Carrie Kaser & Print Zero 7

On Sunday I had a little trip down to London to catch up with some fellow Tamarind people. Marjorie Devon came over to speak at a symposium at Seacourt Print Workshop in Belfast, but failing to be able to make the trip over to Belfast, a long coach ride down to the big smoke was the next best thing. I met up with Carrie Kaser first, then Sharon Lee, later meeting up with Linsay Croall, Marge & Ellie Lamb for some great Thai food in Soho and good conversation.

Carrie came up to Newcastle on Monday to help me out in the workshop, assisting the editioning of a new print for the Print Zero Exchange 7. A seven run litho, sister to the 'Circus' piece made for the 6th exchange.

On Tuesday Carrie continued to assist while also beginning work on her print, 'Ten City Buses,' for the exchange. This was drawn, proofed and editioned in the same long day, with signing and packing taking place on Wednesday before she headed off to Edinburgh.

Geordie Shepherd: Olic

In 2007 Geordie Shepherd came over form Canada to create three works which are part of his 'Olic' series. Available now is his self publish book on his 'Olic People.'



"Olic is an artistic and literary exploration of the Olic People, their life philosophy, world and times, written and drawn through the eyes and voice of a later-age cultural researcher."

In my final year of University I conceived of a drawing project based upon the voyage of characters based within a fictional culture. Inspired by my studies in anthropology, mythology, and sociology, I decided to create a handmade “ethnographic” tome. From this original text, my practice has continued to bridge gaps between narrative, fantasy, text and drawing, as exemplified by the Traveling Pottery Box, the Olic drawing series, numerous ceramic vessels and, most recently, The Traveling Boxes.

Olic (2010) is a written and illustrated 84-page book that is available from Lulu self-publishing press in three formats: Paperback, hardcover and e-book.

Order from > Lulu
Artist website > Geordie Shepherd
Hole Editions webpages > Geordie Shepherd

The 5th Birthday Prize Draw & Winners

That's it folks the 5th Birthday Prize Draw has been and gone. Everyone who took part is a winner, some more than others, congratulations!!

It's been great fun all in all and the party last night was the icing on the cake. It was looking like the weather wasn't going to play nice, but the rain did eventually cease as the guests began to arrive. On-line ticket sales were stopped at 6.30pm but sales in person happened until just before the draw. Courtesy of Brian Degger we were able to stream the draw almost live and it was thrilling to hear that people did watch the draw from afar. When it works technology is great.

Five artists kindly designed the tickets for the draw and the money raised from sales will be going towards projects with these artists. Big thanks also go to all the people that helped sell the tickets and bigger thanks to everyone who bought tickets, your support is golden.

So who won and which prizes did they win. Here you go in no particular order:

Andrew Wilson, Toes > Jeff Beekman
Black Static of Summer CD > Zoe Anderson
Darren Banks, Blob 21 > Ewan MacDonald
Todd Anderson, Midland Drifts 7 > Claire Pyle
Jock Mooney, Awk! Awk! > Craig Dugan
Narbi Price, Untitled (Wall) > Zoe Anderson
Andrew Wilson, Peas > Sharon Lee
Erika Adams, Provenance > Matt Hearn
Graham Firth, Another Traffic Jam > Linsay Croall & Adam Proctor
Draw a Line, Follow It Book > Allan Barnfather
Love Hate Book > Mely Mitchell
Lee Turner, Pathé > Laurence Sillars

It should be noted that Nick Kennedy and Rachel Clewlow did win the Draw a Line, Follow it book but since it is the book they produced, they kindly offered a redraw.

Good fun, good times I hope you all enjoyed the event as we did. All being well we will hold another draw in a couple of years.









Photo Credit: Brian Degger

3 Days to go!!

Our 5th Birthday approaches, only three days to go. That's three days until the party at the workshop, three days until the prize draw and therefore three days left to get your mits on tickets for the draw. Still need to get yours, then visit the website!



The draw will take place on Sat 29th May, you do not need to be present at the draw to win. Tickets and prizes will be sent worldwide. If you can attend the draw, come along to the workshop from 6.30pm. There will be chance to see the prizes up for grabs and have some refreshments before the draw, which will take place at approximately 8pm.

Hope to see then.

