This beginner- level course introduces participants to the fundamentals of hand papermaking, from fibre preparation to forming and drying finished sheets. Working primarily with cotton pulp, students will learn the basic tools, materials, and techniques used to make paper by hand, including vat setup, mould and deckle use, sheet forming, couching, and drying. Emphasis is placed on understanding paper as a material through direct, hands-on experience. No prior experience is required, and the course is suitable for artists, printmakers, book artists, and anyone interested in learning how to make paper by hand.

Decorative techniques such as laminating, shaped sheets, and inclusions will also be introduced, and participants are encouraged to bring found materials to experiment with. A basic Nepalese-style deckle box will be covered which allows for individual pulls of different coloured pulp, combinations of fibres, and the incorporation of found materials within a single sheet.

Because papermaking is a wet process, participants should wear closed-toe shoes that can get wet and clothing that may get wet. Small amounts of water may be present on the floor, so participants are asked to move carefully to avoid slipping.

This intro class to the reduction woodcut technique will teach the basics of the process over the course of two classes.

The reduction process is one way of introducing colour into the relief printing process without the necessity of having multiple blocks. Students will be instructed on ways of designing imagery for reduction printing, useful approaches to the carving process, the use of a registration jig, and finally the setting of the press and printing. 

Participants should leave the workshop with a small edition of reduction prints designed and printed by themselves as well as a good foundation in the technique to allow them to continue with their own personal explorations.

Some prior experience with relief printmaking (linocut or woodcut) is an advantage to taking this workshop but is not a necessity.

This workshop introduces participants to the technique of chine collé – a paper laminating technique specific to printmaking used to create spatial, material, and visual separation in printed works. 

Over the course of a six-hour workshop, participants will be shown various approaches to chine collé and will be given ample opportunity to actively practice, play, and experiment with the technique through a series of prescribed and self-determined exercises.

Participants should leave the workshop with a portfolio of chine collé experiments and a good foundation in the technique to allow for continued personal exploration. 

Experience and understanding of basic printmaking is highly recommended for those interested in taking this workshop, though it is not a necessity due to the technique being very accessible to all. Artists, printmakers, and creators working in collage, installation, colour, and experimental print may find interest in this technique which is easily adaptable to individual ways of making.

Are you curious about cyanotype and wondering what you can do with this magical medium?

In this workshop you will not only learn the basics of preparing, exposing and developing your own cyanotypes, but how to take them several steps further through toning, bleaching, and multiple exposures.

During the first day of the workshop, you’ll prepare cyanotype solution before applying it to paper, and then expose your imagery using both the sun and exposure unit equipment to create several of your own prints.

Then, using dye baths and registration strategies for multiple exposures, you’ll move beyond the quintessential cyanotype blue to achieve rich browns, reds, yellows, and even some colour combinations on the same print!

Participants will gain the know-how and confidence to continue their cyanotype journey both at home or in a studio environment.

Screen printing (or silkscreen) is a printmaking technique where layers of ink are pulled through a mesh screen to create a wonderfully detailed image, often with multiple layers of transparent ink interacting with one another. In this comprehensive workshop, students will gain an understanding of the processes involved in creating a screen print on paper within a professional printmaking studio and will leave with the knowledge and experience required to produce work independently.

This course is suitable for all levels with no prior experience needed.