Hand Printed Wonders

Service Description

with Melissa Koch Wednesdays: 1 - 4 pm March 7, 14, 21, 28 Cost: $65 plus $15 materials fee (due to Create Space) Explore the exhilarating art of creating hand-printed impressions — without a press! This hands-on workshop offers a range of techniques, from traditional methods to more unconventional approaches, allowing you to transfer impressions from one object to another and build rich layers of pattern, image, and color. Discover how to use clay slabs, foam, and up-cycled materials to produce unique monoprints that serve as a vibrant starting point for further creativity. Once your prints are made, you can draw, paint, and embellish them to create stunning, one-of-a-kind works of art. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced maker, this workshop invites you to explore, innovate, and let your imagination take flight. Melissa Koch – Bio Melissa Koch is a visual artist whose work is deeply rooted in the natural world. Inspired by the colors, textures, light, and patterns found in nature, her art reflects a profound connection to the forests, meadows, waters, flora, and fauna of the Pacific Northwest. Her mixed media creations explore the relationship between humans and the environment, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the serenity and wonder of the natural world. Raised on a Greek island in the Mediterranean, Koch was surrounded by the mythologies, migratory birds, and ancient ruins that first sparked her lifelong fascination with storytelling and symbolism. She later studied architecture in England, teaching at Oxford and the Architectural Association in London, before shifting her focus to the visual arts while living in Brussels. Melissa has since had extensive experience teaching art on Whidbey island and in Seattle as well as in Europe to all age groups. Her workshops are fun, exploratory and help students learn to express their own authentic creative voices while teaching diverse techniques in printmaking, mixed media, painting, decorative arts and public art installations. Koch describes her artistic process as “slow art”—a meditative, hands-on practice where every element is crafted by hand. She makes her own paper, carves clay plates for printing, and builds images layer by layer using ink, pencil, collage, and paint. Her vibrant use of color serves as an emotional language, creating atmospheres of joy, contemplation, and serenity. Melissa’s art works are currently represented by the Seattle Art Museum gallery