Visual Realia at Gettysburg's Garryowen Irish Pub
Find sixteen Visual Realia works in Gettysburg’s favorite spot, the Garryowen Irish Pub!
Gosford Room in Gettysburg’s Garryowen Irish Pub, with works by Visual Realia’s Andrew Smith.
Gettysburg's Garryowen Irish Pub is a local favorite for good reason. With outstanding food, some of the best of Ireland's drafts, and over one hundred Irish whiskeys, your time there will only be matched by the location and visual experience itself.
Using the extra time of the recent uncertain COVID-19 business environment, the Garryowen has undergone some impressive interior work, with a beautiful look, shown here, in the Gosford room.
Make a point of stopping by soon, where you'll find sixteen Visual Realia Studio works (clay monoprints and photographs) in the dining room.
Clay Monoprints Live!
Visual Realia is LIVE with a demonstration on May 7th, 2020.
Tools of the Clay Monoprint Technique
Art Demonstration - Live This Thursday
Have you been curious about these clay monoprints I share? Looking for something to learn about while sheltered-in-place at home?
This Thursday, May 7th, at 6:30, the Hanover Area Arts Guild and the Visual Realia Studio will be sponsoring a free online artist demonstration, live on Facebook.
At 6:30 PM Eastern Time, stop by the Guild's Facebook page. You'll notice a new post added around that time, and by clicking on that post, you'll be able to watch me show you some techniques used to create clay monoprints, a unique printing process where colored clay is used to create a one-of-a-kind print.
Clay monoprinting was invented by Pennsylvania native Mitch Lyons, who resided in southeastern Pennsylvania, so there's a state connection to the art medium.
If you want to get a peek at the process beforehand, you can read a short article on his website:
https://www.visualrealia.com/articles/2017/10/15/art-of-the-clay-monoprint
Note: You won't see the post on the Guild's Facebook page until the live stream starts around 6:30 on Thursday. See you there!
Thursday, May 7th, at 6:30 Eastern Time
Hanover Area Art Guild's Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/HanoverAreaArt/
"Disruption" by Andrew T. Smith of Visual Realia, LLC
Evolution of a Clay Monoprint Matrix
Clay monoprints are designed on a slab of clay known as the matrix, which gradually changes over the course of time, showing the past and influencing the future. It is a living journal of the artist’s works.
The tradition established by artist Mitch Lyons with clay monoprints is to start each work on top of “remnants” of the previous art; some of the clay slip remains behind, gradually building color and design elements that will peek into new art. That randomness is one of the key elements that separates clay monoprint techniques from other printing mediums.
The image at the top of this article shows the clay matrix (in this case, the clay slab upon which new works are designed) as it appeared after pulling the previous print. It also serves as the starting point of the next print. While this new print will primarily be composed of clay slip newly added, some of the former slip in this starting point will also randomly transfer.
In this work, I wanted a background of related colors, so I “painted” various shades of clay slips directly on the matrix, as shown above.
Design elements are added to newsprint and allowed to partially dry.
After all of the design elements were added to the matrix, a piece of pellon was dampened and prepared.
Using various tools, the image is transferred to the pellon. Often, you will see some of the clay slip appearing through the material, as shown above.
The print is allowed to dry and is sprayed with a waterproof sealant, bringing out color and protecting the image. In most cases, the print is then ready for display. In this case, however, black oil paint lines were added on top of the print.
And the matrix? It has a new layer of art history, and awaits the next print.
Disruption: A Clay Monoprint
Some clay monoprints serve as perfect examples when explaining the uniqueness of the technique. This is one of those examples.
“Disruption” - a clay monoprint by Andrew T. Smith of Visual Realia Studio
After Mitch Lyons created the medium of clay monoprints, he also established a tradition that is itself unique; when creating a new print, rather than starting on a new matrix of fresh clay, the artist designs on top of the remaining clay from previous prints.
The result is a print that not only picks up and displays clay via color and form, using elements of the new design, but also random areas where pieces of previous prints transfer and speak through the imagery.
This somewhat random "look back" at previous works means that the artist never has complete control of a finished work. The tradeoff? "Happy surprises" that enhance an image in ways that the artists would never have been able to plan for and pull off.
In this way, the clay monoprint tradition mimics much of life. We can be well prepared and thoughtful about our next steps in life, and in doing so, improve our chances of success, but unforeseen events will still occur and in some cases, shape our lives in positive ways.
