Meet the Teacher: Reese Bice

How did you start printmaking? Why are you drawn to this medium and process?

The very first time I tried relief printmaking, I absolutely hated it. It was frustrating and weird and I wasn't able to translate my drawing knowledge into making an image that I liked. I gave up after one attempt, thinking "this is stupid, why would anyone choose to work this way", and I swore off linocut forever. Almost ten years later, I saw what other artists were able to achieve with the medium and I became attached to the idea of being able to create copies of an image that were also "originals", and so for around 6 months I threw myself into learning and understanding the modality of creating images for relief print as well as all the technical aspects of printing.

I became addicted to it. As someone who loves heavy black ink line art, lino is a more evolved form of that aesthetic. It's so satisfying and tactile to create, and it makes me feel like a medieval monk making woodcuts for my book of hours. And so I fell in love with the medium itself, rather than just the reproductive abilities of it. 

What can students expect from the class? What are your goals as you are preparing for it?

My goal with this workshop is to give people all the knowledge they need to fall in love with linocut; everything I wish I had known when I tried printmaking the first time around. It can be a difficult medium to understand, so my hope is to simplify all the breakthroughs I had so that students can learn from my mistakes. 

Can you share some of your favorite artists, favorite works of art, and/or what are some of your favorite styles of art that inspire you?

When it comes to printmaking, my first love was the medieval period in Europe. Woodcut artists like Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein are two of my favorites. This is why I often include medieval motifs in my printmaking work. I am also heavily inspired by early twentieth century book illustrators like Aubrey Beardsley and Harry Clarke, whose heavy linear style influenced my linocut process. I am primarily a commercial illustrator, so I have so much love for early publishing illustration and I like to reference it in my printmaking work-- sometimes I pretend I'm making plates for an imaginary fairytale book in 1910. 

Any advice for new artists or folks looking to get more creative?

Look very closely at art that calls to you. Anytime you think "damn, I wish I had made that", put it in an image album in your phone and then stare at it whenever you get the chance. Do studies of your favorite pieces by copying them as closely as possible so that you can reverse-engineer that artist's process (If it's an artist born in the last 100 years, just don't post it online). I need to take my own advice and do this way more often. It's truly one of the fastest ways to improve your technique, and has the added benefit of developing your taste and style. The best resources you have are the artists that came before you!