MoMA Printmaking

Last Tuesday Benedicte and I took part in a printmaking workshop at MoMA. This was in conjunction with the Charles White exhibition currently on view on the Third Floor of the museum. I was blown away by the drawings and prints – every single one of them is a masterpiece. The workshop was taught and facilitated by printmakers from EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop and used a proper printing press that MoMA actually has as part of their education department. Using plexiglass plates, a sharp stylus, sandpaper, etc we each created drypoint images. I did a sketch of the artists opposite me as they were listening to the instructor and referred to that as I scratched and gouged at my plate. We were shown how to Ink up the plates (Akua Intaglio Ink) and then the press assistants layered the damp paper over the plexiglass and rolled everything through the press. There were 22 of us and we all managed to get two prints in the short time that we had. It was fun, informative and run very efficiently.

Plexiglass, stylus, sandpaper, Akua Intaglio Ink, tarlatan, printmaking paper, intaglio press.

A New Aquisition

When I saw that MoMA recently acquired a self portrait painted by a favorite artist and that it was FANTASTICALLY BEAUTIFUL and would come to live on the fifth floor starting November 22 I decided that this was something I should copy. This past Thursday, the 30th, found me smack dab in front of the painting, blocking gallery tour groups and everyone else, with a big smile on my face. Oh. It did not disappoint. So beautiful it made my heart hurt.

iPadPro; Pencil
Apps Used: Procreate

Gallery Conversation

I was at MoMA yesterday afternoon for a gallery conversation. Before that I checked out all the new exhibitions. Most of my time was spent viewing “Louise Bourgeois: The Complete Prints & Books”, which I couldn’t get enough of. After a restorative coffee in the redesigned and quite comfortable café which, good to know, has zillions of device charging stations, I went to register for the gallery talk and get my name tag, folding stool and headphone device.

My group was waiting to be led up to the gallery where selected works from the Louise Bourgeois exhibition would be discussed. I figured that as soon as I started sketching things would proceed so I took iPat out of my purse. Yup. It worked.

Our first stop was the enormous spider and cell on the second floor. There was a long discussion after which we went up to the third floor and spent time viewing and discussing “Lullaby”, a group of 24 silkscreen prints on lined music paper.

We moved to another gallery where a fabric illustrated book consisting of 35 compositions – 32 fabric collages and 3 lithographs was on display. I think I drooled.

We moved on to the last gallery where the conversation centered on the bronze sculpture “Arch Of Hysteria”.

I had done so much walking already I opted for a quick subway ride to Penn Station instead of hoofing it. Too cold to stand on a street corner waiting for a bus. Too lazy really.

iPadPro; Pencil
Apps Used: Procreate

MoMA Prime Time Landscape Workshop

Yesterday was a cold, very wet day and I was wondering how they were going to handle things. Very well, it turned out. Everyone was given a board with a large piece of velum and a large piece of heavy drawing paper. The elevator took us to the Sixth floor library (who knew?) where there was a covered balcony overlooking the museum’s sculpture garden and the old and new buildings across the street. There was graphite, colored pencils, crayon stick things and erasers. I have always been attracted to the buildings on 54th Street and was pleased to have an interesting view of them nestled amongst more modern skyscrapers. Rockefeller lived over there back in the day.

Then we were taken down to the second floor and onto the balcony outside the staff lounge – same view but from a lower vantage point.

We moved to the long corridor outside the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit and faced the buildings on 54th Street through the windows. I sat behind Joy, who was going to move because she thought she was blocking my view. I told her I sat there purposely. I had one of the crayon sticks and very rough watercolor paper. Wrong tool for the wrong paper and I struggled and gave up. But it worked like butter on the velum so I started over, sketched Joy, decided to trace my second drawing since time was passing rapidly. I discovered that the graphite smears really well on velum and got a nice gray.

I had no time to scan the drawings so these are just photos from iPat.

Various papers, graphite, crayon.

Tuesday At MoMA

On Tuesday I took part in a collage/collagraph/printing 2-1/2 hour workshop as part of MoMA’s Prime Time. It was fun. Years ago I made a few very elaborate collagraphs and used a press to make the prints so the procedure wasn’t new to me – but, it was free and the atmosphere at these workshop thingies is pleasant and fun. While we paused to let the fast-drying glue dry, I sketched three of the ladies at the opposite table.

iPadPro; Pencil
Apps Used: Procreate

Summer Camp 2a

During the Wednesday afternoon MOMA Sketch class we were doing figurative drawings. We practiced drawing our hands, varying the line weights, something I’m not very good at. We were using charcoal pencils this time – medium and soft – and I decided to draw my hands with my usual hand and with the other one. Fair is fair, right?

