The Sidney Nolan Trust supports a group of 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 members' discounts on course fees.

In 2010 we welcome Australian printmaker, Annie Day, chairperson of Warringah Printmakers near Sydney.  Annie will visiting from 5-13 September, so will be here for the fun of our printmaking exhibition for Herefordshire Art Week (h.Art).  Annie is coming to Europe to lead a masterclass in waterless lithography in Florence 21 September - 6 October (http://www.annieday.com.au/).  She'll run a couple of days for us on this subject while she's in Herefordshire.   Lisa Harding will be leading an intensive series of safer etching workshops, starting in June.  Anne Conybeare will run more sessions on gum arabic transfer printing and we'll have Mike Clements' workshops on solar plate, relief printmaking, blind embossing and papermaking for printmakers and book artists.  

For book artists, we'll be taking a table at the Walsall Artist's Book Fair in May.  There'll be a members' day in August and for newcomers Lin Charlston’s superb introductory session on this exciting new fine art medium.  There'll also be a chance in July to make batches of paper for a special handmade book.

Looking ahead to 2011, we plan a more ambitious version of the Steamroller Prints weekend we held so successfully in August 2009.

2010 Printmaking Workshops in Eardisley Village Hall

• Saturday 10 April 2010, 10.00am - 4.00pm – Intaglio Printmaking - Participants get to grips with traditional and contemporary methods of making fine art prints, using a modern portable etching press that is virtually identical to those in use for many centuries. An opportunity to try fine art printmaking at affordable cost.
• Saturday 17 April 2010 10.00am - 4.00pm – Intaglio Colour Inking - Follow-on session to find out how to make intaglio prints in colour, using techniques with wonderful names "à la poupée", "chine collé", "jigsaw" & "multi-plate".
• Saturday 24 April 2010 10.00am - 4.00pm – Collagraph Printmaking - Collagraph is a modern printmaking technique that is wonderfully flexible and almost infinitely expressive. Those with little or no printmaking training can create, in a few hours, effects similar to those which printmakers traditionally slaved for weeks or months to achieve. Many of today’s top printmakers use collagraph extensively in their work.
• Sunday 25 April 2010 10.00am - 4.00pm – Embossed Prints - Printmaking tutor Mike Clements will show participants how to make stunning three-dimensional prints using little or no ink. Mike has spent 15 years perfecting techniques, some of which are his own invention. Embossing can be used to make stunning prints and is also well suited for making fabulous greetings cards and artist’s books. Mike will bring examples of all of these.

These workshops are aimed at adults and are suitable for artists and non-artists alike. You do not need previous printmaking experience. The workshops will also appeal to people who want to refresh a rusty knowledge of intaglio printmaking or simply develop existing skills. By the end of each workshop participants will have had hands-on experience of using an etching press safely and will have made and printed their own prints.

Participants will get most benefit by attending all four sessions. This is strongly recommended for anyone who hopes eventually to become a regular user of the Sidney Nolan Trust's print studio. But newcomers who simply want to have a go at printmaking are welcome at any of these workshops.

Open Access Studio Dates

• Sunday 30 May 10.00am - 4.00pm - Open Access studio day - prepare your plates at home and use our full-size etching press to print them, or make your plates on the day, with advice from our printmaking tutor.  £30 for the day, £20 half day.
• Saturday 19 June 10.00am - 4.00pm - Open Access studio day - another chance to get accustomed to the full-size etching press under the supervision of our printmaking tutor.  £30 per person
• Saturday 24 July 10.00am - 4.00pm - Open Access studio day - build up experience of using the etching press safely, with support from our printmaking tutor - £30.
• Saturday 14 August 10.00am - 4.00pm - Open Access studio day - last chance to qualify for your health & safety/workshop practice clearance, needed before you can use the print studio "solo" -  £30

The Trust intends this to be a comprehensive programme of opportunities for newcomers, to enable them to progress from the outreach workshops at Eardisley to competent printmakers able to hold their own in our printmakers’ group. We aim to have you exhibiting with us by September 2010.

The Trust also recommends these open access studio days for any printmaker needing to gain more experience of the safe use of the Trust's full size etching press and other studio equipment.  They are ideal preparation for a Health & Safety briefing.

