Visual Realia Clay Monoprint Exhibit Open Now

A solo exhibit of my clay monoprint works is now open in the Adams County Arts Council (ACAC) gallery through July 2021.

Summer hours for the ACAC are typically Monday through Friday, 8:30-4:30, with varied Saturday and evening hours when events or classes are held. The Arts Council is very active with classes, so there may be times when a class uses the gallery; feel free to ask at the front desk if viewing is possible.

The official reception for the summer exhibits will be held on the evening of Friday, July 2nd, from 5:00 - 7:30 PM. I'd love to have you attend!

The Adams County Arts Council is located at 125 South Washington Street, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

(I'll also be selling unframed monoprints at a pop-up art market outside of York's fantastic I-ron-ic coffee house on June 12th.)

Upcoming Visual Realia Events

I am pleased to note an upcoming exhibit of my clay monoprint works in the Gallery of Gettysburg's Adams County Arts Council. The show will open on June 4th and will run through June and July. (The Arts Council holds a reception for its artists on First Fridays, so plan on a great Gettysburg evening on July 2nd.)

I'll also be selling unframed monoprints at a pop-up art market outside of York's awesome I-ron-ic coffee house on June 12th.

More info on both coming soon.

Anatomy of a Clay Monoprint

For those new to the medium, the artist creates a design using colored clay (slip) on a clay slab, known as the matrix. Material is then placed on some or all of the slab, and the print is transferred to the material.

After the print is made, some of the clay design remains on the matrix. An interesting aspect of the medium is that the next print is designed over top of the previous rather than starting over. This results in a bit of randomness as portions of previous designs appear along with the new design.

For the Machinations print, I used all of the slab/matrix for the print — the first time in a while, so elements of different, smaller prints are combined. In fact, most of the elements in this print are remnants of previous designs. I did, however, add the 3x4 set of blocks in the first noted area and the dark teal line in the center at area 3.

Area 1 - You'll see three rows of three squares, using red, yellow, and orange. Above this set is another row of three dark teak clay.

In the image, you'll see a black rectangle "above" the blocks. This shape was actually from a previous print, with the new small squares placed on top. When the new print was made (pulled), the clay from the squares transferred, but so did the black rectangle underneath, reversing the order on the pulled print. (There's that randomness!)

Area 2 - If you look closely, you'll see a line of a few black dots. Not only wasn't this in the new design, but it was from several prints ago and hasn't appeared in a print since November! Sometimes these "memories" from previous designs create happy accidents. (Your clay slab is a diary of your work.)

Area 3 - The dark teal line was added last, and I almost made the print without it. A last-minute look at the matrix led me to feel the object was necessary. Interestingly, Caetlyn mentioned in the previous look at this print that she thought this line was necessary. I'm glad I added it!

Area 4 - Persistence. I've been doing geometric art lately and wanted to minimize this unusual black shape, so I painted a layer of plain off-white clay over it. It did soften it a bit, but it still raised its voice!

The clay monoprint artist never has complete control; sometimes, the clay speaks for itself.

“Machinations” — Clay Monoprint on Pellon by Andrew Smith of Visual Realia

Instagram for the Artist

Instagram has several unique aspects that make its use very helpful in sharing our art. I presented an informal look at Instagram for the Hanover Area Arts Guild.

While this won’t cover the discussion, the handout may prove useful for artists new to the platform.

Download the handout by clicking here.

Questions about using Instagram as an artist? Feel free to email.

View fullsize

New to Instagram? Click on the link above for a four page packet.

Clay Monoprint Technique Demo Video

Here’s a half-hour look at some of the most common techniques used in designing a clay monoprint.

The Facebook live event was cosponsored by Visual Realia and the Hanover Area Arts Guild, located in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Note: Hovering over the video should bring up several icons for better control, including one to view the video in a larger full-screen view.