We were supplied with printouts of faces from masterworks which we could copy. They also had these cool triangular table mirrors for self-portraits. Well, duh, of course you all know what I chose.

I got some vine charcoal, along with the pencils and I collaged my hands on this one.

They told us we could cut up the printouts and supplied glue sticks. I did another selfie with charcoal, cut up face parts and clothing from a couple of printouts and collaged my hand drawn with white charcoal.

I sketched myself facing in the same direction as the person whose hair covering I was going to use. Someone else’s eyes and I begged the shirt from Sandra’s pile of printouts. We all wore labels with our names printed out.
(I forgot to mention, the other day, that NYC Urban Sketcher Sandra is also in my classroom getting dirty with charcoal. What a nice surprise.)

This class was a lot of fun – the inspiration just kicked in and I was on automatic pilot – no thinking involved. I love when this happens in MoMA’s studio experiences. I don’t know how or why but it is magical.

Self portraits while looking in mirror, black and white charcoal in various forms,
Collage, glue stick. At home I reassembled the collages onto black gessoed acrylic paper. These are all unfinished works in progress waiting for the lightbulb to turn on.

Summer Camp 1

I attended a class three afternoons the last week of June. It was “Seeing Through Drawing” as part of MoMA’s Prime Time Summer Camp. (Reminds me of going to EVERY [no kidding] summer Bible thingy in every church in town to make bookends, ashtrays, lanyards, etc. to find something to do with myself.)

Anyway, while sitting in one of MoMA’s classrooms (by the way, NYC Urban Sketcher Mark and his wife were next door learning about iPhone photography tips and tricks) we were being taught the use of charcoal and still life set ups were there so we could practice midtones, lights and darks in order to make objects have form. I was immediately reminded how much I enjoy charcoal, even the messiness of smearing with fingers. The still life consisted of those long white balloons twisted into knots, placed on white paper which also resulted in a myriad of different shadows. I drew mine, it was passable, but got distracted by the educator, Emily.

Then I got distracted by the distracted other summer campers at the other table.

Oops. Forgot. The class started by all of us taking stools and going up to the Fifth floor Surrealist gallery where we sat before a De Chirico painting and spent time discussing it. It was interesting how a painting changes when you know what was happening in the artist’s world at the time.

Also, the Prime Time programs are free, the only restriction is age and you have to be quick to respond to to the emails when events are announced because they fill up immediately. There are lectures, gallery talks, movies, studio classes and more.

Drawn from life. Vine and compressed charcoal, kneaded eraser on #1 newsprint and #2 some mysterious other toned paper.

Lecture

Last Friday, as part of MOMA Prime Time, I attended a Quest Lecture on Joaquin Torres-Garcia and his art.

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iPad; New Trent Arcadia stylus.
Apps Used: Sketch Club (ArtRage used for texture only)

A Few More Minutes

Waiting for everyone to arrive and settle down before we can start the second session of the abstract workshop in MoMA’s education building. This time we completed two paintings. One a somewhat abstract flower and the last one, painted to the sound of Thelonious Monk, very abstract. We had to “feel” the music. Anyway, no pictures because my hands were covered in paint and iPat HATES to get dirty. I’ll snap pics when I get my paintings back.

iPad; New Trent Arcadia stylus.
Apps Used: Sketch Club (ArtRage used for texture only)

What I Did Wednesday 4

I was so intent on drawing while at Europa Cafe that I was almost late. I was supposed to be at MOMA at 1:45 and I was still in the restaurant. The drizzle was heavier now but I had no time to fiddle with my umbrella. I cut through the museum to get to the Education Building and discovered a long line of people waiting to check in. I received my name tag, entered the assigned room, found my seat and was ready for the first of three sessions of MOMA’s Prime Time Art Making Workshops: Exploring Abstract Painting. There were groupings of tables around two still life set ups, paint supplies and paper. For this first session we were to pick a segment of the still life and paint realistically.

They were sitting on the other side of the still life set up. I drew this after I decided I was finished painting.

Thick glops of paint needed drying time.

MOMA has turned out to be the coolest place ever!

#1: iPad; New Trent Arcadia stylus.
Apps Used: ArtRage and Sketch Club
#2: acrylic paint on 300# watercolor paper.