Printmaking at The Sidney Nolan Trust

The Sidney Nolan Trust supports artist-printmakers who use the Trust's printmaking studio and exhibit at Trust exhibitions. There is a modest annual subscription (currently £30 pa) and a daily studio use charge (£5) to cover overheads and the cost of consumables. The Trust arranges a programme of printmaking courses and workshops and offers subscribers discounts on course fees.

During 2008 The Trust has held workshops on safer etching with ferric chloride and saline sulphate, carborundum prints, solar plate, hand papermaking and watermarking, relief prints, as well as a series of book arts sessions. More workshops are arranged for autumn 2008

Steamroller Printmaking and workshops, August 15th. - 16th.

An exciting, free weekend event, open to all, at which twelve artist-printmakers were making massive fine art prints – up to 8ft x 4ft - using a three ton steamroller.

Visitors were invited not only to come and watch but also to take part, if they wished, by making their own “Footsquare” printing plates that we then printed using the steamroller.in

Kindly supported by Arrow Plant and Tool Hire Ltd.

and Kington Building Supplies

Saturday 15 August 10.00 – 12.00:

For children aged 10yrs and over.

Saturday 15 August 13.00 – 15.00:

Collage printing, for adults and children over 10yrs.

Sunday 16 August 10.00 – 12.00:

“Footsquare” cork relief printmaking workshop, for adults.

Sunday 16 August 13.00 – 15.00:

Intaglio printmaking, for adults.

Fine Art Printmaking Exhibition, 13 - 21 September 2008

The exhibition is open daily from 10.30am - 5.30pm. Contact the Sidney Nolan Trust for an invitation to the opening & private view of the show on 11 September 6.00 - 8.00pm.

Exhibitors should bring framed prints at 10.00am on Wednesday 10 September and stay during the morning to help hang work please.

Residency by Rebecca Baird from Warringah Printmakers, 9 - 27 September 2008

The Trust is collaborating in 2008 with an Australian printmakers group in Warringah, near Sydney. Printmakers from Warringah will be exhibiting alongside Trust Printmakers at the September show. Rebecca Baird, who has been helping run Warringah printmakers for the past 10 years, will be running and participating in a number of workshops and seminars. Rebecca has been a practicing printmaker for more than 20 years and teaches weekly printmaking sessions.

The programme is on the lines of the highly successful visit of the Icelandic printmakers' group last year. It will include sessions on photoplymer plate, collagraph, copper sulphate etch on aluminium plate and waterless lithography.

Warringah is a print studio with whom we have been in contact for several years on solar plate topics (there is a link from our solar plate page to their site, http://www.printstudio.org.au/ab/about.html

Display of Book Arts produced by Artists at The Sidney Nolan Trust in 2008

Internationally-known book artist Lin Charlston has been guiding artists working at The Sidney Nolan Trust to an appreciation of the new field of book arts. Printmakers at The Trust have produced an exciting collection of new book arts work, which will be on display in the tithe barn, alongside the printmaking exhibition, from 13 - 21 September. We are fortunate to have the space to run these two exhibitions side by side.

Over the past year, Lin has run a series of well-attended workshops and seminars on book arts themes. The Trust's aim has been to challenge printmakers to move beyond their comfort zones; to explore an exciting new medium; and to expand and develop their fine art practices. We have successfully encouraged participation by newcomers to the Trust’s work. If you've only just found out what's going on at The Trust, we'd still like to hear from you - it's not too late to join in future activities.

Autumn 2008 Printmaking Workshops (NB Booking essential for all sessions)

  • Thursday 11 September - Warringah Printmakers: 19.00 Visiting artist Rebecca Baird will give a presentation on the work of her printmakers' group near Sydney Australia. Prints by members of Warringah Printmakers will be on display at the accompanying exhibition. Free event but please book your place by contacting the Sidney Nolan Trust.
  • Saturday 13 September - Solar Plate Workshop: 10.00 - 16.00 at The Sidney Nolan Trust, The Rodd. Another chance to learn this exciting new plate-making technique. Solar plate can be used for making all kinds of fine art prints, from relief to intaglio and any other traditional method. It is safer than etching, requires only sunlight and water and produces sophisticated results. The "photopolymer" material used for solar plates is sensitive to sunlight or Ultra-Violet (UV) light – not to artificial light - so there is no need for a darkroom. Solar plates can be used for images generated either "autographically" (drawn by the artist), or from digital or photographic material. The scope is almost limitless. More information on solar plate. Suitable for all - printmaking experience useful but not essential. Booking essential. Members £30, non-members £40.
  • Sunday 14 September - Understanding Fine Art Prints: 14.00 - 16.30 at The Sidney Nolan Trust, The Rodd, near Presteigne. Learn how etchings and other prints are made and the differences between aquatint and mezzotint, intaglio and lithography, engraving and etching. An illustrated demonstration, ending with participants applying their new knowledge to identify a selection of prints. Highly recommended. Members £5, non-members £10.
  • Monday 15 September 2008 – Advanced Solar Plate methods: 10.00 - 16.00. Run by Rebecca Baird from Warringah Printmakers for printmakers who have already incorporated solar plate into their artistic practice. The session is also open to newcomers who have attended an introductory solar plate day, such as that on Saturday 13 September (see above). Members £25, non-members £35.
  • Tuesday 16 September 2008 – Collagraph: Another session run by Rebecca Baird from Warringah Printmakers. The scope with collagraph printmaking is so vast that even the most experienced practitioner can learn new techniques and means of expression through an exchange of ideas and knowledge. Aimed at established printmakers who already use collagraph in their printmaking. Members £25, non-members £35.
  • Wednesday 17 September 2008 – Waterless Lithography: This will be a new technique to many printmakers. Rebecca will show us how to make lithographic images using an etching press and specialist Van Son inks. Members £25, non-members £35.
  • Friday 19 September 2008 – Safer Etching/Saline Sulphate with Aluminium: Again run by Rebecca Baird, this is an advanced session targeted at those who have already used this method or have attended Liza Harding’s safer etching workshops over the past few months. Members £25, non-members £35.
  • Monday 22 September – Gum Arabic Transfer Printing: Anne Conybeare has been running workshops on this for some years at Leicester Printmakers and has recently moved to Herefordshire. This versatile process is quick and easy to learn and offers a wide range of possibilities to the beginner and experienced printmaker alike. Using a black-and-white laser photocopy as your ‘plate’ you can make prints of hand-drawn or photographic images, or a combination of the two, and shape and manipulate the plate in ways impossible with harder materials like wood or metal. Explore making multi-plate prints and experiment with integrating other media such as wax crayon and gouache paint. Members £25, non-members £35.
  • Tuesday 23 September – Gum Arabic Transfer Printing: To meet the high demand, Anne Conybeare is repeating this workshop. Details above.
  • Health & Safety Briefing The Sidney Nolan Trust welcomes new users of its printmaking studio. Newcomers are asked to attend a half-day health & safety/workshop practice briefing, for which there is a charge of £80 (this can be shared between up to four people). Sessions are arranged as required. If you are in any doubt whether your experience is sufficient or recent enough, then please book some studio sessions (see below). Contact us to register interest.
  • Printmaking Studio Sessions, for newcomers to printmaking at The Sidney Nolan Trust to gain experience of the safe use of the Trust's full size etching press and other studio equipment. The Trust recommends attendance at a number of these supervised half-day sessions to prepare for a Health & Safety briefing (see above). Dates are fixed ad hoc, to suit the timetables of those attending. Contact us to register interest.

Contact details: