Opening Celebration of Noyo Printworks

On First Friday, April 3 from 5-8 pm please help celebrate the opening of Noyo Printworks, Located in the City Hall building, Franklin & Laurel Streets on the Laurel St side... right in the heart of Ft. Bragg. 

Noyo Printworks is a true community venture, relying on the contributions of many to become a reality.  Jonathan Palmer, artist, printmaker and arts educator (Mendocino College), brought up the idea last May--and things began to perk along from there.
 
The Boy's Locker Room of the old swimming complex attached to the City Hall has been transformed into a bright working studio ready to foster creative learning and practice in printmaking, letterpress and book arts.  City of Fort Bragg generously provided the space as a two-year incubator to enable Flockworks to begin this project.  
 






Laurel's "Elephant"... is the one-ton Vandercook Universal 1 Letterpress , circa 1963.  Laurel Moss, a writer and long-time Coast resident, acquired the Letterpress about 7 years ago, hoping to bring together writers and artists in creative work. It proved a bigger challenge than expected and the press, cabinets of moveable type, paper cutter, book binder and more waited in a shed.  Laurel's generous gift to Flockworks of the Letterpress and other equipment means the community will now have access and opportunity to learn to do creative work on this beautiful machine.  Whether setting type by hand or designs made in polymer plate, this opens a wide range of creative possibilities.

The Sturgess Etching press is on long-term loan and ready for intaglio, relief and mono printing.  A glass topped inking table was made and donated by Rob Mason. The double sink, shelving, rollers, brayers, work tables, chairs and more come from a variety of contributors. Inks, paper, cleaning supplies, and so forth round out the basic set up of the working Studio. Some things still needed include flat file, folding chairs, rolling carts, and old towels. Art materials like printing paper, lino cutters, brayers, inks and such can also add to the resources. In-kind and cash donations welcome.
 
Leadership and expertise are the last ingredients making Noyo Printworks a working reality.  Larry Thomas, Judy Detrick, Zida Borcich, Sandy Oppenheimer,  James Maxwell and others bring something experience to help shape the working framework, plus will offer future classes and workshops. The Working Studio Team includes Kathy Carl, Jonathan Palmer and Florence Ashford, with support of Janet Self, Flockworks Director, will lead on the hands-on studio time.  Others with proven experience in Letterpress, Printmaking and Book Arts will be added to the Studio Team.  Open Studio times, classes and workshops will welcome others into Studio work.  

This is a project of Flockworks, expanding the creative resources and opportunities in our community.  If you would like to be added to our email list, contact us at flockworks1@gmail.com. And stay tuned as we create new websites and other outreach for Flockworks and the new Noyo Printworks.
 

 


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Plein Air @ Odd Fellows

Slice of Jug Handle, by Suzi Long

Plein Air Painters of Mendocino annual Whale Festival show ~ Mendocino

A special feature of the Annual Whale Festival is the Plein Air exhibit of beautiful works in oil, pastel and acrylic from all parts of our north coast every week.  16 local artists bring out their best, hosting visitors to this wonderful exhibit.   And when you are on coastal trails, look for painters at work out in the fresh air.  

The Exhibit is at the historic Odd Fellows in Mendocino (corner of Kasten & Ukian Streets) and is open Friday to Sunday, 11-6pm.  Opening Artist Party is March 14, 5-8 and part of the Mendocino 2nd Saturday Art events.
Participating Plein Air Artists include:
Eleanor Harvey
Agnes Woolsey
Maeve Croghan
Lynn Cyrilla Crutcher
Claire Fortier
Carolyn Hagopjan
Mary Ann Nation
Deb Nord
Jurate Seputa
Bob Nation
Suzi Long  
Micaela Marsden
Cornelia Gerken
Pat Jones
John Hewitt
Jim Stallings

The exhibit can also be viewed by appointment with Suzi Long 707.937.5664--- Suzi's Water Tower Gallery is adjacent to the Odd Fellows.

Inside the Plein Air Painters of Mendocino by Suzi Marquess Long, Artist
The term en plein air is a French expression which means “In the Open Air” and is used to describe painting in the outside environment rather than in a studio. Alfresco means the same in English, but in Italian, the term al fresco means in jail or simply cool air. Thanks, Wikipedia!

We definitely have lots of cool air here, but “in the open air” is where the PAPM (Plein Air Painters of Mendocino) are happiest. The incredible natural light, the fresh ocean breeze and negative ions in the atmosphere all combine to make perfect conditions for outdoor painting.

The PAPM are an unstructured group of people who like to paint outside and capture nature in the moment. We try to allocate two Thursday afternoons a month to the same location so we have a chance to finish an oil, or make two pastels, or have a rain day and still have a day to get to “that spot” together. We live near the coast and usually paint the sea, but in autumn we travel into the Anderson and Alexander Valleys to capture the fall colors of grapes, apple trees, and barns.