You can make very beautiful Christmas and birthday cards using a few simple techniques, building up effects in layers until you have achieved something interesting and exotic. We provide everyone with the materials to produce 10 finished cards, complete with envelopes, and trial prints and experiments can be used as gift tags and even Christmas decorations.
The good thing about all this is that these ways of working can be tried at home with a few simple pieces of equipment, and if you are interested in art will translate into printmaking, or make starting points for paintings. Transparent layers over one another make all sorts of unexpected colours and effects, and sometimes looking at what has happened in experiments can give ideas for all kinds of other pieces of work.
There will be a chance to try simple screen printing, block printing using more responsive techniques than lino, stencils, metallic paints and collage. People really like receiving handmade artistic cards, and bought ones are expensive and sometimes disappointing. You may never have to buy a commercial birthday card again!
The workshop is lead by Gina Dearden who has been a printmaker and painter for…an incredible number of years. She has worked for Royal Shakespeare Company printing costume fabrics and backgrounds, and sold fabrics to Harrods and stores in New York’s 5th Avenue. At present interested in watercolours and printmaking she will bring some examples of her work, and demonstrate the techniques and materials so that you have a good idea of all the possibilities.