Steamboat artist Diane Cionni at OG 05/17/2012
Steamboat resident and artist Diane Cionni came to OG in February for a few days to begin her project that she would later finish in April. Diane took our monotype workshop this past January, so she had an idea of the processes she would use to make her prints before she arrived. Diane likes to use an array of eclectic images she has drawn or painted and collage them into delicate veil-like backgrounds--which she found inspiration for from traveling in India and noting the beautiful abstraction of the peeling walls in the streets. In each of her pieces Diane uses organic and scientific imagery, while also juxtaposing pattern and chaos. Every piece is thoughtfully yet unselfconsciously composed into playful, beautiful scenes. Diane created nine bleed-edge monoprints, entitled Reason and Romance, sized at 20'' x 15 7/8'' and $1200 each. She also created a striking etching in an edition of eight entitled Map of Reason and Romance, 30'' x 42'' and priced at $1500 each. To view all of the pieces from Diane's project, please click here. 
A snapshot of a corner in Diane's workspace 
An initial run through the press--the start of a monoprint. You can see how Diane collages directly on the press bed which gives her work a wonderful sense of spontaneity. 
Diane hand painting on one of her pieces 
A completed monoprint: Reason and Romance #1, 2012 
These are some lovely proofs of the solar plate etchings Diane made. We always print the plates we make in black ink so that we can recognize the quality and composition of the plate itself before jumping in to choosing colors or any specific arrangements. Diane was inspired by these proof sheets--they were very beautiful just as collages and really related to her style. So, Diane decided to make a print this way; the stripped down simplicity really gives the viewer time to consider each element of the piece, and how the individual images relate to one another. 
Kristen and Julia wiping lots of little plates! 
We arranged the plates on the press bed, in specific relations and orientations, and viola!.. 
...An etching is born! 
Map of Reason and Romance, 2012 
After printing the BAT, we had to trace each plate on a "bed sheet" so we can print the edition later. 
Diane putting her legs up after a hard days work! :) To view all of Diane's work from her project, please click here 
The beginning of May has been dedicated to preparing for the artMRKT San Francisco fair, with lots of printing and packing. Sue and Stacia arrived in San Fran last night after a two day journey in a rented van loaded with artwork! If you are in the San Francisco area the 17th-20th, please go visit them and they will show you some amazing prints! Here is the link to the fair website, with fair info, the schedule, and how to get there: artMRKT website Hope to see you at the fair! Add Comment  Julia Fernandez-Pol came for a bustling one week project this April. Many packets of Orbit gum and pots of hazelnut coffee later, we ended up with thirty-one explosive, bright and wonderful monotypes all with hand painting titled Reef Series 2 #1-#31 ranging in size from 27'' x 24''--45 1/2'' x 29 1/2'' and in price from $1100-1300. She also created a group of seven large, unbelievable monotypes on black Hahnemühle paper, 45 1/2'' x 29 1/2'', titled Nebular Reef Series #1-#7 priced at $2100, and three on white paper titled Chaos Reef #1-#3 at 28'' x 41'' and $1600 each. Lastly, Julia composed four incredibly sleek and gorgeous etchings titled: #1 Flower and Willow World (Karyūkai), #2 Kabuki Theater, #3 Plum Blossom Dagger, and #4 Zen Galaxy, all in an edition of 15 for $800 each or $2800 for the group. Every one of Julia's pieces has its own charm and way of demanding attention, calling the viewer to look closer into its macro or microcosmic landscape.  With JFP's non-stop work ethic and due to the size of each print, we had to begin stapling the work on one of our less accessible walls! Julia is scraping the wall to make sure there is nothing that could puncture the prints while they are drying.  A print coming off the press! Never gets old...  JFP hand painting one of her monotypes  Reef Series 2 #10, 2012, monotype, 31'' x 24'', $1200  Julia used our drill to puncture holes into the copper plates she later drew on onto hardground and we etched.  Puff paint! JFP adding details to her prints  Gorgeous monotypes drying on the wall  Kristen cleaning off the hardground from JFP's plates after their etching was completed.  Julia decided the first day of her project to cut her four rectangular copper plates up into shapes that she drew into on hardground. After we were done etching, we printed proofs of each in black and cut them out to their plate size so she could play around with configurations.  Next we wiped all of the plates in different colors and Julia arranged them on the press. This was to get an idea of what colors looked right and how the plates responded to one another.   