Printmaking with Lew Fiefleld

INTERPRETING IMAGE AND TEXT AS MONOPRINTS

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

The spring breeze melted snow on the hills then quickly disappeared. I wish I could borrow it briefly to blow over my hair And melt away the aging frost forming now about my ears. 14th- century Sijo verse

This year’s print making workshop will focus on interpreting text into imagery using traditional Japanese Haiku and Korean Sijo* poems as sources, and hand printing our images as monotypes. A monotype is a printing technique in which an image is painted on a sheet of glass, metal or plastic. The image is then transferred by applying pressure to the back of the paper with a wooden spoon or other device. Additional copies require the image to be repainted on the plate and reprinted. I will discuss the relationship between image and word by presenting both contemporary and historical examples of pictures with text. While books of Haiku poems and Sijo*, a Korean 3-line verse, will be provided, participants may also work from self- generated or favorite prose pieces. Materials used will include: oil, watercolor and tempera paint, crayons, printing plates and a variety of papers such as tracing, rice, watercolor, drawing and other specialty papers. Participants can expect to create one or more monotypes with the text incorporated into the print or presented on a separate page.

MATERIALS LIST

This is a standard list. While you should have a good selection of materials, you may want to make substitutions with familiar supplies and augmenting them items from this list.

Media¬¬¬; Oil’s, Watercolors, Tempera, Water Soluble Oils, Oil Pastel and other drawing materials. Choose colors that will allow you to vary temperature, texture & intensity.

Inks: Block Printing, Choose colors that will allow a variety temperature & intensity

Brushes: Sable, Sabeline or “combo” brushes made from natural and nylon fibers. Be certain you have the useful brushes of various sizes and shapes.

Papers: 300 series Strathmore Paper Palett; A pad of tracing paper 9”X12” Hanshi (100/pack) 9.5” X 13” Rice paper*, Or other Rice Paper. Size and paper are your choice. Notebook, a must.

Accessories Japanese or Speedball Baren (Yasutomo and Company--1.650.737. 8888) Engraving, scratching / cutting tools Clear Placemat (set of four) Miles Kimball--1.800.546.2255 White plastic palette Small pack of assorted sandpaper White Artist Tape Roll Stadler Mars Plastic Eraser for Pencil Assorted Drawing Pencils, Color & B/W Natural and synthetic Sponges Portfolio-optional Paper Towels Matt Knife Three small spray bottles

INSTRUCTOR

Artist and printmaker Lew Fifield has diverse educational and professional design experience. In addition to teaching Graphic Design fulltime and doing research in Information Management and Visual Communication, he specializes in projects ranging from Corporate Identity Systems to Museum and Urban Design Exhibits. Lew's design and fine arts works have appeared in national and international exhibitions, trade publications and shows, and have received awards from the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, The Society of Illustrators, The New York Type Directors and the International Poster Biennial.

For several years I have been exploring the thin film of reality that lies between the light source and the shadow. The shadow is metaphorically similar to the message a string of letters and words create in poetry. What is partially revealed through the shadows and the poetry challenges the imagination as much as real objects. This reality has expanded to the exploration of visual metaphors and the infinite spaces that exist in multiple universes. Much like my earlier multi-dimensional paper and additive light sculptures inspired by Suiseki, a traditional Asian art form, these Rorschach like prints evoke memories and recall distant mental landscapes. “In making for ourselves a place to live, we first spread a parasol to throw a shadow on the earth, and in the pale light of the shadow, we put together a house.” “In Praise of Shadows” Jun’iciro Tanizaki