During a residency in Iceland, Madeleine Aleman received tips from a Siberian artist about where to go to print lithographs: to Patrick and Anna in the deep forests of Småland. Here is her story about the creation of her three latest lithographs:
It all started in Iceland, when I was on a month-long printmaking residency. We lived in a house near the workshops: me, two artists and a musician. One of the artists, Evgeniya, came from Siberia and specialized in stone lithography. At the end of the month we held artist presentations. Among other things, I told about my unsuccessful attempts to translate charcoal drawings into prints.
– Madeleine, you have to print lithography, it would suit you perfectly! Go to Patrick's place, Black Heart Press!
– Where is it located?
–In Småland, in your country, she said, smiling with her whole face.
I came home from Iceland with many monotypes. The thought of Evgeniya's tip lingered; what are the odds that you go to Iceland and get a tip from a person from Siberia about a place in Sweden? This was pure synchronicity!
In my application to the Helge Ax:son Johnson Foundation, I told the strange story, since it was thanks to their contribution that I had been able to go to Iceland. I received a new scholarship, this time to go to Småland.
Deep in the forest, a beautiful clearing opens up, where Patrick and Anna live in a cozy house. There are greenhouses in the garden and Anna's studio is being built. Across the road is the spacious printmaking workshop. The lithography press is like a large craft and ideally there should be three people when printing: one feeding the paper, one receiving the prints and the master printer who inks the roller and keeps order in all the steps.
After a very informative presentation by Patrick, who showed me the prepared stone, crayons and ink, I am left alone. I go into meditation, draw with crayons and then add ink to certain areas. Now the stone will dry and then be etched.
The next day I spread out my color samples on the kitchen table. Now it's almost time; my charcoal drawings on the stone will be multiplied and given the desired color tone. All three of us are in the workshop. Patrick mixes the color and it takes time to get exactly the right color. The darker parts are printed first and in the next turn, on top of the first print, a thin color plate is printed. It's like magic when the prints appear!
Thanks to Patrick, Anna, Evgeniya and Helge Ax:son Johnson Foundation.
