Mariann Johansen Ellis

printmaker holiday

2012-02-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

a busmans holiday? oh yes, from the wood burning stove at my sisters wonderful b&b
http:// www.lamaisonvertefrance.com to the wonderful studio at www.maisonconti.com to find out more about photoetching, I can't wait! But for tonight, a lovely meal, from a great cook, and a lovely fire, and then a good nights sleep, somewhat helped by large tasty amounts of a delicious red wine! can life get better??? don't think so......

Printmaking Courses

2012-02-14T06:15:00.000-08:00

Agave birds

I am off to France tomorrow to freshen up my skills on photo etching...... bringing this photo, quite fun to go through ones photos and see what would look good as a black and white, maybe I should just switch the color mode of totally, black and white makes you see in a different way....... so am in a terrific "holiday" mode... and should be proofing new plates... no, nothing interesting, just boring old hand drawn copper plates.... what's fun about that??? ;O)

Printmaking in Spain - Film on basic etching - aquatint and soft ground

2012-02-11T03:02:00.000-08:00

Aquatinting.... ahhh, I get goose bumps, I am having the most fantastic fun, with my box and my ferric chloride...... no, no, that does not make me a weird person, that just makes me a DEDICATED PRINTMAKER!! Come join me in my new series of films, 7 all in all, that explain the technique of etching, adding soft ground and aquatint to a basic line etching.

Printmaking in Spain - gobbledygook...???

2012-02-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

"Agave I" aquatint etching


"Agave II" aquatint etching

It is interesting to be working and working and working and working, after a while, you have to come up for air, realize there are people living out there (really??) and breathe deeply, and ask yourself, am I talking sense, in this new language of mine.... or just muttering away to myself??
If this is not the most blatant fishing attempt you have ever seen, I don't what would be.. never mind :o)) I am also getting to be so intimately aquainted with aquatint, that I can't even spell anymore, and I am, still, deeply in love with my aquatint box, my little miracle worker.... I call him, yes, I know, but it is, a him..... affectionately :o)

Printmaking in Spain - Film on basic etching - aquatint and soft ground

2012-02-04T01:26:00.000-08:00

Here it is: 7 parts, almost 1 hour and a quarter of instruction on how to, make a basic line etching, add some soft ground impression to that line etching and last, aquatint the whole plate for tonal values....
if you have any questions just get in touch, I like sharing!
Please note as you snuggle up under the blanket with a mug of hot chocolate, that I am not
George Clooney (ahhhhh) and that Youtube mixes the numbers up, so it is a little bit fiddly to go through the films in the right order, but on the other hand, you get a break to fetch more cookies!!

Lino course - Printmaking in Spain

2012-02-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

3 color linoreduction by Nina Reistad

3 color linoreduction by Lizzie Gillum

3 color lino reduction by Kit Haig

We have had such fun!! a Whole Weekend of Linocutting, here at Cascada Studio in Mijas, Spain, some very nice and fun Valentine cards were made to start off, to get a feel for the tools and to get a Valentine card with all that extra love poured into it to give to our respectives. And then on to the, what was supposed to be, Basic Linocut course, which very quickly evolved to a Lino Reduction course, the enthusiasm of the students, and their willingness to tackle a tricky medium, was just so fun to watch, and even more fun, the looks on their faces as the prints progressed.... a really nice experience! And I have to say Congratulations on some wonderful prints, don't you think?!

Printmaking in Spain - Finding a new language

2012-01-22T02:59:00.000-08:00

"Chumbos", aquatint etching

It's taking me a while, to start on a new artistic language, after so many years in Asia,where the artistic expressions are so strong, and so bound by tradition, I have sweated a bit ( no pun intended) over coming home and finding my way again, amongst the much more subtle language of Spain. Here light and shadow, reflections and life plays a much stronger part, and of course, I want to find my personal way of telling you how much I love my adopted country.
A friend of mine once said...."when in doubt, do greenery" , and yes, it is kind of funny, but then she was too..... and I miss her sorely, so here comes my first timid attempts at declaring my love......
Espana - te quiero!

Printmaking in Spain

2012-01-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

person in need of therapy, feel free to donate advice!

I bought a new website!! Printmaking in Spain.com , why... hmmm, I have not got the faintest, other than that it was available..... what is it that happens in your (read my) head, when just going in to correct a minor thingie on my host site, I notice that I have a freebie domain name!!! I have not seen this before?? maybe because with www.artcanbefun.com and www.MariannJohansen-Ellis.com and 3 etsy shops and a blog... I REALLY REALLY do not need another website..... but of course, having seen that printmakinginspain.com WAS available... I got gripped by the fever, and just had to have it..... what the heck happened to a pair of new shoes kind of shopping ;o))) So ... now..... of course I have to do something with it...right...I mean... right..... it can't just sit there languishing like an already abandoned puppy, can it... that would be terrible, makes me feel heartless just to think about.... poor little orphaned printmakinginspain.com! Mummy is cooooming......
And it is now official, I need therapy!

From Colorado to the World!

