Student Teaching Wrap Up & Overall Updates

Wow… the last month or two kind of got away from me. Classes and life both ramped up at the same time it seems, seems like only a week or two ago i was writing my first post on here and now I’m wrapping up my Teaching Assistant course with the Print 1 students. As part of the final students are asked to answer some questions about their experience with printmaking throughout the semester, as well as how their predictions from the first week of classes turned up. I had answered similar questions in my first post way back in January. Overall while I think I was being a tad dramatic about the difficulties of me reacquainting myself with some methods I hadn’t worked with in a few semesters. There was a slight hill I had to climb in the beginning of the Intaglio project but my earlier guess was correct in that printmaking is like riding a bike, once you learn you can never really forget. My biggest goal was to be able to get a sense of whether teaching at the college level is something that would appeal to me as well as really be able to help the students and feel like i taught them something. I feel as though throughout the relief projects in particular, especially for those who chose linocut, i was given this opportunity to share the tips and tricks ive picked up in my short time as a printmaker. They say everyone wants to feel important and i feel most important when I’m given the chance to help a student and further their passions. I’m ending this semester with new questions for myself. Before high school was really the only area ive been interested in teaching but now after getting to work with Rhea the opportunities for student development and engagement at the college level is something I definitely enjoy. With the start of summer break fast approaching I have many plans on the horizon for the coming fall and its going to be full steam ahead as i move into my final semester of undergrad.

In other news I’ve started work on a new print series that I will be working on over the course of the summer into the fall semester. I’m focusing on Bonsai trees, their diversity in form, texture, and movement through linocut prints. Here is a test print from the very first in the series. I’m unsure of if this print will make it to the final collection or if it will simply end up on the cutting room floor as a test print. Which wouldn’t be a complete waste especially with another project i will be working on going into the fall semester of putting together a solo show of both my personal print collections as well as the process of printmaking from design to the drying rack. I’m really looking forward to this and am hopeful that I’m awarded the ability to produce the show.

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12 in. x 18 in.

Linocut on Mulberry paper

2021