burin Simposium with Koichi Yamamoto

copper plate and print

28th August. A new experience begins: I am in Montefiore Conca (Rimini) for a burin Simposium kept by Koichi Yamamoto organized by Opificio della Rosa.
The place is great, a Middle Age castle surrounded by woods full of owls and crickets (and boars that unfortunately I did not see).

Montefiore castle

The class is the right size: 9 people with some experience in burin and intaglio.

Koichi is a really good teacher: he explains everything with clear examples and shows carefully every single step: how to handle the burins, how to sharpen them with the right angle and how to move your hand in the right way in order to carve straight and round lines.

burins and copper plate

And we really need that! (I do, at least: it takes me one whole day to learn how to keep it in my hand! and I keep on breaking its pint so I really practice sharpening).

burin sharpener

The Simposium is from 28th August to 1st September, 5 whole days to get in the burin mood: we also learn how to take advantage of Japanese Washi very light paper in printing our copper plates carved by burin...

simmetric prints

And we experiment some collage tecniques too.

collage with washi paper

Sometimes Koichi plays his ukulele while we print, composing songs that tell our work difficulties in the printing laboratory! Fun time!

Koichi playing ukulele

Of course at the end of the day the wall is full of our prints.
And we are ready to go for a deserved beer at the village Bar.

prints on the wall