2012-01-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

I got this in the mail this morning, all the way from Colorado, via Australia, and it is just adorable,
Jill of jillbergman.com is reaching out to other printmakers, and me, I am reaching right back, I know what it is like to live in a printmaking "desert", so am thinking about who to send it on to..... if you are interested, get in touch.... I'll be having some fun adding my tiny print to the book..... yes, tiny, it only measures 7.5 x 10 cm... so it's easy to mail on.... what should I make........:o))

New Etching film coming on Youtube!!

2012-01-15T04:29:00.000-08:00

"Feather in My Hat" Aquatint/Soft ground etching

We have just finished making a new etching film, at Cascada Studio, this is a 3 part Basic Etching.
Part 1: Deals with the preparation of the plate, and putting the line on the plate
Part 2: Adding the feather in the Soft Ground
and
Part 3: I put on the reductive aquatint for all the shading, and this is the result.......
I'll let you know when it comes up on Youtube.... but a bit of patience is probably required,
we spent a lot of "film" on this one!!

I am hoping over the course (pardon the pun!!:O)) of the next year, to be making quite a few new films for my Youtube channel, Cascada Studio, it's great fun, and from all the e-mails I receive, it is also fun for you guys out there, so I'll keep them coming........ :o)
PSST, great January rate on my lino courses......

Good Intentions for the New Year

2012-01-05T01:53:00.000-08:00

I promised myself that I would make no silly new year resolutions that I would then only break, you know the usual, I will not smoke, eat, drink or in any way shape or form have fun, except when hauling my rather sorry -ss to the gym for a thorough beating........ so I decided, oh no , not this year, 2012
will be spent in the name of enjoying life to the full, if that includes fags, drinks, and sitting about being lazy, then fine, I will embrace it, I will embrace every sunny day as an opportunity to be outside and every rainy morning as an opportunity to have a lie in with a cup of coffee in bed, if I feel like it, exercise will be taken in the form of a walk, to see friends, or to just marvel at the beauty that surrounds us every day, at the incredible miracle of birds flying in the sky, and cats jumping all the way up on to that high ledge, and the sheer joy dogs take in a good sniffing around, I will raise my eyes and look at the stars, and also, I'll stop going on and on and on and on about stuff, and start listening ;o))))

so here we are, in Ronda, a magnificent town in the South of Spain, eating lunch on the 4th of January, in the sun, with a view that almost defies belief...... and I think the smiles, says it all!
Happy New Year to you all, and come do a printmaking course with me!

Christmas Day Draw is DONE!

2011-12-26T05:30:00.001-08:00

My Christmas Day Give away, has been drawn, and the winner is.........
Debra James Percival!!! ( a fellow printmaker, how fun...)
Congratulations....and I look forward to getting your mailing address and It'll be in the mail asap.....
Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas give away!!

2011-12-24T05:46:00.001-08:00

Last chance to sing up for my Christmas day give away.... leave a comment and you are in the draw!! Merry Christmas....:o) Mariann

Puppet Show in Malaga

2011-12-18T03:56:00.001-08:00

I am getting quite over whelmed, by the wonderful exhibitions I am coming across here on the Costa del Sol, from artists books to last nights wonderful group show under the theme of Puppets (Titeres, in Spanish) not only so incredibly imaginative, but also so full of humour, pathos and elegance, it quite took my breath away!
My prints are in this wonderful Malaga gallery shop, Alfajar, run by a family of all Artists, led by J. Ángel Ruiz González y Lola Díaz Rodriguez, everything you see in the shop, talks about pride in artisan crafts, and good taste. And that's not just me "sucking up" I promise :o)))
If you have a chance, you should go over the holidays and see this exhibition, it is so worth it and a real treat for both young and old! And whilst you are there,
Alfajar ir right on the area of all the fun stuff in Malaga, and what a city it is becoming, interesting, fun and beautiful! GO, is all I can say!

Morning walks and nice surprises

2011-12-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

I went for a walk this morning, up to the little chapel that is on the mountain side, the view from up there is something else, but today, I was looking for some inspiration for my "bosque de los angeles" (forest of angels) etching with aquatint, I have put the trees on to the plate, and am so wary of myself, knowing how I have a tendency to over work everything, I am trying to rein myself in, hard!!! So... a walk along Mijas treetops, yes, here in Mijas, we don't pay for that, we just take the bypass!!

When you live on the side of the mountain, with an incredible view of the Mediterranean, it can be difficult to tear your eyes away from that, and look at the little things right at your feet, like this very happy guy!! All blissed out on early morning light, I am sure....That was my mission this morning, that and clearing my head..... although I take photographs, they are mostly taken for the reason that seen through a viewfinder, it is like my head can also store them, in my own private version when I look "in", to be used in my work.... if that makes any sense.

I was so surprised to find these birds in my kaktusphoto, and so delighted, they really explain why I take photos, when turning the photos around, I find new angles and perspectives, and that can be very instructive and also very inspiring...... I like simple things, and nature is so full of simplicity done in the most extraordinary way.
Dry leaves, twigs, shoots and seedpods, no wonder artists are always looking to them for inspiration.

