I spent much of my summer working on these two new large prints. They are both silkscreen on a full sheet of BFK Rives Grey and are 44″ x 30″ each. The pain in the butt factor definitely increases with the size of paper and I do believe that my edition sizes will be about half of what I started with.
Collapsed Distance
(silkscreen, 44″ x 30″)
Separation Plane
(silkscreen, 44″ x 30″)
My piece for the Calgary Biennial is coming along. It’s a 6′ x 4′ silkscreen on plexiglass with additional drawing and collage. Here it is leaning up against the wall in the studio. The show opens in September.
Earlier this summer, I was invited by Dustyn Bork to participate in an exchange portfolio for the 2012 Mid-America Print Council (MAPC) Biennial Conference: Pressing Prints/Pressing Palms. The High Five exchange portfolio features ten artists making one initial print edition each and then creating a print in response to one of the other (randomly assigned) prints in the folio. The first round is over (see my print below) and I have been assigned a silkscreen by Lou Joseph titled “Drone Overhead”. I’ll be working on this print over the next two months, I love this idea of call and response and cross country exchange.
Past Echoes by Heather Huston
Silkscreen 11″ x 15″
Drone Overhead by Lou Joseph
Silkscreen 11″ x 15″
I’m currently on the other side of the world, recharging my batteries in Australia and Indonesia. My work is never far from my mind and I have several projects coming up during the summer. First up is the Douro Biennial in Portugal. It is quite exciting to have been selected for this. Next up is the inaugural Calgary Biennial in September. I’ll be reincarnating some of my plexiglass works and making a large piece. The theme for the biennial is home and it will be great to see the different interpretations and the depth within the Calgary scene. I’ll be doing some writing while away – it will be interesting to consider home when I’m so far from it.
Just before I left I sent a new edition of prints off to Dustyn Bork who is organizing an interesting portfolio exchange for the Mid-America Print Council. The theme is “High Five” and each of us are making a print in our own style. Then each of us will receive one print from one of the other participants and will make a response print. It’s a great concept and I look forward to seeing all the echoes and connections.
Since the end of semester, I’ve been plodding along steadily in the studio, making some new big silkscreens. I use a combination of different types of stencils including hand-drawn, digital and hand-cut out of amberlith (also known as rubylith). Here are some images of prints in progress:
Last week I sent my work to Portugal as I am one of seven artists invited to represent Canada at the 6th Bienal International De Gravura. The exhibition will open on August 10th and run through September.
The end of semester is always a hectic one for students and faculty alike but mine has been made a little sweeter thanks to ACAD’s student association. They have awarded me the 2011/2012 Faculty Award! For this honour, I have been featured on a trading card as a super faculty with a power rating for everything from humour and approachability to parrots (I may or may not mention my parrot Charlie too often in class). Its really a wonderful way to end the semester and makes me grateful to work with such an excellent bunch of students.
My work is currently showing in the 8th British Miniprint, opening tonight at the London Print Studio. Its on view until June 16th after which it will start a two year tour. Wuon-Gean Ho and Guy Langevin will be showing larger works alongside the exhibition. If you are in London, drop by and check it out!
This is the last week to see my work in the Faculty Show at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery at ACAD. With a large and diverse faculty, the show has something for everyone except art-haters and pheasants. I have declared myself the Silkscreeniest in Show. Don’t miss it.
Beginning in the Far (silkscreen 13 5/8" x 20")
Last year, I organized an exchange exhibition between ACAD and Emily Carr in Vancouver (with my counterparts on the coast Beth Howe and Diyan Achjadi). This year, ACAD is creating a portfolio with our allies at NSCAD (with Eastern coast printmakers Mitch Mitchell and Mark Bovey). We will each be shipping our prints at the end of the month and each institution will be hosting an exhibition of the portfolio in March. I was able to take advantage of reading week to complete my edition. I look forward to seeing the rest of the prints in the folio.
Frost Juncture (silkscreen 11" x 15")