Welcome to the Noticeboard for all members of SPW
Here you will find important and up-to-date information on the Studio such as Open Access times as well as member only opportunities.
Members’ Opportunity for 2025
After a very successful and enjoyable couple of Open Days we are now turning our attention to starting to organise a group project around making an artist book to commemorate our 25 years.
A small group of us were discussing it today and came up with a rough outline to start thinking and designing and planning for it.
Who can join the group?
Any current member of the workshop can take part.
Is there a theme or subject?
A ‘Swansea’ theme is the focus, and can be any aspect or interpretation.
A more specific focus may emerge when we start to see what participants bring to the group.
What format will it take?
All images will be black and white and you can use relief/screenprint/letterpress to print your image.
A ‘book’ will be made up from the prints [see images below] and there will be a collaborative opportunity to share prints and make a book for everyone taking part.
Additionally the images can be used to make a ‘suite’ of prints about Swansea which we will market on the website.
How much will it cost?
We have no grant money to do this project but we can offer some free group time in the studio and keep our materials costs as low as possible.
What is the timeline for the project?
- Register of interest in the next week and you will be invited to a meeting to learn more about it and develop more detail
- Make a definite commitment by December 30
- Meeting in January to be scheduled
- Images developed by March 1
- Final design of the book March 15th
- Bookbinding day 1st week of April
How do I register my interest in the project?
If you are interested in taking part and would like to come along to an initial meeting to move some ideas around, please contact us on the booking WhatsApp SPW Open Access and Keyholder Booking group. If you are not part of this group please register by sending us an email with the subject: 25 Years Artist Book – registering interest.
We will arrange an opportunity to meet fairly soon.
ARTIST BOOK | The 2015 artist book featured images from 16 members. We all printed enough copies for each of the artists to have their own copy. All the images were printed as a double page and then stuck together in concertina form. The cover was screenprinted onto bookbinding cloth.
There is a copy you can look at in the top drawer of the large drawers in the drawing studio.
Open Days Weekend – 23 & 24 November 24
We had a very successful Open Days weekend selling prints, meeting others to talk everything printmaking!
Thank you to everyone who helped get the Studio ready and for all the members who participated and made this a really enjoyable event.
Christmas Social – 18 December from 6.30 pm onwards
As a thank you to all our members and, in particular, to our fantastic team of volunteers we would like to invite you to a Christmas Social at 19a Clarence Street on Wednesday 18 December from 6.30 pm onwards.
Some refreshments and drinks will be provided but please bring along something you like to drink and any dish/nibbles you would like to contribute would be greatly appreciated.
All members, partners and supporters welcome.
An exhibition of Alan’s Christmas Card prints can be viewed on our Online Exhibition Site
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Update to Schedule of Activities posted 22.11.24
Including Christmas Social and Seasonal Closure
November 23 & 24 | Open Days/Sale of Work
Tuesday November 26 | Open Access | Final collection of all work from Open Days
Thursday November 28 | Open Access | Life Drawing (evening)
Friday November 29 | Daytime Life Drawing (pm)
December | Studio closed for scheduled upgrade of front door and seasonal closure
Wednesday 18 December | Christmas Social | 6.30 pm onwards
Tuesday January 7 | Studio reopens
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Update – New Information
The Studio is open tomorrow – 14 November – for Life Drawing only. Due to essential cleaning requirements, we are unfortunately not able to return all the contents of The Drawing Room in time for Open Access to take place this week.
The Drawing Room Improvements – Update – 13 November 2024
Our fantastic volunteers have been working hard removing old flooring and laying new with insulation underneath to improve The Drawing Room …
From this!
To this!
The Studio will be open again as planned on Thursday 14 November for. Please be aware that we can’t guarantee that The Drawing Room will be fully functional with our usual IT setup on that day and we may still have some items to move back and organising to do.
Please book in the usual way for Open Access.
Thanks again to all our volunteers for their amazing efforts and everyone for their support while we improve the Studio for all.
