along a range of examples of work both representational and abstract to give you the gist of how broad the realm of work can be. It is not necessary to be an accomplished artist to make a fabulous print! You only need a spirit of adventure and interest in trying something new.
This first class we will limit to 8, so please register as soon as you get the chance.
Contact : floridaschoolofwoodwork.com for registration details.
The Florida school of woodwork is located at 1609 north Franklin Street, Tampa 33602