In the monoprint at the top of this essay, my specific design for the piece was solid stripes of color. Anything in the finished print that is not part of that solid color is a remnant from previous works. The past raising its voice yet again.
Making a clay monoprint is a combination of color, form, the planned, and the unplanned. Disruptions, as in this piece and its title, are an essential piece of the art.
Visual Realia Studio: It's Live!
Gettysburg now has its own clay monoprint studio! Find out more…
After a 32-year journey as a music educator, I've opened a small studio space in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in their local arts hub, the Adams County Arts Council facility. I'm working with and sharing the unique techniques known as clay monoprint printing, as well as teaching the process and selling both these clay prints and locally-themed photographs.
Hours are as requested by contacting Andy via email (ostman4200@comcast.net) or calling 717-451-4181. In addition, open studios for visitors are held on most First Fridays from 5-7:30 PM.
Follow the progress of the studio and its works on social media:
www.facebook.com/VisualRealiaStudio
www.instagram.com/visualrealia/
Clay monoprints are genuinely unique works (thus "mono") originated by Pennsylvania's own Mitch Lyons, who was the master of the technique, but fortunately was generous in sharing the possibilities with students that crossed his path. You can read more about Mitch and his process at these links.
Be a part of this artistic community by visiting the studio or contacting me. What can we do together?
• Browse a growing collection of clay monoprints and photographic works in numerous styles, sizes, themes, and color palettes.
• Discuss commissioning clay monoprint works. When decorating our homes and offices, for the same price as generic big-box store art, we can create a work that works perfectly for you. Base your artwork on a word, phrase, idea, or color schemes.
$60.00 - approximately 15x20
$75.00 - approximately 18x34
Want to discuss other ideas? Contact me!
• Tour the studio, learn about the process of making clay monoprints, and make your own unique print. These sessions combine learning about a new cultural form with a relaxed, fun atmosphere. Everyone leaves with their own monoprint!
1 person - $35.00
2 or 3 people - $30 per person
4 to 6 people - $25 per person (Work in pairs, but each leaves with a unique print.)
Perfect for families, friends, homeschool (grades 7 and up) projects, work team activities, etc.
Want to know more? Sure, you do! Contact me with questions or ideas.
ostman4200@comcast.net
(717) 451-4181
Studio location:
Studio 207
Adams County Arts Council
125 South Washington Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Photos on this page courtesy of Hannah Smith.
This Book is a Lot of Things
"This Book is a Planetarium" is a lot of things, and a pop up book at that!
"This Book is a Planetarium" includes a cellphone-driven.... planetarium!
Chronicle Books' "This Book is a Planetarium" is a lot of things. In fact, six different things, all wrapped up into one pop up book for children and design-loving adults to enjoy and interact with.
The author, Kelli Anderson, notes that all six demonstrations, carefully crafted of paper, show the work of science, with "Why it Works" sidebars discussing the background of each. The simplest is a two-sided insert with a decoder ring and a perpetual calendar sharing one pop up.
Sounds are the focus of two pop ups, including a "speaker" that amplifies a cellphone's music, and a five string musical instrument. Clever demonstrations and designs, although I'll note that the tension on the strings is a bit too loose to provide a good enough sound to completely pull off the concept. The cone does, in fact, amplify the sound, but it's probably a stretch to call it a "speaker" in any technical sense.
The pop up holds the cellphone at the cone, which amplifies the sound level of the playing music.
I was excited to see the inclusion of the spiralgraph, a paper version of the Spirograph toy many of us loved as kids. Sadly, I found it very difficult to keep the gears in the proper positions while drawing.
The title piece, the planetarium, is the highlight of the book, and works surprisingly well, using the light of a cellphone's "flashlight" app. Impressive design and concept, pulled off. A lot of fun.
"This Book is a Planetarium"
by Kelli Anderson
Chronicle Books
Published 2017
Amazon Link (I am an Amazon affiliate, and would receive a small amount from a purchase using this link.)
Pros:
• Excellent concept and construction
• Attractively designed
• Planetarium is well crafted and fun
Cons:
• Decoder and Calendar are a bit more simplistic than the other items
• Questionable use of "speaker" for the one pop up
• Spiralgraph is challenging to use
• Somewhat lacking a sense of cohesiveness of popups included