Collect and process a range of visual ingredients and make multimedia artworks using rust staining, drawing, monoprint and screen-printing techniques.

Using personal memorabilia for inspiration, along with material collected from around the House and Gardens at West Dean, the focus of the week will be on a playful approach to making prints that can be folded into Japanese style book-works.

You will be working with two printmaking tutors who are experts in their field; Jane Fox on days one, two and three and Jane Sampson on days three, four and five.

On days one and two there will be demonstrations of rust and monoprinting, facilitated activities and self-directed working. You will prepare your paper and be introduced to rust staining as a way of building up a ground of marks and traces from found objects and rusty surfaces onto paper, incorporating your own images and ideas along the way.

On day three you will be working alongside both tutors to plan and prepare for screen printing. There will be demonstrations of stencil making, screen preparation and printing. You will select and size three images (some marks, some text and something photographic) to take through into the screen-printing process. You will be supported to use a balance of planning and impromptu strategies for building up your work across the page.

Days four and five will offer testing and exploration of colour mixing, using transparency of colour, overprinting and metallic inks, allowing you to add more layers of meaning and complexity. You will continue to work in the studio in a self-directed way with tutor support and guidance.

There will be an opportunity to share results and see each other's work.

Immersive Art School Week

This course is part of our new ‘Immersive Art School’ group of short courses for summer 2024, led by talented artist-tutors Emily Ball (painting), Tim Johnson (basketry), Jane Fox and Jane Sampson (printmaking), James Hunting (textiles) and Katie Sollohub (painting).

There will be tutor talks on the Tuesday evening from 5.15-6.15pm in The Old Library as part of the course. Studio visits are encouraged to share work and experiences (out of core teaching hours).

Arrival Day - this is the first date listed above

Courses start early evening. Residential students to arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm.

6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included).

8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential.

Daily timetable

Classes 9.15 - 5pm, lunch is included.

From 6.30pm: Dinner (included for residential students).

Evening working - students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with their tutor's permission and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Last day

Classes 9.15am - 3pm, lunch is included.

Residential students are to vacate their rooms by 10am please.

(This timetable is for courses of more than one day in length. The tutor may make slight variations)

Included

• On this course the college and tutors will supply most of the materials including papers, rusty objects, drawing materials, inks, film, mark resist and photo emulsion for stencil making, water based medium, acrylic colours and metallics for printing.

What students need to bring

• You are invited to bring personal images and memorabilia to scan and incorporate into the work
• This can be a letter, a poem, a short piece of writing of any kind, photographs, keepsakes, everyday objects or ephemera
• A camera if you have one (phone camera, I-pad etc)
• A rusty object, or series of smaller rusty things like nails etc., if you have them (not essential, only if you have them)
• HB, 4B and 6B pencil and a rubber
• Black Posca pens (IMPORTANT chalk pens, not felt tips)
• Notebook/sketchbook

Available to buy

• Available from shop:
• A good variety of art materials are available including a range of pencils, additional paper, colours of acrylic inks for printing and any additional drawing materials.

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes). Wet weather clothes or, sunhat and sun block for when out gathering material in the grounds. Possible equipment restrictions in tutor absence.