Monday 20 May 2013
Mandy Jakich

Search no more! Auckland Art Gallery Professional Learning and Development art making courses are now being offered every school holiday.

Learning Through the Creative Process -
WOODCUT PRINTMAKING
APRIL 2013

Eleven teachers participated in our latest PLD art making course on the first Monday of the term 1 holidays. As for the screen printmaking course earlier in the month, we learnt through the creative process. We began by exploring woodcut prints from our collection in the printroom, with Assistant Curator Mathew Norman, then exploring other examples of woodcut prints from our collection in small groups back in the studio.

Some examples of woodcut prints from our collection: 

http://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/blog-pld-2-1.jpg

Crayfish 1953
May Smith
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

http://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/blog-pld-2-2.jpg

Kingfishers 1953
Robert Gibbings
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

http://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/blog-pld-2-3.jpg

Philip Clairmont: Tribute 1984
Nigel Brown
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

http://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/blog-pld-2-4.jpg

Kowhai 1930s
John Moore
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

We experimented with woodcut tools and techniques to create a variety of styles and effects, explored and experimented with a selection of design ideas (pattern, animals, text, shapes, portraits, etc) and finally created a design and then a woodcut block for printing.

 

We shared our design ideas, use of colour and cutting techniques.

Some of the work produced:

At the conclusion of the course we discussed:

  • how we could implement these new skills and processes in our own classrooms
  • how we would adapt the materials, skills and techniques to suit the age level and needs of the children we teach?

How would you teach this process in your classroom?

Useful links:


Next PLD at Auckland Art Gallery is Learning Through the Creative Process - LINOCUT printmaking on Monday 15th July