Monotype Workshop

with artist David Begley

Last year I njoyed a 2-day workshop in Charcoal and Botanical Ink Making, which I talked about here, so when Mermaid Arts Centre announced that an offsite monotype workshop was going to take place in nearby Roundwood with the same facilitator, David Begley, I made sure to get my ticket. After the course last year, I was equipped to make my own drawing charcoal, which I blogged about here. David gave me invaluable advice when purchasing a small press for myself last year, which I posted about here, here, and here. I couldn’t wait for the workshop to come - I booked it in January and back then May seemed so far away! Even though it has come and gone, the workshop was everything I hoped.

David is an incredibly generous artist/teacher. He is both encouraging and inspiring! The class began with several demonstrations, using his own work as examples.

All materials were supplied and explained at the workshop. Although I have my own press and have created monotypes in the past, I already knew there was at least one technique that he demonstrated, tonking, with which I was completely unfamiliar.

The group was small, and the set-up perfect.

Over three rooms there was plenty of space to work as well as place our finished pieces away from inky workspaces where they could both dry and be viewed.

The variety of work on display certainly is a testimonial to the individual visions of the participants and to the empathetic encouragement of David.

His individual attention to each person’s creative needs was such a positive experience.

It is amazing what baby wipes, spritzing, and tonking can do when used as tandem techniques in monotype creation. Two of my four prints are seen here sandwiching one of my husband’s four prints. What a wonderful day it was!