On Saturday PRESS WORKS hosted urban folk artist Mhiachnoti (Mac for short). We had a great time making prints while listening to FIFA's World Cup. Go Ghana! They tied the favored Germans 2-2. If USA beats Portugal today they will be first in their group!
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| Urban Folk Artist Mhiachnoti working on his first monotype. |
Mac is a professional photographer who worked with many of the Spanish newspapers in the 1960's and 70's as well as a host of other freelance photography jobs. In the past ten years Mac has transitioned into painting, drawing, and printmaking. I first met Mac at Santa Monica College when he took my beginning screenprinting class. He has since moved on to Pasadena City College where he has really found his imagery and vocation as a screenprint artist thanks to Kristen Pilon, John Miner, Erika Ruvell and others in the Graphic Communications Technology Dept. Just off a successful exhibit at John Miner's
Serio Press, Mac is exploring other aspects of printmaking by creating a series of monotypes and monoprints at Press Works. I introduced several techniques to Mac during our session and we hope to have a nice series of prints done by this Fall so stay tuned.
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| 20"x26" Monotype using Akua Kolor and Akua Intaglio inks. This thumbnail image doesn't quite capture all the wonderful textures we built up using ordinary window screen mesh and drywall mesh tape and corrugated paper. |
Mhiachnoti combines found imagery and textures with his own drawings. With this series of monotypes Mac is concentrating on using textures with abstract figurative drawings. He is also planning on incorporating some of his screenprint stencils over the drawings and textures. We can't wait to see how they progress. He is definitely turned on to the monotype technique.
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| Printer Todd Smith inks up textures under Mac's direction. |
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| Mac applies the Akua inks over his drywall tape. |