A completed etching! #3 Plum Blossom Dagger, 2012, etching, edition of 15, 23'' x 30 3/4'', $800  On the last day of the project, Julia whipped out these seven large monotypes that look stunning on black paper. Julia is putting some final touches with hand painting on the prints as they dry on the wall.  Nebular Reef Series #4, 2012, monotype, 45 1/2'' x 29 1/2'', $2100 All of Julia Fernandez-Pol's prints are available for purchase and on our website: www.oehmegraphics.com. Please contact the shop for more information about Julia's project, questions, or to place an order. Email: sue@oehmegraphics.com Phone: 970.870.6609 Oehme Graphics will be at San Francisco's artMRKT fair this coming May. Keep an eye out for more info on the fair and if you are in the area we would love to show you some prints! In other OG news....  This March and April we have been printing away at the shop, and we have completed a majority of the editions from 2011!  Kristen, Julia Christie  Sue snapped these shots after we had completed printing all of Louise Fishman's ten editions! Special special thanks to Kristen Bukowski who came to intern at OG last August-October and returned to work this past February, March and April. She will be leaving at the end of the month and we will be sad to see her go! Thank you so much for all your hard work. Happy Spring!  Monroe Hodder lives part-time in Steamboat Springs, as well as in London, and she has been working with us at the studio when she is back in the mountains. This time around, Monroe spent two days working on adding to her series of lovely and energetic blue- hued monotypes and monoprints entitled Other Worlds V11-XV. They are 30 1/2'' x 25'' and cost $1800 each. Please click here to see them on the website!  The color mixtures on Monroe's palette are always fun to see...she is obviously a painter!  Monroe and Sue carefully hanging up one of the completed monoprints. The paper we use for watercolor is extremely absorbent when saturated, making it very delicate and heavy even after running it through the press. We have to get it on the wall ASAP to prevent tearing.  Artist hard at work!  Steamboat resident Laura Wait came to OG for a four day project the following week to make monoprints and monotypes using both watercolor and oil based inks. She created thirty three monos, titled Scriptograph. They are 27'' x 17'' and $800 each. The prints vary in mood from light and delicate to fierce and powerful, and there are endless combinations of groups or pairs that look amazing together.  A pile of Laura's matrices--she used vellum and mat board as surfaces on which to paint. She also utilized our solar plate box to make some etchings for relief printing (rolling the ink on the surface of the plate) as well as intaglio (wiping ink off the surface so ink only remains in etched lines).  Painted pieces awaiting the press!  The shop in action...  Laura deciding where to place so more imagery after a few layers of printing.  Happy Birthday Sue! It was Sue's Birthday on February 15th, and we surprised her with a lunch party with a few friends! It was a great celebration having women over that are connected to Sue and the shop! We will be doing lots of edition printing the next month, as well as a few more shorter projects. We just added images from Richard Bosman's project as well as the above two projects so be sure to go on our site and check them out! Richard Bosman: First Project of 2012 at OG 02/20/2012
Embers, 2012 
New York based artist Richard Bosman came to Oehme Graphics this January for the first project of 2012. Despite the lack of snow in Steamboat this winter, Richard was still able to be inspired by winter for all of his prints! He created five compelling and beautiful pieces that demonstrate both his thought provoking and subtle style as well as represent how the printmaking process as a medium can convey meaning in the work. The prints are titled Cabin, Snow Squall, Shout, Winter Deer, and Embers. They are each 22 1/2'' x 28'' with a pre-publication price of $1500. After the editions are printed the price will go up to $1700. 
Christie is carefully using an xacto knife to cut out pieces in this vellum which will be exposed as a solar plate. Cutting out the shapes of the snow insures that the snow on the image will be as white as possible! 
The completed Snow Squall print, with the solar plate as well as three other etched copper plates. 
Richard used the light box with his drawing on vellum make his carborundum plates. 
Richard tracing out his deer image in order to block out the shape and paint a carborundum background for one of the plates for the Winter Deer print. 
Sue and Richard discussing how the plates are working together and how they will affect the final outcome. 
The completed Winter Deer print. 
