Mám Éan Print Workshop Thurs 8th and Fri 9th August 2024

€210.00

Mám Éan is a stunning location to make work from. Easily accessed from a well placed car park, the views on this workshop are spectacular.

We begin the 2 day workshop at Clare’s studio, near the Station House Hotel in Clifden, where we get familiar with some drawing basics and material use. We then travel along the scenic N59 road to access the road that takes us up to Mám Éan car park. From there we can set up anywhere along the open area to capture the stunning views while taking a couple of hours to make some gorgeous drawings and colour studies to use as a basis for our prints. Clare will talk you through the use of viewfinders, and wet and dry mark making materials.

After we have made some studies inspired by our amazing Connemara surroundings, it’s back to the studio for some lunch. Afterwards, we will learn how to make plates and then make a print. In this course, we will focus on making drypoint prints. We then spend the second day printing our plates and refining our imagery until we are happy with the finished process.

Clare will guide you through the entire printmaking process, from choosing the best of your studies and creating your own printer’s plate, to the various techniques involved in getting the best print out of your plate.

Over the course of one weekend, every participant is guaranteed to come away from the workshop with their very own handmade drypoint print, a little slice of the West of Ireland to treasure forever.

STUDIO LOCATION: Station House Courtyard, first building on the left

TIME: 9:30am-4:30pm

Mám Éan is a stunning location to make work from. Easily accessed from a well placed car park, the views on this workshop are spectacular.

We begin the 2 day workshop at Clare’s studio, near the Station House Hotel in Clifden, where we get familiar with some drawing basics and material use. We then travel along the scenic N59 road to access the road that takes us up to Mám Éan car park. From there we can set up anywhere along the open area to capture the stunning views while taking a couple of hours to make some gorgeous drawings and colour studies to use as a basis for our prints. Clare will talk you through the use of viewfinders, and wet and dry mark making materials.

After we have made some studies inspired by our amazing Connemara surroundings, it’s back to the studio for some lunch. Afterwards, we will learn how to make plates and then make a print. In this course, we will focus on making drypoint prints. We then spend the second day printing our plates and refining our imagery until we are happy with the finished process.

Clare will guide you through the entire printmaking process, from choosing the best of your studies and creating your own printer’s plate, to the various techniques involved in getting the best print out of your plate.

Over the course of one weekend, every participant is guaranteed to come away from the workshop with their very own handmade drypoint print, a little slice of the West of Ireland to treasure forever.

STUDIO LOCATION: Station House Courtyard, first building on the left

TIME: 9:30am-4:30pm

Accommodation: There are many guesthouses and hotels in the local area. Please find a comprehensive list of Clifden based accommodation here https://www.connemaraireland.com/clifden/clifden-accommodation/ There are also many options in the nearby villages of Roundstone, Ballyconeely and the greater Connemara area.

Materials: The inks and cleaners Clare uses are non-toxic and all the materials, tools and equipment you will need are provided, so all you need to do is get yourselves to the workshop.

Parking: There is free parking at the Station House where the studio is located and also at Mám Éan car park.

Lunch: Clare can order food in advance and organise a sit down lunch in the restaurant next door, or you can bring your own packed lunch and eat outside or in the reception area of the studio. You can decide the morning of the course.

Getting to and from the locations: If you are travelling to Clifden by foot, bike or public transport, or simply don’t want to drive to the outdoor drawing locations, Clare is happy to organise a driver for you and your group. She will contact you to confirm transport options closer to the date of your workshop

Accessibility: Clare’s whole studio is on the ground floor, with step free double doors at the entrance and step free access throughout. The spaces in the hallway and workshop rooms are not really wide but there is enough space to maneuver a wheelchair, especially in the reception area. There are seats and table spaces provided for every participant. The distance from the entrance to the workshop area is approximately 7 meters. There are no handrails in the studio, but ample space to take a seat if need be.  There is free parking right outside the door. There is one ground floor, unisex bathroom in the studio with step free access and a sink and toilet in the same room, but it is not wheelchair accessible. There is a wheelchair accessible toilet on the ground floor of the Station House Hotel which is approximately 70 meters from Clare’s studio. There are no toilets at the Mám Éan location.

Clare is happy to video call anybody with any physical or sensory accessibility queries from the studio, to walk through the premises and facilities and answer any questions you may have.

Weather and Safety: Please remember Irish Weather is changeable. Clare advises you to take sun lotion, bug spray, walking boots and a rain jacket on your trip, no matter what the forecast. Also, unfortunately, we do have ticks in Connemara, and they can spread Lyme Disease, you can use bug spray or wear long trousers tucked into your socks to keep your mind at ease while spending time in long grass areas.

Clare will run the course no matter what the weather, as some of the worst weather yields excellent imagery. However, if there is a weather warning or any unforeseen event that stops us from going to the location, Clare has a huge amount of source materials from all the Connemara locations so we can draw from professionally taken photographs and make work in the studio. The show will go on!