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Open Days/Sale of Work – 23 & 24 November | 10.30-4.00
These open events are usually good fun, and a great occasion for all members to show and sell their work (prints, cards and print related artwork) to the wider public. Please find below the schedule and information for this event:
Tuesday November 19
Framed work for the Open Day/ Sale of work
* If you have framed work already displayed for sale in the studio and wish to keep it there for the open days, please make sure it is included in your list of work and that it is labelled and priced.
* If you are bringing in new framed work it must be available in the studio by Tuesday November 19. It should be ready to hang with mirror plates already fixed
* Please make sure it is included in your list of work and that it is labelled and priced.
Thursday November 21
* Framed work to be arranged and fixed.
* Display areas organised
* Lighting in corridor and Drawing Room
Friday November 22
This is our big set-up day for arranging the browsers and unframed prints/ cards
* All unframed work to go in the browsers / or displayed on the boards
* setting up refreshment area
* set up demonstration of techniques to be displayed
Further information:
Please make sure we have a definitive list of all the work submitted with title and price.
Commission of 25% is charged by the workshop so this must be allowed for in your pricing.
All unframed work must be protected by a backing board and cellophane cover, and have the name and the price on the back clearly marked.
Cards should be in cellophane packs.
Volunteer Support
If you can offer volunteer time to help set up the Studio beforehand and/or supervise over the weekend we would love to hear from you.
Saturday and Sunday
Anne Gullick is organising the rota for the Saturday and Sunday. If you can do a morning or an afternoon on either of those days please let her know using the SPW Open Access and keyholder Booking WhatsApp we use for booking.
Yvonne will be handling any sales on the card machine on both days so it is really a matter of looking after any visitors. We will be offering light refreshments.
Demonstrations of printing techniques
If anyone can offer a demonstration of a printing technique with one of your own blocks/screens/plates please let us know
November 26 | Open Access |
If you are leaving work on display after the Open Days, please make sure you leave an up-to-date list in the Stock Book of anything you have for sale for future reference.
Any work you do not wish to leave, please remove by this date
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Information on Building Improvements and Schedule of Activities – October to December 2024
The last part of this year will be busy in the Studio with planned workshops, regular Open Access and Life Drawing sessions and opportunities for members to show and sell work on our Open Days in November.
We are also continuing with renovation work: replacing the floor in The Drawing Room – taking the opportunity to lay insulation – as well as upgrading the front door.
We have tried to minimize the impact of the building work and thank you for your understanding where this does affect any normal activities.
We have detailed activities in the timetable below from 19 October to 9 December. If there are any changes to this schedule or any further information for the weeks to end of December we will let you know as soon as possible. Any bookings should be made in the usual way.
Renovation Work
The renovation work in The Drawing Room will again be carried out by our fantastic volunteers and we are requesting more volunteer help to clear and put the room back to order (see dates below) so the work can begin and end as scheduled as far as possible.
If you can offer your time please get in touch by email to our usual email address giving some idea of your availability. Thank you.
Timetable of Activities: 19 October to 9 December 2024
October 19 & 20 | Charlotte Baxter | Blind Embossing and Linocut [fully booked]
October 22 | Open Access
October 24 | Open Access | Life Drawing (evening)
October 25 | Daytime Life Drawing (pm)
October 29 | Open Access
October 30 | Sarah Hopkins | Experimental Screenprinting [fully booked]
October 31 | Open Access | Life Drawing (evening)
November 5 | Open Access
November 6 | Complete clearance of The Drawing Room | Volunteer help required please
November 7 | Complete clearance of The Drawing Room | Volunteer help required | Sorry no Life Drawing this evening
November 8 | Taking up the old floor of The Drawing Room and removal of all debris to the skip outside
November 9–12 | Laying insulation and new flooring
November 13 | Anticipated day to put The Drawing Room back in order (TBC) | Volunteer help required
November 14 | Anticipated restart of Open Access and Life Drawing (evening) (TBC)
November 19 & 20 | Framed work for the Open Day/ Sale of work to be available for hanging | Volunteer help required please to hang the work.