Existing printmakers may also find it useful to come along when our printmaking tutor, Mike Clements, is on hand to help solve problems and offer advice on new approaches or techniques.

Specialist workshops

• Walsall Artists Book Fair - Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 May - members invited to join the Trust table at the New Art Gallery, Walsall.
• Relief printmaking - Saturday 29 May – Essential session if you want to print lino or woodcuts, etc. The Trust asks all printmakers, including members with health & safety clearance for intaglio, to undergo this additional briefing on adapting the etching press safely and on the different relief methods and materials. £35 (members £25)
• Safer Etching using saline sulphate on aluminium plates – 11, 14, 18, 22 & 24 June - a series of workshops led by Liza Harding focusing on making A2 etchings. £35 per day (members £25)
• Wood Engraving Masterclass - Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 June 10.00am - 4.00pm – with Society of Wood Engravers member Peter Brown (see his work at www.littlebrownbirds.co.uk). £120 for the three days (members £100).
• Gum Arabic transfer printing – Saturday 12 June 10.00am - 4.00pm – make printing plates from photocopies of your images with tutor Anne Conybeare £35 (members £25)
• Relief Solar Plate – Thursday 17 June - 10.00am – 4.00pm – For printmakers or book artists to make relief plates suitable for printing on the Trust’s etching press or (with permission) on Lin Charlston’s platen press at Westhope College near Ludlow. Ideal for prints or artists’ books. £40 (members £30)
• Safer Etching using saline sulphate on aluminium plates – 21, 22, 26 & 27 July -  another opportunity to take Liza Harding workshops focusing on making A2 etchings. £35 per day (members £25)
• Hand-Made Paper for Printmakers & Book Artists - Sunday 25 July 10.00am – 4.00pm - Prepare paper pulp; form the sheets with a mould and deckle; press, dry and finish your paper for printing. No previous of paper-making experience needed. £35 (members £25)
• Open Papermaking Days - Monday 26 July & Tuesday 27 July– Use Mike Clements’ papermaking equipment to make batches for artists’ books or printmaking. But don’t expect tuition on these days please. £15 (members £10)
• Solar plate - Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 August 10.00am – 4.00pm – Learn & practice this exciting new plate-making technique. Make single exposure (cf line etch) & double exposure (like aquatint) intaglio plates. Solar plate requires only sunlight and water and produces sophisticated results. See http://www.sidneynolantrust.org.uk/SolarPlate.htm. Suitable for all - printmaking experience useful but not essential. £70 for both days, £40 for one day (members £60/30)
• Book Arts Day – Monday 23 August 10.00am – 4.00pm - For those exhibiting during h.Art from 11 - 19 September. Learn new techniques, exchange ideas and experiences. Plan the book arts display.
• Waterless Lithography Masterclass- Friday 10 & Saturday 11 September 10.00am - 4.00pm - with Australian printmaker Annie Day from our partner studio at Warringah. £70 for two days (members £60)
• Understanding Fine Art Prints – Sunday 19 September 2.00 – 4.00pm For printmakers and non–artists alike. Mike Clements illustrates & explains the various printmaking methods and leads participants through techniques for identifying prints.  All welcome
• Book Arts Introduction - Monday 20 September 10.00am – 4.00pm – Another chance to take Lin Charlston’s superb beginners session on this exciting new fine art medium. £35 (members £25)

Advance booking is essential, the earlier the better. Contact printmaking tutor Mike Clements tel 01544 328492 
e-mail MikeClements@sidneynolantrust.org

Book Arts Group at The Sidney Nolan Trust: The book arts group provides an opportunity:

• to meet and work with other artists involved in this exciting and dynamic new fine art medium.  
• to exhibit artist's books at our annual printmaking and book arts exhibition during h.Art in September each year
• to show and sell work at book arts fairs via the Trust's table.

More information on book arts.

Steamroller Prints 13-16 August 2009

Our printmaking project for 2009 was very large prints, using a steamroller to make relief prints.  These were printed as a "performance art" event, with the public encouraged to attend and take part in workshops to make their own "foot-squares" plates.  Click here to see a picture gallery and details.

We will be running a similar event in 2011.

We borrowed the name "steamroller prints" from an annual event sponsored by the San Francisco Centre for the Book.  We are grateful for their consent.