Malgorzata Oakes is a Polish artist who lives and works in the USA. She is an Adjunct Professor at SUNY* New Paltz, teaching printmaking techniques and holding a position as full time Instructional Support Technician for the Printmaking Studio, and an Assistant Professor at SUNY* Orange teaching basic drawing, painting, and advanced drawing classes.
She was introduced to the electro-etching process through a long research and a demonstration made by Karen Cornelius. An artist who also started with the electrolytic processes in our workshop-residence. Karen gave a great demonstration during SGC International Printmaking Conference in Las Vegas in 2018 where she grew knowledge about electro-etching process to many international printmakers.
Upon returning from the Conference Malgorzata set up a small electro-etching unit in her studio where she has been researching etching on copper plates. However, much to our good fortune, she came to our studio in Gran Canaria where she has aundergone a two-week crash-course in the techniques of electro-etching. She has followed the processes with mastery and patience. In addition to etching lines with various different needles and varnishes, she was very interested in learning how to produce tonal areas of electrotint. She practised on these with open bite, with graphite ink from Graphic Chemical, and with Big Red etching ground as well as electrotint applying semi-dry electro-etching, galvanized electrotint and drawing of galvanized lines.
Malgorzata did us the immense favour of bringing a roll of photopolymer film Puretch from Takach, which is fantastic when transferring photographic images to a plate that will be etched later, in our case, by applying an electrolytic bite to advance in our experimentation with this process.
Electro-etching is all the greater for artists like Malgorzata, seduced by its magic. The technical skills of this artist and her great interest in experimenting in ways of expressing herself with the process will help electro-etching to advance and extend. Se has promised to return in two years' time. We're looking forward to it!
* State University of New York at New Palrz New York.
* State University of New York Orange.
Pictures from the workshop
Malgorzata Oakes speaks about her experience in the workshop-residency
If you are looking for a Non-toxic Intaglio workshop-residency, you found it... this is the place!
Amazing, quiet, private studio with a 24 hours 7 days access, with a one on one detailed instructions from Alfonso Crujera - electro-etching expert, located in the gorgeous valley of volcanic rocks of Gran Canaria Island. Not only you get to be inspired by nature and architecture but the amount of knowledge you gain during the workshop will stimulate and change your prints. Alfonso’s patience, drive to experimental printmaking and the positive attitude of fresh approaches is a huge benefit to each printmaker or visual artist who comes to the residency. This is the place to come and learn the fundamentals of electro-etching techniques, experiment and experience new culture.
I would recommend this workshop residency to any printmaker either experienced or emerging young artist.
I am looking forward to going back in the near future and taking another intensive workshop in this avant-garde Printmaking Studio.
Malgorzata Oakes's electro-etchings
More information about Malgorzata Oakes