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Deborah Bell was in the studio working on a series of drypoint images that she has evocatively named And if I Fall?, Poet, and In Our Sleep, Where We Meet. The three works make a beautiful suite and are being editioned by Tim. She has also been experimenting with carborundum, which is an industrial abrasive made from silicon carbide filings, and the results, a grainy texture under the ink, are fabulous.

A larger work is also in progress, the second image from the series “Memory of Water” titled Memory of Water: Iron. Colour proofing has been started in hues of blue as well as with a second carborundum plate that Deborah created. A second test with carborundum and red ink was proofed, Deborah will continue work on this during her next visit to the studio. The colour and method mark something of a new direction for Deborah.

I have been editioning Colbert Mashile’s linocut created for a book project on J.M. Coetzee’s Life and Times of Michael K (still very hush hush but details to follow in the next few weeks). A portfolio of linocut prints created in preparation for this book project will feature as part of Colbert’s exhibition at our gallery on Saturday the 4th of March from 12 noon. The linocuts form a perfect counterpoint to the large, bright monotypes that will also be on the show.

Wilma Cruise and I successfully printed the longest pronto print produced at DKW. Measuring 1.4 m long, the print will form part of a series of three works based on preparatory drawings for life-size sculptures. Wilma and I are working towards an exhibition to simultaneously in our gallery and at Art on Paper Gallery in August 2006. This is a very exciting project for Wilma since it offers her a chance to make something of the many drawings, photocopies, and photographs that she works with before beginning a sculpture. The prints, which have been through several stages of experimentation, yield wonderful insights about the way in which Wilma creates her 3-D works.

Nathaniel Stern and Richard Kilpert visited the studio, which led to charged conversation between the three of us about combining Nathaniel’s “compressionist” works with printmaking. To be continued…

Keywords: Arts-and-Culture, Print Workshop