Unfold: a group exhibition of artist books, folded structures and mini prints

Unfold was a group exhibition by members of 

Waitakere Printers Ink and Studio Printmakers, 

two Auckland-based printmaking groups.

It was the brainchild of printmaker Celia Walker and when she asked me to be involved and to help her to coordinate it, I jumped at the chance. It was an opportunity to bring together two printmaking groups in Auckland, to put on a show of playful and experimental works. 

Many people in the groups found that it pushed them to try something new and to think about printmaking in other than just a 2 dimensional form. 

There were over 80 pieces of work in the exhibition 

of a wide range of media and structures.

The exhibition was held at

The Depot Artspace, Devonport, Auckland.

Nov 5th - Nov 23rd, 2016.

Artists who participated include:

Waitakere Printers Ink:

Fiona Lenore 

Lisa Bate

Lorraine Vickery

Diane Charraz

Annabel Patton

Toni Hartill

Studio Printmakers:

Julienne Francis

Pat Grove-Hills

Erinna Law-Szalay

Elle Anderson

Donna Dold

Ina Arraoui

Val Cuthbert

Margie Jones

Nicola Ov

Celia Walker

The opening event was a very busy affair and, with the gallery being a small space at the rear of the main gallery at The Depot Artspace, it was very cosy and "intimate" and perfect for small works such as these. The feedback during the opening and afterwards was wonderful - people delighted in seeing such a variety of works in so many unexpected forms. 

 Below is a short video of some of the wee artist books of mine that I included in the show.

 There is definitely an interest in staging another show of this ilk in the future. 

It has certainly got people's creative juices flowing 

which is what a show like this is all about!

100 Days Project.... again!

50 days of mark making by Toni Hartill

Yep, I'm doing it again!

I first participated in the 100 Days Project back in 2013.

You can link to my earlier blogs about this here.

And you can find out more about the "100 Days Project" here.

I found the experience of repeating a  specific creative task every day for 100 days was ultimately a great exercise in reinforcing and honing a skill.

I dithered A LOT about whether I would take part again as I found it was fairly all-consuming last time. If I was taking part again I wanted it to inform and enhance my current arts practice and not be a distraction.

My project this time is 

MARK-MAKING

everyday, for 100 days.

Progress at Day 30 of 100 Days Project
by Toni Hartill

This time I am not focused on an end "product". Nor am I aiming at producing a mark a day or a finished page or image per day. My focus is to simply create marks every day in order to explore, experiment and play at different ways of working, using a variety of media and combinations of media with the aim of adding to my "vocabulary" of mark making skills.

Some days I am simply mark-making for the sake of the project.

Drypoint over/under various layers
by Toni Hartill

 However, on most days I am actively experimenting with ways of increasing my toolbox of techniques to use in particular projects I am currently working on or planning. 

Embossing textures by Toni Hartill

Some days I resort to using a simple mark in a variety of ways to see where it leads me.

Linocut patterns by Toni Hartill

Other days, through the "need" to create a mark for the project, I come up with ideas of ways of working that I may not have considered before. There are a lot of "happy accidents" happening.

Stitching over collograph by Toni Hartill

In planning for the project I searched for artist models that could inspire me along the way, especially for the days when no other inspiration came a-calling. 

On some days I am directly referring to particular artists' works:

Steph Houstein

Dremel mark making by Toni Hartill

Carrie Ann Plank

Collograph prints by Toni Hartill

Hinke Schreuders

Stitching over printed image by Toni Hartill

Helen Terry

Stitching over printed images by Toni Hartill

Irena Keckes

Linocut patterns by Toni Hartill

Other days I use artists to refresh my thinking and set me on a new path if I am stuck or feeling at the end of a particular exploration. (This is where Pinterest comes in real handy.)

Karine Leger

Sarah Amos

Melissa Smith

Anne Moore

Sophie Munns

Elizabeth Couloigner

Alice Fox

India Flint...

Often the sea is the focus of my mark making - this is usually because I am working through particular ideas for various projects.

Collograph plates by Toni Hartill

Collograph and drypoint print by Toni Hatill

Drypoint with added tone and highlights by Toni Hartill

Various seas - drypoint with added tone by Toni Hartill

Caustic etched lino prints by Toni Hartill

Linocuts using dremel by Toni hartill

Alternatively, on many days I am just creating marks and patterns, often that I wouldn't normally use, to see where they take me and enjoying the freedom of "playing." 

Drypoint and stitching by Toni Hartill

Drypoint and stitching by Toni Hartill

Drypoint and carborundum plate by Toni Hartill

Drypoint and carborundum prints by Toni Hartill

Multiple layers including drypoint, collograph and linocut
by Toni Hartill

What I like best about how this project is progressing is how new questions are constantly arising prompting new and unexpected explorations and directions. Some days I have so many new ideas flying at me that I wonder how I can retain them all to work on over time - I may need another 100 days!

So, 50 days down.... another 50 to go.

It seems I have the makings of a compendium of mark making!

Watch this space...

Visit my link on the 

100 days project website here.

Barrel Store 2016 - Annual exhibition with Waitakere Printers Ink

Offshore Island Series
by Toni Hartill SOLD

Every year, for the last 4 years, our print group Waitakere Printers Ink, 

has held our annual exhibition in the historic Barrel Store at the 

Corbans Estate Arts Centre, Henderson. 

