Illustration Workshop «Buongiorno It’s Playtime»
Buongiorno, It’s Playtime Again!
Aug 31, 2014
With Johanna Benz (DE), Katrin Stangl (DE), Luke Best (DE), Manuel Marsol (ES), Michael Redmond (UK), Nadine Spengler (CH), Nina Wehrle (CH) and Orphea Heutling (CH/DE), organized by Evelyne Laube.
Buongiorno It‘s Playtime offers a possibility for the artists to get out of their everyday studio and meet other illustrators for a one week period, focused on activities that encourage simple and playful illustration methods. Each artist is invited to give a miniworkshop/exercise (3h) and a lecture (1h). The international selection of participants is intended to allow new ideas from different regions and give the opportunity for exchange and collaborate.
Picture by Luke Best
Day 1: “The international nation of Sasso” Workshop with Luke Best
Sep 1, 2014
Throughout history flags have been used by communities, tribes, armies, cults, sports clubs, societies and individuals to send signals, show loyalty, to warn,to stake claim to protest and to celebrate. Today at Sasso we will each make a flag design by using pieces of pattern, textures and drawings created by the whole group.
Harvest season:
Day 2: woodcut-workshop with Katrin Stangl
Sep 2, 2014
We create fantastic figures, and print them in two colors using one wooden board. The technique is called „verlorene Form“ – „lost mold/plate“.
Day 2: Workshop “Genuine Multiverses” with Michael Redmond
Sep 2, 2014
It is a workshop that places emphasis on describing and recording. Each mind works differently and processes words differently. The finished outcome would be a series of repeated (yet different) images interpreted by each artist. I will bring a series of reproduction photocopies and by describing the image in a simple way the other members of the group would draw what they hear, this would go round the group with turn taking until all the images have been described. The conclusion will be seen by how each artist has interpreted the descriptive text being read to them and how it has been perceived differently. The work by the group will be genuine descriptive parallel recordings. An alternative series of multiverses, not copies but alternatives. Our table at Sasso will be the wormhole.
Ronald Brooks Kitaj
It’s Raining Elephants
Vladimir Dubossarsky
Day 3: Hiking Day: The wind is a great story teller
Sep 3, 2014
Alpe di Neggia – Indemini
Talk with Johanna Benz and second color printing till midnight
Day 4: “Feel the Tofu” workshop with Johanna Benz
Sep 4, 2014
the topic is no surprise.
the instruction sheet is a poem
feel the tofu
cut some foam
the still life resides
in a shoebox
—-
Das Thema ist keine Überraschung.
das Merkblatt ist ein Gedicht
fühlen Sie den Tofu
schneiden etwas Schaum
Das Stillleben wohnt
in einem Schuhkarton
Day 4: Run the accident (or how stains draw better than me)” Workshop with Manuel Marsol
Sep 4, 2014
‘If you look upon an old wall covered with dirt, or the odd appearance of some streaked stones, you may discover several things like landscapes, battles, clouds, uncommon attitudes, humorous faces, draperies, etc. Out of this confused mass of objects, the mind will be furnished with an abundance of designs and subjects perfectly new.’ LEONARDO DA VINCI
In this workshop, we are going to play with the randomness.In my work, a stain is always more fresh and original that any other line that could come out from my mind. The idea is to share the different methods and techniques that I normally use to achieve figures and shapes that would be impossible for me to draw consciously. Some examples: mixing materials like wax, plastic paint, oils and acrylics, using drops of paint as a starting point, free collage (fold, burn, tear…) hunting faces in the woods or the soup, etc.
Goya said “Times paints, too”. Miquel Barceló let some termites do this job for a year…Will the illustrator’s bury some of their drawings in the garden? Will they hang them with clothespins somewhere in the woods? Who knows…
Day 5: “The Wildlife of Vairano” Sketching Workshop with Orphea Heutling
Sep 5, 2014
This morning, we are going to draw in the botanical garden of Gambarogno. In this workshop, we will enjoy the nature and everyone will draw as they please.
Day 5: “Cheers the fears” Clay-Workshop with Nina Wehrle
Sep 5, 2014
We make schnaps glasses for the International nation of Sasso made of porcelain and engobe. Including the imperfection of handmodeled shapes and a we create a unique crockery for this stonehouse and it’s community. 
Day 6: Stencil-print Workshop with Nadine Spengler
Sep 6, 2014
We use linseedoil, paper and a knife to create papercut faces for making stencilprints.
Manifesto
Sep 13, 2014
Let the clouds make the drawings instead of you
Put things together that are all dead
You can’t go back
Together we will conquer the sausage
Accidents help, shapes help, wet paper helps. Maybe it’s gonna rain, but that helps
It’s so good. We can take a leash and take the spider for a walk.
Constantly trying to make things harder
Start with observation, filter by your imagination
The ink has no doubts
Moving towards going away
Work on two pictures at the same time
Double cool
Thank you thank you thank you
Sasso!
I would also like to take the opportunity to say thank you to Family Rohner, and to Sasso Residency for making the drawing week possible. Thank you Johanna, Katrin, Luke, Manuel, Michael, Nadine, Nina and Orphea for this inspiring week together. I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks also to Mario for helping with transports and to Nina for assisting. Meet you soon for hobby-schnaps and crazy-golf.
Evelyne