Wiping plates! There was lots of proofing to make sure we got the colors to work together harmoniously and bring out the meaning behind each image. 
Sue had the great idea of cutting out the shape of the figure for this print. Every time we ran it through the press it screamed! 
Wiping this solar plate for the Shout print with two colors--white for the snow on the branches, and blue for the pants and the highlights in the snow. 
Christie tearing down prints for the signing! Please contact the shop for more information about Richard's project and prints. Please watch our website for all the newest 2012 publications which will be posted soon: www.oehmegraphics.com We have an exciting lineup of artists this year, so stay logged in and keep checking up on us to see what's new! Phone: 970.870.6609 Email: sue@oehmegraphics.com First Workshop of 2012! 02/10/2012
The first project of the year at OG was a highly energized workshop with four wonderful women and artists: Nancy Van Deren, Holly Hughes, Renee Iacone, all from New York, and local Diane Cionni. The focus of the workshop was everything monotype/monoprint, and the variety in their work demonstrates the vastness of possibility that the process enables. The artists experimented with collagraph plates, stenciling, carborundum, watercolors, Akua inks, plexi plates, and all that these mediums have to offer. Along with a beautiful collection of prints of their own creation, they got to take home new techniques and concepts for their artwork. 
Making a collagraph plate out of pieces of cut up cardboard and acrylic gel medium. 
Diane is arranging shapes of vellum she has painted that her collagraph plate will be layered on top of. 
Holly working hard at her artist station 
Renee made a series of mysterious prints using the collagraph technique; in this picture she is wiping one of her plates. The photo below is a group of her prints drying on the wall. 
One of the great things about using vellum to print is that you can easily bring shapes to the foreground or background. In these pictures Holly is carefully placing the shapes in particular orientations to get the piece composed to her liking. 
Nancy played with layering mat board and a carborundum plate with beautiful results. 
She matches her print! 
This was a very complicated print to accomplish--and Sue used her very masterful master printer skills to pull this one off! The shapes were carefully painted and cut out by Diane, and then a map was made on the underside of the plexi to show where to place her stencils. In the picture Diane and Sue are using the light table in order to better see the lines and where to correctly place the composition. 
Voila! It worked! 
One of the great things about the workshop was the uniqueness of each student's prints. Under Sue's guidance, everyone experimented to find processes that best complimented their work. It was so fun having these ladies in the shop for the week; their energy and enthusiasm for printing was invigorating! If you are interested in participating in a workshop at Oehme Graphics, please contact the shop at 970.870.6609 or email Sue at sue@oehmegraphics.com. We just began our first project of 2012 with New York artist Richard Bosman. Check back soon to see the first week's progress! OG at EAB in NY! 11/11/2011
Sue and Julia sped off to the EAB (Edition and Artists' Books) Fair last week for a whirlwind trip in New York! It was a very busy and exciting week, from setting up our booth with all the beautiful prints we've collaborated on this year, to meeting new artists and clients to work with in the future. The Fair was kicked off on Thursday evening for the opening party, and was open all weekend. It was so fun to see old friends and share all the work from this prolific year! 
Artist Jason Rohlf with his lovely partner Guinevere at the opening party 
View from our booth 
The darlings, Paul Mutimear and Katherine Bowling 
Sue sharing one of our portfolio sets by Patsy Krebs--the gorgeous handmade boxes by John DeMerritt were delivered on site that morning, along with all the portfolios by Mark Tomlinson! 
Erika Garcy, a former printer with Sue, came to help us for the weekend--we could not have done it without her! It was great having another set of hands and someone with knowledge about the printmaking process. Thank you, Erika! (come visit us in Steamboat!) 
Our portfolio table--we made a total of 8 sets this year, complete with letterpress pages and handmade boxes. 
The OG booth 
The amazing Miz Hambleton stopped by to sign some of her prints for the Stairway to Heaven Series--stay tuned for images of the incredible set! 
Sharing Ken Buhler's monotypes. Also special thanks to Donald Rothenburger (in the blue shirt) for all his help setting up our booth and coming in to work the booth! We also could not have pulled it off without you. 
Sharing Farrell Brickhouse's portfolio to a group of interested viewers 
Thanks to everyone who helped make the fair a success! We had such a great time seeing everyone and meeting new friends. Having had all this beautiful artwork in the shop in Steamboat Springs all year, it felt so good to get it out into the world for all to see! 