Visit to Doncaster: Graham Firth's exhibition

I was very pleased that I managed to get myself down to Doncaster to catch Graham Firth's retrospective exhibition of prints at the Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery. Graham is Doncaster's artist of the year and also taught me lithography back in 1993. He came to Hole Editions in the summer of 2008 and produced seven lithographs. These were featured in the exhibition along side his juicy lino cuts and screen prints. Also on show were some of his sketch books and lino blocks, fantastic to see.

Graham kindly gave me a tour of the new(ish) printmaking facility in The Hub at Doncaster College. The press he taught me on is still in working order, although as Graham pointed out, the levigator has led a full life and needs to be put to pasture.

Works on show: Preparing the Ground

Lithographs by Ben Jeans Houghton & Anne Vibeke Mou can been seen in the following exhibition:

ACA Allenheads Contemporary Arts
Preparing the Ground

ACAdovetail, 61 Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 4HZ
(In front of the Discovery Museum)

Exhibition Continues:
17th May – 12th November 2010
Monday – Friday 10am-5pm
(occasional lunch-time closures between 12 – 1pm, call for details 0191 2619911)

For more information on this or other ACA projects please contact Alan Smith or Helen Ratcliffe on 01434 685040

acart.org.uk


Ben Jeans Hougthon


Anne Vibeke Mou

New artist: Ray Richardson

Q.Which film did Ray Richardson watch on the train journey to Newcastle?
A. Get Carter

It had to be done and all good preparation for a scouting mission to the North East. We were delighted that Ray made the effort to visit either side of his wedding party in Carnoustie. A walking tour of the sights was taken prior to starting any serious stone work and we paused for the first play-off leg for Ray's beloved Charlton Athletic. It was only the briefest of visits but a start was made on three images, two direct to stone and one a transfer drawn in Gateshead. Plans are a foot for a return (longer) visit at the end of July.

Artist website > Ray Richardson

5th Birthday Prize Draw: Tickets

Hole Editions will be celebrating it's 5th Birthday this year. To mark this event we shall be holding a fund raising prize draw, like we did for our 3rd Birthday. Artists we have collaborated over the past two years have kindly donated artist proofs as prizes along with a couple of books and a CD.

In addition five further artists have been commissioned to design the draw tickets. Monies raised from the ticket sales will help fund future projects with these artists. The tickets have been printed from photo-polymer plates on our Adana letterpress and are well worth the entry fee in themselves.

The draw will take place on 29th May 2010. You do not have to be present at the draw, tickets will be posted worldwide. Tickets are £5.00 each or a set of 5 for £20. For purchasing and further information (ie. prizes) visit the draw page on our website > 5th Birthday Prize Draw

Here are images of the tickets.


Simon Woolham: Land of Chairs


Iris Aspinall Priest


Ant Macari: Bikr in Lido 2007


Zoe Anderson


Rachel Bollen: One of 50 ways to leave your lover

Artist page: Ben Jeans Houghton

In February we collaborated with artist Ben Jeans Houghton on a series of lithographs. This project was made possible through a commission from the Business Collectors Network. Each of their members will receive an impression of Untitled 7 and an impression of each edition will become part of the collection.

Jeans Houghton's web pages are now up on the website. The lithographs are currently available for pre-order at reduced pre-publication prices. Purchase now to make sure that you take advantage of this saving and before you miss out on these stunning hand printed lithographs.

All the works are on show at Moving Gallery, Westgate Rd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, until the 14th April.

View artist page > Ben Jeans Houghton

Karl de Vroomen: Saatchi Online

If you are visiting Liverpool over the next few months you should pay a visit to the A Foundation and see Karl de Vroomen's work including monotypes. We are really pleased for him to be selected for this show (8 out of 100,000).



SAATCHI ONLINE: Northern Stars
@ The Blade Factory
A Foundation
67 Greenland Street
Liverpool L1 OBY

9 April - 22 May 2010

Saatchi Online, the Saatchi Gallery's website founded in 2006 to provide artists with a free platform to show their work to a global audience, will be exhibiting a selection of artists from the north of England. Entitled Northern Stars, the exhibition will present an outstanding range of work, including painting, photography and sculpture.

In keeping with Saatchi Online's mission to democratise the traditional hierarchies of the art world and give artists access to collectors for their work, Northern Stars features the work of 8 artists chosen from the 100,000 artists registered on Saatchi Online. All the works in Northern Stars will be for sale.

They are: Michael Branthwaite, Fiona Curran, Aidan Doherty, Jonathan Legge, Amy Moffat, Ruth Murray, Karl de Vroomen and Simon Withers.