Southern Graphics Conference International: 2012

This year I was able to attend the seminal printmaking conference in the United States - the Southern Graphics Conference International. To attend one must be a member of the Conference which generously allows students to participate at reduced prices. The convention was held in New Orleans, Louisiana and ended last week. For five days printmakers from across the nation and the world met to discuss techniques, learn about new opportunities for education and employment, and discuss products with industry vendors. A unique opportunity to view and explore the art of others arrived in the Open Portfolio sessions. There were five hour-long sessions of about 100 artists during each session. Students, graduate students, post-grad printmakers, and professors or professional printmakers all participated in the open portfolio displaying a wide range of art.

I purchased a beautifully printed journal from the expressive Firecracker Press, art from several student printers, and was given some lovely samples by Hanco Ink and Arches Print Papers. My favorite experience from the conference was probably the open portfolios or the vendor and publisher fairs. I was able to meet and speak with a variety of people in different places professionally from students, masterprinters, professors, and publishers as well as those who were just invested in printmaking as a hobby or expression of work outside their professional careers.

The best part of the experience as a whole was traveling with the printmakers from Reno. As many people as we met we really had the best time hanging out with each other after the conference and other activities concluded for the day. Ashlea Clark was indispensable, the trip would not have come together without her organization, leadership, and fundraising abilities. Alana Berglund, Jesse Green, and Andy Gallian also attended.  Alana is responsible for my showing experience at the Sierra Tap House in Reno. Our teacher, Eunkang Koh, a current professor at the University of Nevada, Reno was also present and had several beautiful pieces showing in a couple of events through SGC. here recent work has included some fascinating book art prints.

My Portfolio Review at SGC 2012

There were two book exchanges in which I was asked to participate so I look forward to learning more about them and thinking about the books I might create. For now my book arts are on display at the University's Joe Crowley Student Union. They will be coming down at the end of this week.

Two part box now on display at the JCSU

Nevada Museum of Art: Second Saturday and Faculty Display

Join me today, Saturday March 10th, for the only day admission is free at the Nevada Museum of Art this month! Come see their beautiful exhibits and meet some of the E.L. Cord Museum School faculty, including myself. I will be demonstrating intaglio and relief techniques for my upcoming one-day workshops.

At the Nevada Museum of Art

Today, March, 10th

11am-1pm

160 West Liberty

Book Arts Solo Show

Currently working on a number of pieces that will be displayed in the Joe Crowley Student Union on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. Going up next week will be a series of boxes and books as well as a number of prints all created by me! Only a few days until installation, so I am pushing my nose to the grindstone.

Special thanks to Katy Govan for the beautiful boxmaking workshop she allowed me to attend last week. Was able to use the most amazing bookcloth from Colophon Book Art Supply. Hoping to order some of that for my next series of art books.

a taste of my theme for the book arts display

Spring is Sprung

Can't tell you how excited I am to be attending the Southern Graphics Conference International in New Orleans, Louisiana in March.

The Sierra Tap House has also made my show a great experience, they are really considerate and supportive of the local artist here in Reno.

Coming up in just over a week is a show going up at the Joe Crowley Student Union on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno - my alma mater. Not only prints but some of my book art creations will be on display. Keep up to date on this and other projects by checking the Happenings tab.

Did I mention that I have a couple of classes coming up? Check the Nevada Museum of Art's website to find out about their current Tiffany's Glass exhibit and sign up for either my Intaglio or Relief printmaking classes.