Nine members of the group took part this year including two new members 

so it made for a show with a lot of variety and a wide range of styles and media.

This year has been a busy year for me as I have been working on pieces for a number of group shows throughout this year and into next. So, setting aside some time to produce some new work just for this took a bit of extra concentrated planning and focus. I created three mini "bodies of work" which hint at the works I have been producing for other projects but which are all unique in themselves.

Offshore Island Series

from Offshore Island Series
Caustic etched lino, monoprint, silver leaf
Edition of 1
by Toni Hartill  SOLD

This series of prints was inspired by a summer of boating and my love for the sea.

The processes I used included monoprint techniques and caustic etched lino plates (you can read more about the process I have developed here.) They also received a finishing touch of silver leaf.

Mounting and wrapping mini lino prints by Toni Hartill

I created works for the wall and a further selection for "cash"n"carry".

Offshore Island Series and Wearable Mini prints
by Toni Hartill

These prints "And breathe..." were created while experimenting with newly created caustic etched lino plates and monoprint techniques. They were a fun wee diversion from my more "serious" works. I was experimenting with the possibilities of working in multiple layers of transparent colours and effects.

"And breathe..." series I - IV
Caustic etched lino, silver leaf
Editions of 1 each
15cm x 15cm each
by Toni Hartill

Wearable Mini-prints

I have always enjoyed working in many mediums, and at all scales and I really like the idea of taking the print off the wall and out of the frame and so why not wear them? This is a selection of mini prints I have mounted onto wooden supports and finished them with jewelry findings and layers of varnish for protection.

Wearable mini-prints display case by Toni Hartill

Wearable mini prints: brooches, earrings, pendant
by Toni Hartill

"Ngunguru Sandspit" pendant
Drypoint
by Toni Hartill

Rockpool Rambling Series

This series of works was created as a result of large lino cuts I have been working on for another project. For these plates I used fine dremel burs and my new and delicious Pfiel lino carving tools. This was the first time I have managed to work so finely with lino and I can confidently say that the purchase of quality tools has made all the difference to my ambitions with the medium.

Rockpool Rambling Series
by Toni Hartill

Rockpool Rambling
Caustic Etched Lino, linocut
1/1, 10cm x 10cm
by Toni Hartill

Rockpool Rambling Series I - IX
Caustic etched lino, linocut
15cm x 15 cm each
by Toni Hartill

Wall Tiles

I was curious to see how it would be to mount prints directly onto small wooden panels that can be purchased as a ready to hang wee object or as a group. I know for myself that I have little narrow wall spaces in my home where it is nice to hang mini artworks such as these.

Wall tiles by Toni Hartill
Monoprints, collographs.

"Small Prints"

These are two print editions created for the PCANZ group show currently being exhibited at the Alfred Memlink Artspace Gallery in Wellington. To read more about these works you can link to an earlier blog here.

"Across the Ditch II & III"
Drypoint, monoprint, blind emboss
by Toni Hartill

SALE prints

Finally, I had a table of works from previous years, all marked at super SALE prices and happily many pieces found their way to new homes. Some were even off to Australia and I think a couple of small works were off to America and Europe! 

Sale prints by Toni Hartill

Now, I'm back in the studio working towards my next immediate deadlines:

"La Vie du Pacifique" International Print Exchange, due in Brisbane early November

and

"Unfold" artist books and mini prints: Waitakere Printers Ink and Studio Printmakers group show: Opens Nov 5th. Depot Artspace, Devonport, Ak, NZ.

Feedback and enquiries about artworks for sale always welcome!

You can contact me through the comments box below and I will aim to respond asap.

Thanks for visiting!

Across the Ditch and Small Print exhibitions

Earlier this year I created prints for "Across the Ditch", a collaborative travelling exhibition and print exchange between Impress members in Australia and PCANZ (Print Council Aotearoa New Zealand) members in New Zealand.

The theme of the show "Across the Ditch" invited a broad interpretation to be explored in contemporary printmaking.  

This project will be exhibited at a number of venues in Australia and New Zealand 

over the coming months starting with

Impress Printmakers Studio Gallery in Brisbane, 

opening on Friday 16th September.

Details of other venues and dates, 

and images of other works submitted by NZ printmakers 

can be seen on the new PCANZ website here.

This exhibition will be shown alongside another PCANZ exhibition "The Small Print",

see details here, in February 2017.

I therefore chose to approach both exhibitions by creating a mini "body of work" all along the same theme of "Across the Ditch". I struggle to create individual works that stand alone and have found that I work much better when working in a series (albeit a very tiny series.)

"Across the Ditch"
Drypoint, Monoprint, Blind emboss
by Toni Hartill

My interpretation of the theme was to play on the idea that we (Australia and NZ) are like two beings, connected (by geography, interests, values...)  yet separated (by ocean, distance...)

I wanted to experiment with a more illustrative approach than I have previously used, to see where it would take me. I also used the opportunity to trial combinations of different techniques and processes. Although I worried that working so small would feel claustrophobic, I found that I really quite enjoyed working at such a mini scale. 

Small print: "Across the Ditch II" by Toni Hartill

Small Print: "Across the Ditch I" 
Drypoint, Monoprint, Blind emboss
by Toni Hartill

Small Print: "Across the Ditch II" 
Drypoint, Monoprint, Blind emboss
by Toni Hartill