Talleen at Matriz in Porto, Portugal.
As an Akua Demo Artist, each demonstration is an opportunity to connect with artists in a new setting. This time, olá, hello Portugal! On September 12, 2018, I had the immense pleasure of giving an Akua Carborundum Gel printing demonstration at Matriz Associaçao de Gravura do Porto, a charming printmaking studio and gallery located in the heart of Porto’s historic section.
Showroom and office of Matriz.
The printmaking association Matriz was founded in 2006. Board director, Júlia Pintão, explains, “In the genesis there was a friendship between a Portuguese (Júlia Pintão) and a Japanese printmaker (Mami Higuchi). We decided to share our common interest with other printmakers.” Esteta Galeria, a gallery owned by Júlia Pintão since 1996, made space available and Mami Higuchi bought a press. Printmaker Céu Costa has been with them since the beginning. Today these three women direct Matriz and there are 13 members.
With Júlia Pintão in etching studio of Matriz.
I had given several Akua Carborundum Gel workshops and was excited to offer a hands-on participative demo using this amazing medium. Developed by professional printmaker Susan Rostow, this product was launched by Akua of Speedball Art Products in 2017. Carborundum Gel allows for new platemaking methods and I was anxious to open doors of creativity for my new audience.
Akua demo in gallery at Matriz.
Nine enthusiastic professional printmakers attended, including two who had come from Lisbon. The studio’s gallery, luminous and full of beautiful prints, was a perfect setting to give the first part of my demo.
I introduced Akua, fume-free water and soy based inks and modifiers. Next on the agenda, Akua Carborundum Gel, a premixed platemaking gel that delivers intense velvety areas, while allowing for detailed work. Intent on putting my Portuguese class to work, I did this segment in my best Portuguese. Later, since everyone understood English, I supplemented with a good dose of Inglês.
The group split into three and worked collectively on three PETG plastic plates, using Carborundum Gel with different techniques. One group used additive techniques, by “painting” the gel with a brush and adding stenciled details. With flowing gestural brushstrokes they created a tree.
Preparing a plate for mezzotype.
Another group made a mezzotype, a subtractive technique. For this I covered a plate with a thin, even layer of Carborundum Gel by passing it through a screen print screen with a squeegie. While it was wet, the artists wiped away zones that would translate into white when printed. When the coat of gel dried, they scratched into the gel with various tools to create fine lines. The resulting print has a good balance between black, white and textured areas.
Collective prints. Left to right: wax mediums, mezzotype, brush and stencil.
The third method, explored by another group, involved using wax mediums on a dried, uniform layer of screen printed Carborundum Gel. I was impressed with the spontaneous and experimental approach of this group. Using wax crayons, China markers and candles they played with layers of wax, thereby modulating tonality. They discovered that by scratching into a thick layer of wax, they could create fine black lines within the “grey” tone. This was an exciting revelation that I look forward to trying myself!
Showing prints.
While the plates dried, I showed the group examples of my work that had been printed with Akua. My prints included several techniques: Monotype, drypoint, linocut and collagraph, including Carborundum gel prints and mezzotypes.
Thanks to the warm, sunny day, the participants’ plates dried quickly and I could print them.
Collective print.
We moved to the printmaking studio, where I used the etching press. I printed the plates with Carbon Black Akua Intaglio, using Akua Wiping Fabric. The three prints illustrated the different working methods perfectly. The mood was joyous and after the signing of the prints and a photo session of the group we bade each other tchau and obrigada.
Participants of Akua Carborundum Gel demo at Matriz.
Many thanks to Matriz Associaçao de Gravura do Porto for organizing and hosting this demo and to Speedball Art Products for this opportunity. Thank you Diego Herrera for the photography and assistance during the demo.
Photographs by Diego Herrera, except for photo of three prints courtesy of Matriz.
Talleen Hacikyan
talleenart 