Etching workshop brings a different kind of artistry to Fort St. John

There was a different kind of creativity taking place at the North Peace Cultural Centre last weekend, as artists gathered for a three-day workshop exploring the art of etching and printmaking.

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Held October 23 to 25, the workshop was organized by the Peace River Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists and welcomed Calgary-based artist Kate Baillies back to Fort St. John to share her knowledge of safer etching techniques.

The workshop, titled The Art and Exploration of Etching with Baldwin's Intaglio Ground, introduced participants to an approach to printmaking that uses alternatives to some of the solvents traditionally associated with the art form.

“This is working with acid resists that are greener,” said Kate Baillies. Her mentor Andrew taught her how to work with line, tone and texture using this greener product which he mixes himself in his studio in Wales and sells worldwide. “When I came to work with this group I thought, since Andrew had taught us how to work with line, tone, and texture I would focus on teaching those techniques,” she added.

For those unfamiliar with the process, etching involves creating an image on a prepared metal plate, which can then be inked and used to produce prints on paper. It's a different process from painting or drawing directly onto a surface, with artists working through several stages before seeing their finished print.

At the centre of the workshop was Baldwin's Intaglio Ground, often referred to as B.I.G., a versatile etching ground developed by Welsh printmaker Andrew Baldwin that allows artists to explore different lines, textures and tones while reducing the need for traditional solvent-based materials.

“The wonderful thing is, that when I leave, as a community they will be working together and using these techniques,” said Baillies. “That will help solidify what they learned over the weekend, and they’ll be able to support each other if they have to solve problems. There is a whole community in this room that can work together to help solve technical problems that might come up.”

Baillies brings considerable experience to the classroom.

A founding member of the Alberta Printmakers Society, she has spent years developing her own approach to safer printmaking, including artist residencies at Zea Mays Printmaking, a studio known for its focus on sustainable practices.

Her work has appeared in exhibitions across Canada and internationally, with pieces held in collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, the Alberta Art Foundation and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

For the Peace River Chapter, workshops like this form part of its ongoing efforts to provide educational opportunities and connections for artists throughout the Peace Country.

“This group was awesome, their very creative and many people had careers as educators, so they’re very open minded and sort of embrace what their learning. There were also a wide range of ages in the room, which brought different image interests,” said Baillies. “I really think it’s a privilege to come up here, it’s a real pleasure to be able to do this. You have people who work with metal, painters, drawers, and you can do it all here in a two dimensional form, so it’s a whole bunch of fun!”