The Apprentices can tell you all about it!

Our Artist in Residence, Claire Emery, knows a thing or two about Relief Prints!  Claire awe-inspired the Apprentices by sharing some of her own engraved wood blocks and prints.  Our  Young artists learned about the process as Claire revealed her original sketches and proofs, then discussed the improvements she made to them along the way.

Freedom Carve:
In relief printing the image to be transferred to paper (or other surface) is raised above the surface of the printing plate. Ink is applied to the raised surface then rolled onto the paper.
In order to create a raised image, Apprentices would have to get acquainted with the idea of "carving away"  space.   Claire introduced a new and exciting carving  tool often referred to as a gouge.  The gouge is used to carve into the block, which, in this case, is an eraser-like material called  EZCarve.  To get the kiddos thinking about safety and technique, much care was taken during a "getting to know your tools" session.   Apprentices carefully explored their tools by enjoying  a "Freedom-Carve" assignment.  This free-hand carving session meant that kids did not transfer a sketch onto their blocks ahead of time, they simply created an image by exploring with the gouge and the idea of air, water, fire,or  earth.   They did a fantastic job!

Once the images were carved,  Apprentices were so excited to see them printed.  They learned that the first print is called a "Proof".  By proofing a print, The artist can take a look and decide to make any improvements or changes.  With a quick roll of brayer to ink, each apprentice proofed their relief print and marveled at the outcome!  The four elements were flowing through our classroom like never before!

Printmakers are ready for the Mandala, a large group print celebrating ecology and our place in it.

Now that the Apprentices have learned to use the gouge, they are ready for the next challenge. 

As we learned this fall, Ecology is living and non-living things working together to form a community.   Keeping this idea in mind,  students brainstormed a list of local species and elemental influences that surround us in our mountain home.    These eco-community members were thrown in a hat and randomly selected by each student.  Next, students studied their eco-member and prepared a sketch. Then, each student met individually with the Art Director, Claire, to discuss their work and make plans for transferring the sketch to the carving block. 

Student sketches were all done on tracing paper.  In order to transfer the sketch, the student simply flips their sketch over and rests it on the block.  Next, the sketch is outlined and traced, which transfers the lead underneath right onto the block!  It's so fascinating.  Then, black marker can be used on the block to help the artist highlight the image, making the final carving process much easier.

Apprentices were incredibly focused on using the gouge carefully and created some very detailed work!

As a final challenge, students followed the same process and created carved blocks representing themselves. Students worked hard to make themselves unique by adding little "whimsies" of action to their block.

In the end, all carved blocks were arranged and printed to create the 2012 CFS Mandala.  Congratulations to the Apprentice Family who took this print home at last week's annual auction!