Get Ready to Explore!
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Printmaking with Gelli and linocuts
All Levels
Dates: July 28 – August 1, 2025
Cost:$495+50
Come to this class to learn about Gelli and linocut printmaking has been explored and applied though history by artists such as Picasso, Rembrandt and DaVinci. Gel prints have come into greater use in the 20th century for fine artists, graphic designers and scrapbookers.
Wendy and Stephanie, teaching as a team, will introduce you to these techniques with color augmentation of your images. This is a class filled with learning, exploring and experimenting encouraged by your instructors. These two first met at a plein air paint out in 2019 They soon became best friends and painting adventure travel companions. In 2022, they began teaching art classes together. As a teaching team, they provide more individualized attention to each student in class, and they complement each other’s teaching styles. You will enjoy each of them as you create your art in this fun-filled class. You’ll learn how to print monotypes with gel plates, create and print your own linocuts and augment your images with color.
Both Stephanie West and Wendy Ahlm belong to and have held leadership roles with the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. They love to connect and assist those who are passionate about painting and being in nature. They each work in printmaking, and paint in watercolor, acrylic, gouache, pastel, and oils.
Your days will look like this:
Day 1 – Morning: “The ART of Design”
- Planning and designing your artwork (applies to all art types)
- Thumbnails
- Notans (principles of art composition)
- Composition
Day 1 – Afternoon: “Gell” with Gelli Plate Printmaking
- Gelli Plate printing
- Monotypes
- Stamps, lace & leaves
- Drawing Transfers
- Photo Transfers
Day 2 – Morning: “Making the Cut” with Linocuts
- Design
- Transfer
- Cut
Day 2 – Afternoon: “Impress” Your Friends with Linocut Prints
- Continue Cutting
- Printing & Print registration for multiple layers
Day 3 – Production – “Press On”
- Printing on Paper
- Printing of Fabric (we’ll print on a canvas bag)
Day 4 – Morning: “Jumping into Watercolor Painting” (MORNING)
- Watercolor overview: Opacity, Pigments & Lightfastness (Explaining tube labels)
- Limited Palettes and Color Swatching
- How to use resist with Fineline® Fine Tip Resist
- Brush types and techniques
- All about paper (lb & GSM, hot, cold & ‘not’ press)
Students can then break out for one of two afternoon options:
Day 4 – Afternoon Breakout with Wendy: “Add a Splash of Color to your Prints”
- Coloring your prints with watercolors
- Coloring your fabric prints and paper prints with Derwent Inktense pencils and blocks
Day 4 – Afternoon Breakout with Stephanie: “Splish, Splash – Watercolor’s a Blast! “
- Painting NM icons on Greeting Card size paper (Red/Green Chile, Prickly Pears, Luminaries on adobe wall, NM Christmas ornament)
Day 5 Morning: “Wrapping it Up”
- Packaging and labeling: prepping for sale, gifts or shows
Day 5 Afternoon: “Alone in the Wilderness”
- Students continue exploration in mediums of choice: printmaking or watercolors. There will be one instructor to guide each section.
Stephanie West has grown up in New Mexico exploring and practicing her art from an early age. She received her BFA from University of NM and has explored a variety of styles in her work, including representational, expressionistic, and illustrative. Her subjects include landscape and still life, often meaningful objects and talisman. She has received multiple awards for her watercolors and oil paintings. She lives and works in Santa Fe NM where her art reflects her drive to capture the essence of time, place, objects to sharing the story the following quotes: “Upon meeting a Zia elder he said to me, “You are creating healing medicine. Art is medicine for the soul.”
You may see more at stephaniewest.com
Wendy Ahlm grew up in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even as a child she knew she was to be an artist. She received a BFA in printmaking and painting from Carnegie Mellon University. She moved to New Mexico in 1996 and fell in love with the big sky, never-ending views and spectacular sunsets.
In addition to painting nature, her playful personality has commanded expertise in a variety of media., My soul sings when I’m using my eyes, heart and hands to make marks on paper and canvas. But I’m most joyful when I share this journey with others and encourage them to explore ideas through creativity.” – Wendy Ahlm
You may see more at wendyahlmart.com
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07/28/2025 – 08/01/2025