Home from a wonderful walk, I have sorted my photos and put them in an album on Facebook , so now my day in the studio starts..... :o)

Linocut fun at great January rate!

2011-12-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Lovely Linocuts,
at Cascada Studio in Mijas
5 days (2 + 3) at a wonderful January rate
of 55 Euros a day, materials included...

It does not get much better than this:
We start with the basic linocut course,
to find out a bit more about how and why linocuts
are not only as fun as it gets in printmaking,
but also why they are enjoying such a revival,
the 28 and 29 th of January from 10.30 am to round 5 pm.
We have a day off and then we continue with a
3 day reduction lino course,
the 31st of January- 1 - 2 of February, 10.30 am to 5 pm.
This is as tricky as linocutting gets, but also the most rewarding
of the techniques, we work up a lino print in up to 6 colours,
you will not only amaze yourself, but also go home
with a new way of expressing yourself!
And at only 55 Euros per day, and please note
that this price includes your materials*,
you can choose to attend one or both courses as you want,
I do recommend the basic linocut before you tackle the reduction,
but help is at hand if you want to take the plunge!
Please contact me on e-mail mariann@artcanbefun.com,
or call +34 952 48 51 72 if you are interested or want more information!
I also appreciate very much if you would share this
post with any of your friends who might be interested, thank you!
All the best, Mariann
www.artcanbefun.com
Printmaking courses in Spain

* please see website for material specification

The Season of giving....away!!!!

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Let's get in the Christmas Spirit...yes, I am trying, by giving something away... how about you winning my aquatint etching "Saturday night"? Would you like that? Ok, just leave a comment,
a Christmassy comment, something I can decorate my tree with, and I'll get Santa, when he drops by, to do the draw on the 25th, Christmas Day... and I can hear you sniggering, but of course he's coming, I have been a GOOD GIRL!!
oh, it's quite tiny, the plate is 10cm x 14 cm and the paper is 17 cm x 20 cm!

No way Christmas is in 2 weeks......!!

2011-12-07T23:25:00.001-08:00

that is just not possible..... I have not even printed my cards yet!! Why?...because I am so busy with my aquatint box as to almost bring it to bed with me...hmmm... there's a visual for you! I am producing a whole bunch of new small plates and having such fun in the process, literally, that Christmas be darned... don't want to break the good work thing I have got going here....!
(am off to get my Christmas tree this morning though, I mean... really..))

Christmas in Marbella

2011-12-03T01:42:00.001-08:00

I went to visit with printmaker Ana Matias, in Marbella the other day, she is such a great artist, that I just had to meet her, and how lovely that she turns out to also be a super person! She invited me to take part in her
Con Tinta Roja's (her studio name) Christmas exhibition, that opens on the 16th of December, how fun, my little aquatints get to go to Marbella..... hmmm, not exactly slumming it! Great fun and I am really looking forward to it.....

Fun print exchange exhibition....

2011-12-02T00:54:00.000-08:00

Year of the Dragon next Year... and Sheila Jonah at Proof Studio Gallery in Toronto,
is putting on a print exchange..... go check it out at the special blogspot that tells you all
about the submission requirements etc..... Fire and brimstone , here we come!!

The Art of Being Happy

2011-11-30T02:27:00.000-08:00

Is very easy, when the sun is shining from a clear blue sky, the aquatinting is going good, my trial course went great, I'll post photos tomorrow.... and I am just generally feeling super!!

Postcard Print Exchange..... Iowa University

2011-11-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

Call For Entries

12^th Annual University Print Society Postcard Print Exchange

The theme for this year’s exchange is “Disguise”. Feel free to interpret how you like.

Requirements:

1. Any printmaking technique may be used (woodcuts, lithography, intaglio, photography, silkscreen, digital printmaking, etc.)

2. Create 13 duplicate postcards, each must be 4” x 6”

3. The 13 identical prints should be sent individually to the address posted below. Each card must be stamped and will bear the markings of travel and the postal service. (Do not send the cards together in one envelope.)

4. Include the following information on the back of the card:

a. Your name and return address (legible please)

b. April Katz' address (details below)

c. Title

c. Process(es) used

d. Your e-mail (optional)

5. If you can, send (separately) a small donation of $8 ($4 for students) to help pay for postage. Checks payable to The University Print Society

Send postcard prints to:

April Katz

University Print Society

158 Design

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 50011-3092

USA

ENTRIES DUE: Friday, April 13, 2012

After receiving everyone's postcard prints the University Print Society will divide up the cards and you will be sent 12 new and different prints from other participants. The University Print Society will keep one of the 13 for its collection. Postage for returning the 12 new prints will be paid for by the University Print Society, however your donation will help us out tremendously.

*Please send questions and comments to the University Print Society president, Troy Chebuhar <troyc@iastate.edud>

first proof

2011-11-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

of "My Cup of Tea" as a lino....... maybe some colour on the background, will play around a bit!