New Artist: Mark Dion

It is a great pleasure to welcome Mark Dion to Hole Editions. Dion will be the first of five artists in a portfolio to be co-published with Locus+. He is over in the UK installing a piece at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art as part of the group show "A Duck For Mr. Darwin." So we appreciate the fact that during his busy schedule he has made time to come along to the workshop to work on this print with us.

New Artist: Alex Charrington

Patience is a good thing and can be rewarded. It's over a year ago that we had our first studio visits to discuss potential projects. A busy schedule for both parties has delayed the commencement of work. So we are pleased to have Alex come by the workshop today to have further discussions, shoot some test plates and draw a test stone (see above image: Alex laying down a tusche wash).

Here are some word from the Journal:

ALEX Charrington is a 2005 fine art graduate from Newcastle University. He works from a studio in Byker, Newcastle, and has exhibited his work in a variety of spaces including Baltic (You Shall Know Our Velocity, 2006), The Bridge Gallery, and London’s Drawing Room.

His first solo exhibition, New Adventures in Robotic Watercolour Painting was unveiled at Newcastle’s Globe City Gallery in February 2008.

The pieces were produced in collaboration with a robotics engineer to make large scale spirograph paintings using an automated manipulator designed for the manufacturing industry.

Alex has also worked with Commissions North and The Sponsors Club for Arts and Business, to complete two large-scale public art commissions for Gateshead College and Newcastle Building society.

He is influenced by artists and painting techniques of the past and interested in systematic and controlled ways of working. He says: “As an artist I aim to make work that engages and challenges the perceptions of a broad audience."

Todd Anderson: Midland Drifts

In January 2009, Todd Anderson visited Hole Editions, a small suite of seven lithographs were created - Midland Drifts. These can now be viewed on the Runout Press website. Although not currently available, reservations can be made. Full details will be available in the near future.

Print Awards

The 2009 Print Awards is the centrepiece of the Northern Print Biennale. It is an open submission prize for British and international artists. The Awards are open to all artists whose work encounters print. Works in any medium will be considered and is not restricted to 2 or 3 dimensional works. Exhibitions of approximately 50 selected artists will be shown across three major Newcastle upon Tyne venues; Hatton Gallery, Laing Art Gallery and Northern Print from June to October 2009.

For full details of how to enter, entry forms and FAQs contact the project coordinators Parker Harris

t. 01372 462190
e. npb@parkerharris.co.uk
w. www.parkerharris.co.uk

Artists programme at the Great Hall, Discovery Museum

Opportunity for artists to make an impressive, large scale new work that challenges perceptions of printmaking

Click here for more information

Paul Merrick:

Plates were shot on Monday afternoon ready for proofing to begin yesterday. It was a full day and went to plan. Paul returned this morning to see the results. Over a coffee and a chat, a plan of attack was formulated. A new plate for the fifth run was then made and laid over the initial proofs to give us a clear idea of how the new plate works. With artist happy, a second proofing session was started to thoroughly clarify the situation .

New Artist: Paul Merrick

We welcomed a new artist into the studio this morning, he is Paul Merrick and is represented by Workplace Gallery (follow the link to see more of his work and for bio). Initially we'll be making one lithograph, which will form part of the Workplace Gallery portfolio of artists.

Missing out on some events:

As much as I try not to think about the things that I'm missing out on, it is difficult to get away from them. Burying your head in the sand doesn't work and as much as you try to avoid being on Facebook etc - still the notifications still come into your email inbox to tell you what is going on.

This month there are two print gatherings. The first I wasn't aware of until quite recently IMPRESS '09 in Stroud - runs until March 29th. The second is the Southern Graphics Council Conference '09 in Chicago, 25th - 29th March. Now this one I was well aware of and was planning on attending, but things happen and plans have to change - but I think, could I just stick a last minute flight on the credit card and head on over to meet up with a heap of print folk. If only...

Andrew Wilson:

Artist web page is now available to view. CLICK

Andrew Wilson: Publishing Award public launch of lithographs:

With Newcastle University School of Arts & Culture celebrating their RAE calibration, it seemed like the prefect time to have public launch of Andrew's lithos - wine & snacks, who would say no.

Back in the shop: Peter Quinn ARWS

Peter last collaborated with us way back in 2006 on four lithographs (view). He has returned to make a new series of Newcastle based works. He'll be using a combination of stones and photoplates. In the photo below you can see Peter drawing on a stone, note the mirror set up, to help with the visualization of the image reversal needed for the drawing on the stone.