Visiting Artist at MTSU

Meghan's students made the letterpress posters
for my visit.

I spent the past week as the visiting artist in the printmaking department at Middle Tennesse State University (MTSU).  My friend Meghan is a professor there & invited me to come to Murfreesboro to lecture about my art, hold critiques with the advanced printmakers & print a few editions with students assistants. In my artist lecture I talked about my creative inspiration, studio process & the evolution of my art over the past few years.   With the help of some hardworking students, in five days we printed four total editions, two 15" x 20" combining litho with silkscreen (ed. 30) & two 8" x 10" CMYK color separation silkscreens (ed. 25).  We printed about 20 extra of each litho edition, so I have plenty of proofs that will eventually become collage material.  For the large editions, the key was a lithograph with silkscreen layered on top for the five color flats.   I drew on the limestones using colored pencil instead of litho crayons; with the wisdom of Meghan & the Tamarind book of lithography, they etched beautifully.

While I was in school at Ohio University, I was a print assistant for my professors Art Werger & Mary Manusos in their studios.  I learned so much about printmaking from them & the visiting artists they brought in, so this was a really thrilling, rewarding experience for me!

Below is a video of my assistant Josh & I tandem silkscreening, along with some photo highlights from the trip.

 

   

Rolling up the stone to print the key image for my second edition, 'hurry up let's go!'

Maegan & Evie took turns sponging & registering paper.  On the right are the stencils we shot onto the screens.

Mixing & pulling down inks for the 1st color.

'We go down together' lithograph & silkscreen, 15" x 20", ed. 30.  2011.

                   

Thanks to MTSU, Meghan O'Connor & my wonderful printer's assistants (Amanda, Josh, Betsy, Evan, Kelsey, Nichole, Meagan, Evie, Wesley & Calvin).  Happy printing!

Kelsey painting on screen filler to mask
 inconsistencies in the emulsion.

Josh assisting with silkscreen.

 

Betsy drying the prints after the last color run. 

Evan registered the paper for color.