Due to popular demand The Baldessin Press will offer a Photogravure workshop in August.

Sat & Sun 

2 and 3 of May

11am - 5pm

This year we are please to have “Pharos Editions” - Fine art digital printmaking, joining us. For more information on Pharos - www.pharoseditions.com.au

If you haven’t visited for a while - then take this opportunity to  bring a friend and see what we have been up to!

Cheers

Silvi, Tess, Rob and Lloyd

A great photo taken By Lloyd. The iconic Baldessin Sculpture in the foreground and studio in the background.

No, this is not an April Fool’s Day gag; the Baldessin Press will be presenting a talk!

The Baldessin Press; the History, Vision and Artists. as part of the Nillumbik Red Chair Lecture series for 2009.   Wednesday, April 1st at 7pm, at The Pavilion, Living and Learning Centre, 739 Main Rd, Eltham (Melway 21 J7)

Free Entry. Cheese and wine provided.  RSVP essential on 9433 3359 or email artsinfo@nillumbik.vic.gov.au

Everyone is welcome, so please come and say hello, ask questions, and find out more.

We are relieved to be able to announce to all our friends that the Baldessin Press property was spared by the recent horrific bushfires that ravaged our area on Saturday 7th Feb 2009, a date we can never forget.

A wind change at about 1 km from the property pushed the fire to the North, and it swung around and away from us.  The township of St Andrews is still standing, while north St Andrews has been “nuked” and resembles Hiroshima after the bomb.   So many of our friends lost their houses, vineyards, olive groves, veggie gardens, chooks, horses, livestock,artwork….everything.  Our hearts go out to all of them.

Our “sister” studio, Pharos Editions, run by Brian and Dianne Gilkes in St Andrews north, was all but consumed by flames, as was their house and garden.  They have salvaged some of the equipment from the studio in the form of computers and digital printers, and we are thrilled to announce that they are setting up at the Baldessin Press and will conduct their business from there until further notice.  We are thrilled and honoured to be able to host this very high quality and prestigious outfit, and look forward to a very exciting collaboration.  Something good may yet come from all this desolation.

Not so for our dear friend artist Angela Brunton, who tragically perished in the fire at her home in Strathewan.  We are still in shock from this awful loss, and we will miss her happy smile and warm presence in the studio.  Angela was so full of enthusiasm for life and her art, and was looking forward to her residency at Bundanon in September.  She was a valued friend of Baldessin Press, and recently coordinated the catering for our end of year party, doing a brilliant job.  We miss her sorely.

For the Open Studio Baldessin press party at the end of November, Lloyd installed a spiral of living tillandsia plants across the driveway outside the studio. The work was an ephemeral piece that highlighted the coming ephemeral workshop in January.

DAY 2 of the Summer Workshops!

We are all well and truly underway with the Summer Workshops in Photogravure with Silvi, Ephemeral Sculpture with Lloyd and Etching with Rob.

The energy in the studio is abuzz with the printmakers and the smell of ink, and outside nearby in the bush the sculpture mob are doing mysterious things, all Top Secret as yet, and the truth will be out on Day 4.

Lunches have become a feature of our workshops, and this time is no different; in fact so far they have excelled all others! (Homemade organic pumpkin and walnut tarte, garlic prawns, zucchini slice, chickpea and aubergine curry, turkish bread + dips, fresh garden salad, strawberries and shortbread etc etc).

More later, as things progress….I’m just keeping you all up to date! (and practicing my web skills, ha ha)

WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

our 4 Day Workshops are coming up January 23 -26 2009

This time we offer 2 at once!

1. Photogravure with Silvi Glattauer…is by now legendary!  Four blissful days and nights of total immersion in your creative project learning the photogravure technique with one of Australia’s top practitioners.   This is the only 4 day workshop we do, and it is well worth the experience, as much for the camaraderie and stimulation as the high quality instruction.   Accommodation available on the property (if you are quick!).  Cost (inc Materials $550)    Send your deposit of $100 to secure your place (we only take 6) ASAP

2. Ephemeral Sculpture with Lloyd Godman…is a new workshop offered by our Eco-Artist Lloyd whose installation “Carbon Obscura” was recently featured in B&W Magazine (USA).  (Currently at Yering Station until the 9th Dec if you are quick).  The inspiration for this workshop is the work of Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy, who uses only what he can find on-site in nature….and then photographs the work before walking away and leaving it to return to its ancestors.  First the sculpture is the Work, and then the photo becomes the Work.  Lloyd is a photographer of great experience, who will show you how to document the work for posterity.  This group will work outside in the bush while the Photogravure group will be in the studio. Both groups can share meals, ideas and fun together- should be a very stimulating atmosphere!    Cost $400    Please send $100 dep ASAP to The Baldessin Press, 90 Shaftesbury Ave., St. Andrews 3761

We are pleased to announce the successful applicant for 2009 Artist in residence at The Baldessin Press will be Christine Gates.

This was a difficult decision, given the high standard, number and enthusiasm of some entrants, and we would like to congratulate and thank everyone who applied.  It is sad that there can only be one winner, but there will be other occasions, and we hope to hear from or see you again at some stage.

We congratulate and look forward to working with Christine Gates; more details as they come to hand!

Well! We have all survived the 2 Open Studio weekends plus our annual end-of-year Party without too much stress….but wow, was it a wild weekend !  We had around 120 visitors over the 2 days of last weekend, NOT COUNTING the 100 or so who rolled up for our party after 6pm on Saturday night 29th Nov.  It was really the best party we have had to date, and that is saying something, because there’s one thing the Baldessin Press does well (apart from printmaking) and that is a Party.

A small army of helpers organised the food, including Tom Glattauer barbequing the marinated baby octopus and chilli prawn shasliks all night while Chris Tebecki played accordian and Lesley Avril led the singalong (ha ha ).  The kids were well occupied with the petanque game, and there were people everywhere, catching up, meeting each other and having fun.  A BIG vote of thanks are due to Tom, his granddaughter Rebeca,  Angela the Katering Koordinator, and 4 wwonderful wwoofers (Rita, Isabelle & Louisa from Germany, and Jung-Mi from Korea).  Thanks also to those who contributed in their own way, including Sasha from Babka who arrived with crates of bread and Tartes Tatin X 6!

We met lots of new people over the 2 weekends we were open to the public, and caught up with old mates as well.  Now it’s time for a break, before we gear ourselves up for the 4 Day Workshops on Jan 23-26 2009.  We wish all our friends a very relaxing holiday time and we look forward to seeing you again in 2009.