Printmaking Courses in Spain

Q: What’s so special about studying printmaking in Granada with Maureen Booth?
A: Maureen is special. So is Granada.

Q: What are Maureen’s qualifications?
A: Maureen was formed for three years as a master printmaker in the etching studio of the Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta in Granada under the guidance of the maestro José García Lomas. After that came 30 years of printmaking, teaching and editioning in her own studio.

Q: Do I have to know Spanish?
A: Not at all. You’ll be picked up in Granada from the station or the airport by Maureen’s husband, Mike, who speaks fluent American. Maureen is from Manchester, UK, so she speaks passable English.  If you do speak Spanish you’ll get the opportunity to practice it in Granada.

Q: When do the workshops take place?
A: Maureen used to run scheduled annual summer courses for small groups but lately she works primarily with individual artists—both amateurs and professionals—from all over the world. She calls these one-on-one workshops “collaborative printmaking.” Maureen is available year round for these collaborations.

Q: What techniques does Maureen teach?
A: From the beginning Maureen has taught the full range of traditional acid-etching techniques. Over the past dozen years she has enlarged her repertoire to include other, more versatile, non-toxic methods such as solarplate and liquid metal. Some artists who come to do traditional printmaking with Maureen discover solarplate and liquid metal and decide to devote their workshops exclusively to these techniques. Both permit artists to see surprising results in just a couple of days.

Q: How long do the workshops last?
A: Each workshop is custom designed for the artist in question. Normally they last two weeks, but they can be of shorter or longer duration.

Q: Besides the learning experience, do Maureen’s workshops end with a nice stack of prints to take home?
A: Yes. Maureen includes a small edition on handmade paper of the artist’s favorite plate. There is always a selection of interesting proofs and individual prints, as well.

Q: Where do artists stay when they attend Maureen’s workshops?
A: They stay in a 50-meter-square  rustic “creative cabin” that Maureen’s husband designed and had built in 2010. Since it stands on the site of their former chicken coop they called it “El Gallinero,” “The Henhouse.” The cabin, set on a sunny mountainside with a panoramic view,  features  spacious sleeping/working and kitchen/living room areas (which sounds strange, but works great) with ceiling fans for summer and a wood-burning stove for winter. In all, The Gallinero casts a powerful creative spell on its artist occupants. One of them even declared her determination to “take it back to Australia” with her when she went home.

Q: What about prices?
A: You can see full price lists, both for workshops and accommodation under the “Prices” tabs on these websites: Printmaking Courses in Spain and Artists’ Refuge Spain.

Q: What should I take with me to one of Maureen’s workshops.
A: See “What to Bring” page on “About” menu on this site.

Q: How do I book a workshop?
A: Just send Maureen an email telling her what you would like to achieve. She will get back to you within 24 hours.