Our Doors Are Now Open
The Who, What, Where, and How of the Special Edition Art Project
What is the Special Edition Art Project?
Our space on the West-side of Santa Cruz is a purpose-built Analog and Digital photo workshop and art gallery. The facility was designed and equipped to enable artists and photographers from beginner-to-pro to create photo-based images of all kinds. …
Readying for Artistic Community Creations
Now beyond our successful and heartwarming family & friends gathering, we are readying our facility for the general public. The facility is fully fitted for printmaking, with final touches to kitting underway. As we field and tune our processes & workflows with our early practitioners, we are also preparing for our public welcoming; providing details on how we have fitted our facility for print making, our services, our pricing schedules.
…Build-Out Update
Update to build-out - December 13th, 2017: Expectation continues to be making prints within the facility during the winter holiday season 2017. Construction is complete. Electrical is complete. Lighting is complete. Plumbing is complete. …
A Word About Printers
Starting at around $1000 USD, anyone can pick up a high quality, high resolution, high color gamut, archival pigmented ink, color printer. In the hands of a professional these systems allow for the highest grade of gallery and museum print creation. …
Build-Out
Expectation is to be making prints within the facility during the winter holiday season 2017. Darkroom is in place, plumbing is ready for hookup, electrical mid-pace. Inspections going smoothly, drywall is mudded, then painting, lighting, more inspections, and ready to rock.
…Science a wrap…for now
The science of our supported photo chemistries has come to a wrap, for now, while we work on build-out of our new West Side Santa Cruz analog–digital photo workshop and art gallery. The summation of our initially intended photographic processes will provide creators with even ordinary skill in the arts an abundance of character and tonalities for their creations.
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Vandyke Brownprint Exploratons
VDB Thoughts: Nice looking process
• Exposure correction curve much like B&W, so no need for a SEAP-C condition curve. Use a dedicated VDB curve and be done with it.
• Chart-Throb tool works efficiently once a good exposure is reached.
Cyanotype Underwater
One of the more interesting plays with Cyanotype is to create images that actually work well with Cyanotype. It can be tough. Early morning before sunrise when the sky is dark blue and the scene before you is cast in cool monotone color for example. …
We have a home
After much looking, squinting, pondering, LoopNet trolling, and Craig’ List hunting, we have found our landing spot on the West Side of Santa Cruz in the Swift Street District.
We are soon to receive the keys and can begin building, fitting and kitting out the new facility We are going to have a very busy summer.
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A Home Needed
Special Edition Art Project is looking for a second home. Ten to thirteen hundred square feet of light-industrial light-retail studio space is needed. Room for a gallery, studio, and dark room for rent. I see a recurring theme here.
Proficiency with Classic Two-Part Cyanotype
January 2017 - Completed the science of characterizing the Cyanotype specific digital negative, various types and brands of paper media, and re-development toning chemistry with tea, coffee, and other tannins, understood to a proficient level. …
Cyanotype
December 2016 - Cyanotype classic 2-part chemistry processes and characterization. Crystalized Cyanotype response details & paper behaviors for both Prussian Blue and tannin toned re-developed images.
Proficiency with B&W Silver Gelatin
November 2016 - B&W print development processes and characterization understood to a proficient level (novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, expert). Finalized silver gelatin response curve, paper behaviors, and print results using single- and multi-contrast filter exposure techniques.
Water where there is none
September 2016 - Portable water delivery and recirculating print washing system operational.
Special Edition Art Project is Alive!
August 2016 - The Special Edition Art Project is alive! First B&W silver gelatin prints produced, beginning the science of characterizing the digital negative, Ilford multigrade B&W papers (fiber and resin), and LegacyPro Eco-Pro development chemistry.
Kitting Out
July 2016 - Studio Versuch begins kitting out to become a functional facility. Try. Attempt. Experiment. Learn by doing.
Fitting Out
May 2016 - Facility space gets fitted out as the Studio Versuch fabrication studio & experimental darkroom laboratory.
Lawrence Hall of Science
September 2015 - Begin dabbling with Cyanotype and tannin re-development of Sunprint papers from Lawrence Hall of Science.
Breaking Ground
August 2015 - Ground breaking and construction of an experimental studio facility and getting our collective feet wet with B&W darkroom refresher classes at RayKo Photo Center in San Francisco. Lets go jumping into the deep end and see where is leads!