Curious Little Press

27/08/2026

By popular demand – a second printers workshop at Curious Little Press, bringing another congregation of exploratory creatives together, this time focusing on lithography. Participants found their way through drawing, aluminium plate preparation, processing and hand printing on the press, producing editions of their own.

Photo credit: Alet Pretorius

06/08/2026

28/07/2026

Curious Little Press hosted its introductory aluminium plate lithography workshop this past weekend with Barry van der Westhuizen. Across two days, participants worked through every stage of the lithographic process, from preparing the plate to developing an image for printing.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a rewarding weekend in the studio.

Photo credit: Alet Pretorius.

21/07/2026

A very well executed silkscreen project by Matthew Blackburn

'Friday Afternoon 2001 '
2026
20-colour screenprint on Fabriano 300gsm
50 × 42 cm (unframed)

15/07/2026

Patience rewards in a multi-layered silkscreen: Working on this silkscreen edition at Curious Little Press was an incredibly rewarding experience. I was drawn to the medium because of its clean finish, which perfectly complements my painting style, as well as the opportunity to mix my own colours and create accurate colour palettes.

Seeing the original painting translated into a silkscreen print was a unique experience. As each layer was separated and rebuilt, the image evolved into something new. The subtle changes in texture and colour intensity enhanced the retro, nostalgic quality of the work, making the medium especially suited to the subject matter.

Working alongside Barry van der Westhuizen gave me the confidence to experiment and a deeper understanding of colour relationships and the precision of printmaking. Watching each layer come together and reveal the final image was undoubtedly the highlight of the project.

— Matthew Blackburn

Matthew's piece, 'Friday Afternoon 2001', will be exhibited at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery in Cape Town, opening on 18 July 2026. The final documented print from the silkscreen edition will be shared next week, following the exhibition opening.

19/06/2026

Sarel Petrus’s cast bronze plates, used as relief printing matrices, are celebrated even further in that they are patinated after the edition is complete and presented as unique, once-off works. The exhibition opens at Lizamore on Keyes, Rosebank, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 20 June at 11:00.

23/05/2026

Printmaking Tip: Household wood glue can be an accessible and effective alternative to drawing fluid when creating hand-painted silkscreen stencils. Simply mix equal parts wood glue and water with a few drops of glycerine, then paint directly onto the screen. Once dry, apply a layer of shellac and allow it to dry before washing out the glue with water. The result is a durable stencil that can be used repeatedly for printing in multiple colours.

13/05/2026

We are preparing examples of silkscreen printing techniques for the upcoming workshop. We invite all curious creatives to join us — late bookings welcome, limited spaces available.