We enjoyed a very interesting discussion on the art of printmaking from Jay Arpin at our April 2022 membership meeting.
Jay is a talented traditional printmaker, as well as a UWM graduate. He is also a jazz musician and has recorded his music into records. His work will be displayed at several venues, to be mentioned later.
Jay described printmaking in the early days as a very toxic medium with its stains and solvents. Fortunately, in the early 2000s, non-toxic printmaking materials were developed.
Jay specializes in relief printing and intaglio. For our meeting, Jay showed us examples of the acid etch method, where he uses zinc and copper plates requiring different solvents. His favorite plate material is linoleum. He has also used wood plates from walnut. His business model includes keeping cost of pieces reasonable, reusing plates, and using repurposed items such as frames. The Japanese paper he uses, however, can be quite expensive. Jay is a strong advocate of limited edition prints. All Jay’s prints are hand-pulled in his studio and numbered as limited editions.
Upcoming events to see Jay’s work:
- Mount Mary Starving Artists Fair
- Morning Glory Art Fair
- Events in the 5th Ward
- There are some of his pieces in a gallery outside of Madison
Jay’s work is intricate and detailed and his subject matter varies from buildings to fantasy images of animals and structures to landscapes.
THANK YOU JAY for showing us the creative art of printmaking!