Of course the work continues, and we are currently getting ready for two upcoming shows: a show of small work, all under 18'' in Denver with Ann Benson Reidy + Associates, and the ART NOW fair in Miami Beach, Florida. Please come to them if you will be in the area! 
If you have questions about either of the shows or anything else, please call: w. 970.870.6609 c. 970.846.6609 or email Sue at: sue@oehmegraphics.com www.oehmegraphics.com 
Local and international artist Monroe Hodder has been working on her project gradually this year and will finalize it in 2012. Monroe spends part of the year in Steamboat and the remainder traveling to New York and London, so we have been working with her when she is in town. She created an incredible group of nine large watercolor and oil monoprints in one day! They are entitled Love Never Fails, Love Always Fails, size 30 1/2'' x 25'', and priced at $1800 each. Please take a moment to look at them on our website, www.oehmegraphics.com! Monroe currently has a show in New York at Andre Zarre Gallery which opened last night, Thursday, Oct 6th and will run through November 18. 
Kristen and Sue carefully laying down Monroe's painting onto the piece of paper. 
Printing from plastic! Every nuance of Monroe's paint marks came off of this one. Instead of using the press, which might have induced a squish nightmare, Sue used a baren (it is sitting on the corner of the press in the photo) to manually apply pressure to the back of the print resulting in a beautiful piece. 
Monroe likes to use her hands! She is always smudging and adjusting with her fingers, and really "getting into" (literally!) her work, and usually has some color in her hair :) 
In early September, Oehme Graphics had the pleasure of working with Ann Benson Reidy and Associates, an art consulting group in Denver, to put on an amazing show downtown. The lovely Judith King invited us to use her gorgeous apartment overlooking the city as the setting to display all the artwork we have produced with the artists this year. It was amazing to see all the prints together and to finally share it with the 125 lucky attendees. 
William Beity, of Space Editor in Denver, is talented as well as experienced in all things related to showing and knowing art. He helped us all weekend long, and we were very grateful to have him with us! 
Steamboat in Denver! Park Myers of The Steamboat Art Council, Kimberly Saari, of K. Sarri Gallery in downtown Steamboat, and Christie Ginanni Stepan, of Fancy Ink Press in Steamboat! 
Timothy Standring, the Gates Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the Denver Art Museum, gave a delightful talk about the importance of works on paper and how to begin a collection. 
Kristen and Christie tearing down prints, organizing editions, shipping art...never a dull moment! Even though the artist projects are done for the year, there is always more to prepare and print. 
Back at the shop, we have been printing editions from many of the projects from this year. During a project, BAT's are made as the print we go off of to make all the rest (which stands for "bon à tirer" in French, or "ready to pull" in English), but there is too much creating going on to complete full editions. So, this fall we have been busy finishing editions to take to New York in November for the EAB Fair. If you are in New York, we would love to see you! It is from November 3-6th. For all the info please click here: http://www.eabfair.com/ 
We are excited to go to NY this November and exhibit all the new publications! Many of the OG artists will be at the EAB Print Fair Opening and some will be signing prints we have completed this fall for their editions. Come check out all of the art we have made this year and perhaps meet an artist we have worked with! Please contact the shop for more information about the fair or any other questions. We will be sending out a detailed email about it soon, with ticket information. Phone: (970) 870-6609 Website: www.oehmegraphics.com Email: sue@oehmegraphics.com Hope to see you there!  This August Farrell Brickhouse came to Steamboat to round out the 2011 projects for OG. He completed a total of fifty eight unpredictable and lovely monotypes ranging in size from 8 3/4'' x 7 1/2'' - 22 1/4'' x 12 3/4''. He also completed two series of six prints each of solar and copper plate etchings entitled Doubt of Columbus (Color) and (B/W), one using color inks at $600 each and the other using only black ink at $500 each. He was inspired by photos of his relatives on the shores of Montauk Bay in the early 1900's and from his days as a fisherman off the coast of New York in the sixties. The editions will be available as sets of six in handmade portfolios or individually.  Some beautiful moths spotted right outside our entryway. A flashback from Paul's project!  Farrell cranking the press and running one of his monotypes for the first time.  