Description

BIG INK Large Woodcut Print Sessions Saturday, August 28 and Sunday, August 29 11am-4pm Free and open to the public. Join us! You're invited to the Gallery at 3S to watch as artists print large-scale woodblocks on BIG INK's giant mobile printmaking press! ---- Never has the saying "Print Isn't Dead" been more poignant than in the case of an ongoing partnership between local arts organization 3S Artspace and BIG INK. To mark the occasion 3S Artspace is hosting a two-day event in the Gallery this summer celebrating works on paper. There will be hands-on demonstrations and the opportunity to witness the printing of monumental woodblock prints carved by artists from throughout the region. BIG INK is assembling a giant portable printing press at 3S for the sole purpose of helping artists print these woodblocks, some of which can reach nearly 4 x 8 feet in dimension. A massive press of this scale is rare. And it's precisely the reason that the New Hampshire woodblock printmaking advocacy and education organization BIG INK partnered with 3S to host this 2-day event. “It's very unusual to have a press this size that artists can come and use,” says Lyell Castonguay, BIG INK co-director and woodblock printer and teacher. Castonguay says there's very few community accessible presses of this size in the country. “It's hard to find.” This is the third time 3S will host BIG INK at the Gallery. The event will feature work from artists based across New England. The event is free and open to the public. Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet founded BIG INK in 2012. Castonguay, whose personal woodblocks are often monumental, wanted to encourage other printmakers to expand their sense of scale. Recognizing most artists don't have the technical expertise required for such work, Castonguay began to teach the woodblock carving process. By hosting informal "print parties," word spread and more artists wanted to learn the craft. Castonguay established BIG INK to accommodate the growing interest. Artists: Matthew Pearsall • Andrew Mertinooke • Marcia Wood Mertinooke • Kelsie Becker • Liv Stanislas • Mary Mead • Aurora Goodland • Gretchen Hill Woodman • Ryan Kalentkowski • Kate Knox • Christine Robinson • Richard Deon • Ralph Robinson • Heather Hernon • Edie Locke • Linda Behar • Laura Harper Lake • Scott Schnepf • H. Duane Claussen • Lisa Houck Want to purchase a print? A large selection of BIG INK prints will be available for purchase in the Gallery on August 28th and 29th!