Chicago Printmakers Collaborative got sunshine on a rainy day!
What started out to be a rainy day, quickly turned into an art full of sunshine for the Steamroller Printing Event and its talented artists. Over 20 art participants came with intricate hand drawn, hand carved, beautiful wood blocks of art to the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative.
You may be asking, “What is steamrolling?” If you have not seen it, it’s quite an impressive process.
Chicago Printmakers Collaborative Steamroller Event
Each artist comes with their masterpiece of hand carved art; a large-scale relief block ranging in size 5-7 feet x 3-4 feet, and the material of choice for the art to be applied. Check out the process below:
• Preparation begins rolling ink (and lots of it) on the art platform. Applying as many coats as necessary.
• Once the art is prepared with ink, a group of artists carefully place the inked up works of art into a frame on the ground to keep the art from moving.
• Another group of artists (not full of ink) carefully lay the material to be printed (usually fabric) over the wooden works of art to avoid wrinkling, making sure it is centered and perfect for steamrolling.
• A thick sponge rubber board/sheet is then placed over the material for protection.
• The steamroll please…. it is ready to roll!
• Once the art is steamrolled the material is carefully lifted and hung to dry. The ink is applied so thick the complete drying process can take as long as two weeks.
The energy and excitement is felt by all present as you watch these talented artist work together, sharing ideas, and admiring the art that comes to be. Seeing the beautiful finished projects put you in amazement. Truly a combined effort with a group of people all on the same team…Art! Check out the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative motion picture of the steamroller event here.
Rose Paving’s Jose Araisa was the steamrolling artist for the day, and what an incredible steamrolling artist he is! Thank you Jose Araisa for rolling with the day and making it a steamy event.
A lot of work is put into this day, and they do a great job of entertaining everyone with live music, kid-friendly activities and delicious authentic food. Definitely, a must-see!
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Terry Smith is the Chief Operating Officer at Rose Paving and a seasoned expert in the paving industry. With decades of hands-on experience, he leads operations with a focus on quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