Julia, Kristen, and Ashley wiping plates to proof images for Farrell's editions. We were lucky to have the opportunity to complete many of the prints in his editions during the project, and almost daily the wall was patterned with his nautical scenes.  Farrell in the artist nook, painting with watercolor on vellum in preparation for a very original print idea--he used strips of paper from one of our many full bags of scraps from tearing down prints and wove them together. He planned out his watercolor so that after running through the press, each square of the woven paper would contain one of his creatures on a colorful backdrop. The end result is a truly beautiful and outrageously amazing monotype!  Farrell working on his copper plates  Before A beautifully artistic plate of treats made by the lovely Mr. Brickhouse!  And After! (Do you see the face?!)  Proofing a plate (not yet complete) for one of the prints in Farrell's color editions. Farrell said that this color red was exactly the shade of the copper used under the fishing boats that is used to protect them from salt water wear and tear.  Ashley stapling another completed editioned print to flatten it against the wall  One of Farrell's copper plates ready to be etched and looking like a work of art itself!  Sue and our new intern, Kristen Bukowski, a recent graduate from Colorado College, who we are lucky enough to have with us until November.  Connie Saddlemire and her family stopped by for a visit to the shop. Connie took our monotype workshop this February and created many beautiful pieces that she laid out on the press and shared with her family.  The woven print is completed! So exciting to see this one pulled.  Ashley and Farrell organizing prints for the signing on the final day of the project.  Stretch out those hands! Farrell had lots of signing to do because our killer interns helped complete some of his editions during the project (a first for this year)!  The last day of projects for 2011! (Thought we'd finish off strong with hero poses on the rock pile)  It is hard to believe we moved into OG only last December. It has been such an amazing experience to work with all of the artists this season. Special thanks to our lovely interns Paige Hinshaw and Ashley Denio who worked so hard and well this summer. They helped everything run smoothly and completed tasks in double time. (Julia misses you both :) ...and is also so happy to have Ms. Kristen Bukowski now!) Please visit our website at www.oehmegraphics.com to see all of the projects from 2011! Don't forget to check out the new projects section to read about details from each. And please contact the shop with any and all questions. Phone: 970.870.6609 Email: sue@oehmegraphics.com We will having various events this fall and winter traveling and exhibiting our prints, so keep checking the blog for more updates and stories!  We were lucky enough to have BOTH Katherine Bowling and Paul Mutimear come this month. Sue has worked with Katherine on three other projects in the past, and this is the first time we have had two projects running at the same time. Paul came for the second week and worked on his captivating and unbelievable photographs of moths in flight. Beautiful weather here in Steamboat this July. Complete with sunny mornings (and some full days too), afternoon showers, and warm nights. Perfect for making solar plates outside and spitbiting plates, and in Paul's case, watching for bugs! Katherine created thirteen monotypes, ranging in size from 20 3/4'' x 4 1/2''--31'' x 25'', five aquatint and spitbite etchings at 23 3/4'' x 25'', $1700 each, and a solar plate print for our Stairway to Heaven series. Paul complied a series of four solar plate etchings at 16 1/4'' x 13 3/4'' entitled Mothman, Ready, Bandit and U-Turn, at $500 each as well as a digital photograph for the Stairway to Heaven series.  Katherine hard at work in her artist-nook-as-home for 2 weeks!  A serious Paul working on his moth solar plate print  Katherine's plan for one of her plates  Sue inking up a copper plate in gold ink  An inked solar plate ready for proofing  One of Katherine's Snowman monotypes--each with a different personality and intrigue.  Paige precisely tearing down Katherine's monotypes, another in her Snowman series.  Katherine and Sue are discussing Katherine's print, Cabin. It takes many proofs and alterations to each plate to get every component working together, and we did countless adjustments to color, tone, and plate order. Katherine would also go back into the plates and re-sand and scratch into them.  Making notes on what needs to be augmented after the initial proof.  Katherine working on her plate for the Stairway to Heaven Series, entitled My Father's Ashtray.  Katherine is an expert spitbiter; you can see how blue the acid is getting on the copper plate. This indicates that the nitric is really reacting and therefore etching into the plate to get some really deep, beautiful blacks.   