November 21 | Open Access | Life Drawing (evening)
November 22 | All work for sale in browsers and individual displays arranged | Volunteer help please
November 23 & 24 | Open Days | Demonstrations/ work for sale | Volunteer help required for timetable of supervision
November 26 | Open Access | Collection of all work from Open Days complete
November 28 | Open Access | Life Drawing (evening)
November 29 | Daytime Life Drawing (pm)
December 2-9 | Scheduled upgrade of front door TBC – details on any activities affected to follow
December 10 onwards | TBC
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Reopening of the Studio – Important Notes for Members
During the temporary closure of the studio for repair work, we have carried out extensive cleaning. In a print studio it is a constant battle to keep printing inks and emulsions where they should be – not over the furniture and the floor! And particularly to avoid any cross contamination of material which could affect the success or failure of a process.
Could we please ask all members to be meticulous in cleaning up after using an area
The screen coating area and drying cupboards were found to be particularly messy with thick drips of emulsion in the cupboard and on the floor; wet emulsion had been transferred to the rubber blanket of the vacuum bed which we are unable to clean off. Good, flat contact between blanket and artwork is essential so any residues can affect results.
We would like to draw members’ attention to an IMPORTANT Health and Safety issue in the Screenprinting area.
The wall next to the wash out unit and the curtains, are covered in ink and emulsion.
This indicates that people are using too much pressure to blast off ink from the screen instead of using just the normal hose from the tap and gently brushing the ink away. If too much pressure is used, this sends ink and other cleaning products into the air which you risk breathing in. This can be particularly harmful when washing off Pregasol F – the colourless chemical used to remove photo stencil emulsion.
Please ensure that you use the tap hose for cleaning. We aim to use the pressure washer as little as possible; it is appropriate for the final screen clean. If you are unsure, please speak to an Open Access supervisor.
Please also make sure you use the extraction when cleaning screens. Masks are available to buy in the studio which you can keep and reuse.
Thank you.
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Reopening of the Studio – week commencing 12 August – Important Information
We have made great progress with the repair and improvement work in the studio. The studio will be functional from next week – week commencing 12 August – however, please NOTE that there is still some work and clearing away to do which may affect certain work areas. We are therefore asking any members to please book in as normal for Open Access BUT specifying what you wish to do in your session so that we can make arrangements within the studio or discuss this with you if needs be. Thank you again for your understanding.
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Temporary Closure of the Studio – Posted 06.08.24
We are working hard to get the studio ready to open. We will continue to be closed for the week commencing 5 August but hope to open shortly after that. Thank you for your understanding; we will let members know as soon as possible when the studio will be reopening.
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***IMPORTANT *** Temporary Closure of the Studio – Posted 22.07.24
From 22 July for approx. 2 weeks
We are always looking to improve the studio environment so that it is safe and functions as well as possible. Due to some essential repair work, we are closing the studios from 22 July for approximately 2 weeks.
Due to the nature of the work, it means that no activity can take place during this time including Open Access, Life Drawing and any public entry.
We thank you for your understanding and we will let members know as soon as possible when the studio will be reopening.
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Glass Design Project – posted 19.06.24
A unique Members Only opportunity
Call out for design submissions
We would like your design submissions for the new glass screen which is to go in front of our admin desk, creating a space where members can sit and use the library – a great collection of books and useful notes and information.
Expressions of interest: 24 June 2024
Submit your ideas: 12 July 2024
Further information on the project, the brief and design specification available at Current Projects.
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Update July 2023 – Update on Members Only Printmaking Project Opportunity
Register your interest for this exciting printmaking project – available to members of SPW only.
Being part of the project will involve:
- Taking part in activities to familiarise the group with various aspects of the collection : for example the collection of posters and banners in the Library, drawing expeditions to relevant sites.
