artist residency in Montefiore Conca

Montefiore Conca. Again in my blog another post has this setting. 

I have been spending here two very intense weeks in a wonderful artist residency – thanks to Opificio della Rosa. 

The printmaking laboratory is built up in a corner of the Middle Age castle of Montefiore and I shared it with a German artist from UK, Thomas Gosebruch. 

the printmaking lab in the castle

We got on very well, he was carving wood with his Tonkita machine while I drawned my etchings in Copper Solphate. And it was really a great chance to show him my work and hearing his opinion. Idea exchange is always a great way of growing up: I really believe in talking together, even if your work is very different.

Also, at night we went for walks near the wood together and looked for owls in the surroundings: one night we finally saw one flying toward us!

Thomas after all-day printing

I worked 2 whole weeks on my project about forest and animals: the trees were made by overlapping different etchings, and adding the animals at the very end: I realized them with drypoint on plastic (that I really do not like so much: I always prefer metal to plastic). 

printing the first tree - etching on zinc plate

I was really happy about this time spent there: it gave me the chance to really get concentrate on my project, completely and full-time. I went in the lab in the morning and spent there the whole day printing and etching. There were sometimes problems to solve but the situation and the context were perfect for finding solutions.

finding the best solution...

overlapping trees

different tree overlapped prints

trying animals on plastic

animals printed

You can also see a very nice video of the finished project with animals here, thanks to Jacopo.

They say that there is Costanza ghost sometimes in the alleys of the castles. I did not see her, but at night when I sometimes closed the gate with the heavy iron chain, for sure I felt a breathtaking suspance looking down at the sea and the orizon far away.