Look at all those artistas! (All wearing their OG logo aprons - Thanks David at Grand APPS in Michigan!) This is one of the first proofs for one of Katherine's print Winter II.  One of Katherine's completed rich and beautiful etchings titled Winter I.  Paul shooting and blowing away!  His inked up solar plates ready for a run through the press.  Paul set up outside to capture birds, moths, passing airplanes, storms...  His first print! A proof for his Mothman print.  This is one of Paul's amazingly lovely solar plate prints. It is a photograph of two moths--one in mid flight (the incredible blur) and one perched perfectly in the air. We then transformed the photos into prints using solar plates, and gave each its own lovely shade of black. This one is titled Ready. Paul is able to capture in nature what is impossible to see with the naked eye. The prints alter one's perspective of motion while enabling one to see into a different realm.  On the last day of the project, deciding to add chine colle to one of Katherine's prints. Carefully placing Asian paper over one of the plates before gluing and cutting it down to fit the plate.  Paige and Ashley preparing the chine colled plate to be ran through the press.  It was so fun to be able to work with Katherine and Paul at the same time, and it is also amazing how beautiful their pieces look together. We are having some technical difficulties with the website currently, and are unable to put up prints from this project at the moment. Please check back soon--they should be up sometime next week. Special thanks to Paul for taking so many lovely pictures of all of us working in the studio! Most of the pictures from this blog post were taken by him. Only one victim left! Staten Islander Farrell Brickhouse will be here in August for our final project of this year... Geez, Louise! 06/26/2011
Week two of Louise's project continued with the same monotype momentum as the first, with some solar plate and copper plate edition prints added to the mix. Louise conjured up a total of 185 monotypes: individual monotypes for sale are entitled Homage to the Mountains, and range in size from a tiny 5'' x 3 5/8'' to 27 3/4'' x 20 1/4'' and cost from $500 to $2500. There are six jewel-like monotype sets ( 9'' x 13'') titled Tout Suite Set available in a handmade portfolio folders priced at $3600. She also created a series of 5 black and white aquatint etchings, titled Tout Suite, all 12'' x 16'' or 16'' 12'', that will be sold individually for $500 and $2200 for the set. Lastly, Louise painted three larger edition carborundum aquatints, also titled Tout Suite sized at 18'' x 24'' and $1800 each, and one color carborundum aquatint edition print (18'' x 24'') at $2000.  Louise back in our "artist corner," hard at work with all of her pastels, watercolors, pieces of cardboard, and anything else she can find (including some Q-Tips!) to make her richly colorful and deeply beautiful prints.  Louise is lining up little pieces of cardboard she painted on the press to make a print for the Tout Suite Set series.  The summer sun setting on a pile of Louise's already printed materials--sitting under the press waiting to see if we can use them as layerable ghost prints.  Chopping piles of Tout Suite Sets.  The early morning job--come in and start taking the prints off the wall from the day before! They are completely dry and flattened from being stapled to the wall overnight.  Julia, Ashley and Paige pluckin' out those staples.  Sue demonstrating how to aquatint, degrease copper plates, and steel face them in the tank. Always gotta wear protection!  Our first spit-bite at OG! Louise is using nitric acid on a brush dipped in water and painting directly on the aquatinted copper plate. Spit bites enable the artist to get a range of tone on the plate in a painterly manner.  The pretty blue color that indicate the nitric is etching away.  Sue is making sure the acid was etching deeply enough using her magnifying loop.  Much of the final two or three days of the project for Ashley, Paige and Julia was helping Louise organizing all the monotypes into groups for her suites and putting them together according to size for ease during the signing.  Louise and Sammy puttin' up their feet.  Proud and wiped after the full day signing. (We even continued printing that morning..!) It was very inspiring to work with Louise and observe her working style--nonstop, and without hesitation. Art just flows from her brain and fingertips. Her work will be on our website shortly; please take a look at her entire collection made at OG this June. Also, call or email the shop for more info on any of the pieces! It has been such a busy but wonderful summer, and we can't believe we have only a few more projects for 2011. Look for Katherine Bowling and her photographer husband, Paul Mutimear, coming mid July, and then our final project with Farrell Brickhouse in August! | AuthorOehme Graphics ArchivesFebruary 2011 Categories |
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