- Group meetings to discuss work in progress and share ideas
- There will be some free workshop sessions to upskill any areas of expertise we think are necessary
- Some materials will be available for the exploratory sessions
A small panel will make the final choice of images to go into the Collection
Each artist will then produce a small edition| materials and studio time provided by the project
- 2 prints to go to the University, one will be framed for the exhibition and one to go in a boxed set
- 1 print to go to Swansea Print Workshop to go in boxed set
The rest of the edition will belong to the artist to be sold on SPW website | pricing at artist discretion
If you are interested in being part of this project please register your interest by contacting us at spwproject@gmail.com with subject line Miners Library Project. We will add you to our mailing list to keep you informed of progress. See also our Current Projects page for full details.
You can see a selection of earlier projects in our archive section including two projects Dylan Thomas Dialogues and Dylan Thomas, especially when the October wind where box sets of prints were created and which are now held in the collections of all the National UK Libraries.
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May 2023 – Members Only Opportunity
Opportunity | A collaboration with Swansea University to produce prints to celebrate 50 year anniversary of the Miners Library when it moves to new premises in 2024.
We have been working with Mark Heycock and Sian Williams, Head of Special Collections, Swansea University, to develop this project.
The Miners Library Collection is celebrating 50th anniversary and is also projected to move to new premises by 2024.
It is intended that we should have a set of prints to exhibit and celebrate both the new premises and the anniversary for the opening.
This is a chance for MEMBERS to take part in a prestigious project to produce an edition of prints.
We are very much at the research level in terms of the material available to us and we will be refining that process over the next few months.
There is a lot of material at the Miners Library and members will be able to go and browse there independently as well as any group sessions we arrange.
The final prints for the small edition to be part of the University Collection will be chosen by a panel.
We are thinking of arranging a trip to the Big Pit to start gathering visual material. Any member is welcome to take part in this group project. It will be a chance to meet other printmakers and take part in group sessions.
If you are interested in being part of this please register your interest by contacting us at spwproject@gmail.com with subject line Miners Library Project and we can put you on the database to keep you informed with progress.
You can see some of the projects we have done before in our archive section.
Two of our previous projects produced a box set of prints which are now in all the National UK Libraries.
Tuesday evening Open Access 5.0 – 8.00
David La Grange is now offering the Tuesday evening slot to see if it will be useful to members on a regular basis. It will be by booking ONLY on the WhatsApp group SPW Open Access Booking.
Please note this group is for booking only. If you have any queries, please use spwproject@gmail.com. If, as a member you have not joined this group, please email us for the mobile number to text to join the WhatsApp group.
January 2023
We have good news about our Open Access days.
We now have a small body of volunteers who will give their time to ensure that we can offer all day Tuesdays and Thursdays as regular open access opportunities for the foreseeable future.
This is an opportunity to work alongside other printmakers and share expertise and company and develop your skills.
If you havent been to an Open Access session before you will need an induction to go through all the Health and Safety precautions. The next one will run on Tuesday January 10 with Anne Gullick and you can book it through Your Open Access
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Posted: July 2022
OPEN ACCESS – PLEASE NOTE
| We have limited access during July due to annual holidays. Please email us on spwproject@gmail.com for all enquiries.
After July, Members can contact David LaGrange on 079671499027 to book a slot on either a Tuesday or Thursday Open Access session for a consultation.
Posted: July 2022
Members’ Print Days | August 17 & October 16 | 2022
Wednesday | August 17 | 10.30 -16.30 | 6 places available
Full/ Keyholder member £60 | Ordinary Member £70
This is a wonderful opportunity to work alongside other printmakers and to share your expertise.
On this collaborative print day, you will create a series of drawings and printing blocks around a set theme. Using linocut, collagraph and monotype techniques you will create square format blocks, which will be printed together to make one large-scale collaborative print.
A small edition will be printed in the afternoon, which will be shared between all participants. One print from the edition will be retained for the Workshop archive.
SEE OUR WORKSHOP PROGRAMME FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO BOOK.
Posted – April 2022
Life Drawing | EVERY THURSDAY EVENING: 6.30 – 9.30.
Life drawing for members is continuing on a pre-booked basis with limited numbers to stay within the safety guidelines. Please contact Steve Jones on 07951724100 for more information.
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