We were very fortunate to get a chance to visit Smokestack Studio this past Tuesday, where artists Laine and Jonathan Groenweg create prints using both traditional and modern techniques.
Students got to participate in the creation of a
mezzotint print with Laine, using a traditional printing press that Laine brought over from Italy.
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Laine inking a copper plate.
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| Amber at the wheel. |
After learning about traditional and modern print making practices, and about life as an artist-entrepreneur, we were led on a tour of 270 Sherman - previously the Imperial Cotton Factory - and took in the myriad spaces the building has to offer.
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| Walking through 270 Sherman, the former Imperial Cotton Factory |
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| The view from atop 270 Sherman: railways, industry, and the escarpment. |
270 Sherman is still under renovation, so we got a glimpse of many of the old features of the Imperial Cotton Factory, including the manual-operation elevators, and the rail lines running through the property. We also saw some of the new artist studios being built, and were fortunate to catch the TH&B crew hard at work on their next project.
It was a perfect day for a field trip, and we all enjoyed a glimpse of the many exciting developments happening in our city.
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| The intrepid travellers journey home. |
