Maine College of Art printmaking majors collaborated with Celeste Henriquez' students at Portland Friends School in the Fall of 2010. I have to say I think everyone involved pretty much rokz.
The MECA students gave verbal presentations about their work and interests.
Then they presented each Friends School student with a booklet of drawing prompts the MECA students generated based on the interests underlying their own practices.
The Friends School students rose to the occasion and responded in the booklets making works that were then turned over to us to use for making silkscreens for use in printing patches and fabric yardage then given back to the original designers.
Asa could have stayed all day...
Illustrator Celeste Henriquez and her amazing art material cart!
Tyler Grenzeback came up with the cover design for the book of prompts. He has since become a tattoo artist. Check out his designs: https://www.instagram.com/tygrstyletattoo_tdt/
Kat Lamont's prompt urged the reader to "Spin around ten times and draw a pile of cats having fun." How could such an amazing drawing not result?
Friends School students visited the printmaking studio at MECA for a hands on silkscreen demo as well as a chance to make reductive and trace monotypes.
This silkscreen worked well at each of its two stages. Here printed on Arches 88 paper, a beautiful bright white acid-free paper made from cotton rags, thus the name "rag paper."
Fabric was obtained inexpensively at Goodwill in the form of sheets and pillowcases.
Silkscreen demos are always fun. Don't buy into these kids' misleading body language; they had a ball!
Tyler expertly "floods" the screen to keep the ink from drying in the mesh.
Drawing and resulting printed patch in response to Ali Marsh's prompt.
Oh how I wish I had images of the resulting pins to post!
Nonetheless these great patches were well documented.
As if that weren't enough, the students moved on to experience reductive monotype printing.
Flats of ink are rolled out and "cut" into with rags, Q-tips, drawing implements, etc.
Kayla helps this Friends School student print a dynamic dragon!
Voila!
And MECA printmaking major Rachel Sperry cleans the plate, providing master printer services for these young artists. Rachel went on to get her MFA and currently runs a luxury knitwear business called Nuform. Dig: http://www.byreveal.com/nuuform/
MECA junior Maggie Muth has all hands on deck. View her work since at http://maggiemuth.tumblr.com