About my workshops


A passion of mine for many years has been teaching, sharing what I know and love about nature printing, gyotaku, and the sea.  Over the last 20 years I have developed one, two, and three day workshops that address elements of nature printing, and nature appreciation.  By far my favorite is Gyotaku-The Art of the Fishprint,  teaching the direct form of fish printing.

 I taught myself this art form in 1976, and then started working with two artists on the West Coast- Lori Hatch (lorihatch.com) of Bellingham, Washington and the late Eva Zbar of Vancouver, British Columbia.  I was then a fisherman on the NOAA Ship Miller Freeman, and had access to virtually unlimited fish from Alaska and the Bering Sea.  Lori and Eva would come and spend weekends with me in 1985 and 1986 on the ship in a fish printing frenzy.  It was by working with these two remarkable artists that I developed my own style of gyotaku. 

About the same time that I had seen my first gyotaku, the Nature Printing Society was forming.


Founded in 1976, the NPS                     (natureprintingsociety.com) is is an international organization devoted to nature and to the art of nature printing. The Society encourages publication of articles, demonstrations of printing, teaching of classes, and the organization of displays and exhibitions of all forms of nature printing. It has established guidelines for prints based on those followed by Gyotaku-no-kai, the Japanese fish printing organization.

The Nature Printing Society publishes a quarterly newsletter for members that contains information on techniques used in printing, schedules of classes and workshops held by and for members, dates of shows exhibiting prints by members, and bibliographies of interest to nature printers.  NPS sponsors an annual weeklong workshop for its members in different aspects of nature printing.

Over the past few years I have developed several types of nature related workshops, and often teach at NPS annual workshops, in addition to teaching at my Orchid Street Studio in Sarasota, Florida.

 Workshop Descriptions:
 Gyotaku, the Art of the Fish Print

In this 6-hour  beginning workshop, you will learn the elements of creating a fish print using oil based relief inks.  Subjects covered are selection of the fish, preparation, inking methods and types of rice paper.  Emphasis is on the creation of a realistic print, utilizing the elements of design, balance, value, and shading to achieve a pleasing overall image.  Expect to leave the class with at least four prints of two or more different fish.  All fish and specialized materials are provided, but students may bring in their own fish for the class.



In Touch with Nature
Recreating the colors and texture of Nature

 Explore the process of nature printing on paper and fiber using natura

l objects such as leaves, flowers, feathers, and grasses.  We will use the textures and shapes of these objects to create simple to complex images
with hand pressure on paper and cloth.  We will also use a reduction process in a nature printing method to remove color from dyed fabrics creating patterns with tonal qualities.

Nature mono-printing with a Press

Explore the process of creating monotype (one-of-a-kind) prints on paper using natural objects such as leaves, flowers, feathers, and grasses.  You will learn general printmaking techniques using an etching press, and the basics of nature printing. We will follow the John Fass method of making repetitive prints from a single inked plate.  This technique allows for shadow and depth and the additional of other additional inked objects in a unique layering process.  Incorporating the elements of design we will also create background textures on an inked surface with the use of lichens, eggshells,feathers, and other natural items. The possibilities range from simple botanicals to complex layered images.


 Pulp and Print
Paper Making and Nature Printing


This is a combination class  of both a simple pulp paper making session followed a week later by nature printing on the small sheets of your handmade paper.
 
Create an art piece from pulp to print! On the first 3-hour session,  create deckle-edge sheets of paper using paper pulp and shredded and beaten cellulose fibers in a watery bath. You can also add inclusions of leaves and plant parts.  On the second 3-hour session,  you'll nature print beautiful and unique botanical images using a wonderful variety of leaves and inks on your handmade paper, using either hand pressure or a small etching press.



























Advanced Gyotaku Sessions:


There are several different topics covered in advanced techniques.  In these classes we address the artistic elements of creating a gyotaku image, the selection of materials, including inks and papers, the two methods- direct and indirect, different techniques of preparation of the fish,  pressing techniques, and the preparation of the print for display, including eyes, signature, and mounting. 
  • Making a Scene- Creating backgrounds for Fish prints
  • Back to School- Techniques of printing schools and multiple fishes
  • Wet mounting and collage techniques
  • The Eye of the Fish-  various techniques of painting fish eyes and ways to complete an image
 
 Seaweed Pressing and Printing for Art

This 6-hour workshop addresses the techniques in printing marine algae (seaweeds) and other aquatic plants such as sea grasses.  It includes an introduction to algae biology and taxonomy, and a lesson in identification of and the selection of species most suitable for the printing process. Students will be printing using various styles of printing, with different papers and inks.  There is also a session on the preparation of a herbarium including the techniques of pressing seaweed for both art and science.