Solo Show: Update

Come down tonight to see my work!
After the stress of preparing everything for the show I'm so excited to be at the reception tonight. The Sierra Tap House has been so generous to let me show in their space. At first I was dubious about showing in a bar, but I've been to the Tap House before and I know it has great energy. After this experience I can't recommend them highly enough, if you look at the update they just posted on their Facebook I think you'll understand why:

Sierra Tap House

Tonight at the Tap House starting at 6pm and going to whenever, we are hosting the Art Opening for Reno's own, and very talented, Rachel Kaiser! Come on down and check out her thoughts, forms, creations and talents tonight! We'll have some free munchables as well as our usual and oh so incredible $5 Thursday's Food Special. This means all menu items are $5+ Nevada's humble sales tax. That aint all though, y'all. I've got some bad-ass drink specials for you as well. $2 Pabst bottles. $3 House Cab and House Chard, and we serve Cycles Gladiator as our House wine...so it's crazy legit! Then I made a special fruity yet powerful special martini that I'm calling the "Skeletini" in honor of Rachel's show tonight. If you're wondering why it's named the "Skeletini", then, well, you'll have to cruise on down and check out the Gallery! I'll See you tonight at Sierra Tap House!!!!! Word.

Solo Show

Well it's certainly been long enough! I must admit the holidays hit me like a tonne of bricks and it's taken awhile to sift through the rubble. Gleaning the repairable bits, and  friendship with the amazing Alana Berglund, has landed me a solo show at the Sierra Tap House in downtown Reno, Nevada.

a sneak preview!

Belt and Braces: A Print Show

Art by Rachel Kaiser

at the Sierra Tap House

253 West 1st Street  Reno

Reception 

6pm-9pm

Thursday, February 16th

 

Meet me in person, drink great beer, and see my work. Warning, this art will feature skeletons. I know that comes as a huge surprise to those of you who've been reading my blog since last summer. This show I'm taking as a turning point in my artistic focus. I became heavily entrenched in concepts of validation and subject matter. Those concerns moved me to a very tenuous place and I've decided, both consciously and subconsciously, that I can no longer afford to invest myself so thoroughly in what other people take seriously. Belt and Braces is about letting go, yes the title is ironic and the subject matter is a little too. Anatomy, skeletons, and the idea of copying and reproducing have been present while I dealt with many different issues last year. The concept of building blocks -  upon those slim bones are hung the rest of your body and soul - and the idea of fundamentals - it all goes back to anatomy - are things I needed to work on, they are things in which I still find comfort. 

The time for comfort has passed.

There will be no resolution written here, nor any insubstantial fluff about my commitment to improving my work. Instead I will write simply that I aim to produce. What is the result of my production may be uncanny, childlike, serious, or macabre but it won't really matter if it doesn't jive. Perhaps that's the nature of my work - things trying desperately to fit together, trying so hard that they are making their own adhesive out of hair and using friction to stimulate a melting of the pieces that won't fit. We'll have to see, for now - skeletons!

Reduction Cut - her name is december

The Holland Project, a local non-profit organization in Reno, Nevada that promotes artistic and musical events for young people, began the Holland Editions project about two years ago. This will be their third year producing the Holland Edition; a collection of prints by 12 artists in the Reno area each one featured in it's own month. Megan Berner, a printmaker and the organizer of this project as well as a board member of the Holland Project, was kind enough to invite me to participate in this years print portfolio.

As often happens I came up with a beautiful concept very soon but wasn't sure exactly how I would create it. There are so many options with printmaking and each method has pros and cons. The original idea called for creating a copper plate etching and then doing a drypoint and monotype on top to get some extra color and detail. Instead I ended up at the Black Rock Press with one mounted linoleum board and a solution - reduction cut block printing.

"her name is december" by Rachel Kaiser

Thanks to Megan Berner for the photo.

Relief is very direct. There is less process than with most intaglio techniques when creating wood or linoleum blocks. A reduction cut, sometimes called a "suicide cut", was a technique used by Pablo Picasso among other artists to achieve multiple colors from the same block instead of multiple blocks. Beginning with the first, lightest color, make the entire edition of prints. Then cut into the block a second time and print the entire edition again, rinse and repeat for the number of colors the image contains. For myself there is usually a  10-15% loss when creating multiple color prints, and that was true this time as well. The only way to get a copy of this print is to purchase the Holland Editions Portfolio. I must say I like it very much and hope to continue creating work like this in the future.

Inexpert photo by Rachel, see a few more details in this one.