Exploring Printmaking

with Francesco Geronazzo

7-11 April 2027
3 days tuition | Printmaking | Traditional & Experimental Techniques | All levels

An immersive three-day printmaking retreat exploring traditional processes, experimental techniques and the creative possibilities that emerge when different methods are combined.

Residential retreat at Greenhills Art Centre, Western Australian Wheatbelt

BOOK YOUR PLACE

3 Days Tuition
Traditional & Experimental Printmaking
Drypoint, Mezzotint, Carborundum & Monoprinting
Non-Toxic Processes
All Levels Welcome
Small Residential Group

Exploring Printmaking

Spend three immersive days in the studio with Italian-born printmaker and educator Francesco Geronazzo, exploring the possibilities that emerge when traditional printmaking processes meet more experimental approaches.

This retreat is designed to take you beyond a single technique.

Working across methods including drypoint, mezzotint, carborundum, monoprinting, gum printing and other pictorial approaches, Francesco will encourage you to experiment, combine processes and discover new ways of developing your own creative language through printmaking.

You’ll create plates using a variety of traditional and unconventional materials, including zinc, polycarbonate, cardboard and Tetra Pak, then proof your work using different colours and approaches.

Throughout the retreat, the emphasis is not simply on producing a finished print.

It is on experimenting, observing what happens, responding to each proof and allowing one process to lead into another.

During the Retreat You’ll Explore

Drypoint

Explore the direct, drawing-based qualities of drypoint and experiment with both conventional and unconventional tools to create different marks, textures and effects.

Mezzotint & Tonal Effects

Discover ways of creating rich tonal variation and darker passages without relying on chemical processes.

Carborundum

Experiment with carborundum to introduce areas of deeper tone, texture and detail into your plates and prints.

Plate Making

Create printing plates from a range of materials including zinc, polycarbonate, cardboard and Tetra Pak.

Different surfaces create different possibilities, and part of the retreat is discovering what each material can bring to the image.

Proofing & Colour

Print and proof your plates using different colours and approaches.

Each proof becomes an opportunity to evaluate what is working, what might be developed further and where the image could go next.

Monoprinting & Gum Printing

Explore more painterly and experimental methods that can be used independently or combined with other printmaking processes to create unique states.

Combining Techniques

One of the central ideas of the retreat is learning how different printmaking methods can work together rather than treating each process in isolation.

You’ll be encouraged to experiment with combinations that suit your own imagery and ideas.

Non-Toxic Printmaking

A strong focus of Francesco’s practice is exploring printmaking processes that reduce or avoid the use of toxic chemicals.

The retreat will investigate ways of creating tonal variation, darker passages and richly worked surfaces through processes such as drypoint and carborundum while keeping the studio environment safer and more environmentally conscious.

For Francesco, non-toxic printmaking is not a limitation.

It is part of an evolving, experimental approach to the medium.

Develop Your Own Creative Language

This retreat is not about everyone producing the same print.

Francesco’s approach encourages participants to explore different materials and processes, respond to what happens on the press and gradually discover combinations that support their own work.

The aim is to give you greater confidence with printmaking processes while also helping you expand your own creative identity through experimentation.

Your Three Days in the Studio

Day One — Plates, Marks & Possibilities

Begin by exploring plate materials and drawing-based processes.

You’ll work with methods such as drypoint and begin creating plates from traditional and unconventional surfaces.

The focus is on mark-making, experimentation and learning how different materials respond.

Day Two — Tone, Texture & Proofing

Develop your plates further by introducing tonal processes, including mezzotint and carborundum.

Begin proofing, working with different inks and colours and assessing how each state might be developed.

Day Three — Combining Processes

Bring together the techniques explored during the retreat.

Experiment with monoprinting, gum printing and other pictorial approaches, combining processes where appropriate and continuing to develop your own individual work.

Your Retreat Schedule

Wednesday 7 April

Arrive from 4pm

Settle into your room, explore the studio and meet Francesco and your fellow participants before a relaxed welcome dinner.

Thursday 8 April

Workshop Day One

Plate making, drypoint, mark-making and exploring different surfaces.

Friday 9 April

Workshop Day Two

Continue exploring tonal processes, carborundum, mezzotint, proofing and colour.

Friday Evening — Dinner at Lake Kimberley Bar & Grill

On Friday evening, we'll head to nearby Lake Kimberley Bar & Grill at Whitegum Farm for a relaxed dinner together.

Friday dinner and drinks are not included in the retreat price and are paid directly by guests at the restaurant.

Saturday 10 April

Workshop Day Three

Combining processes, experimental methods and developing your own prints.

Sunday 11 April

Breakfast together before departure.

About Francesco Geronazzo

Francesco Geronazzo is an Italian-born printmaker and educator with extensive experience in both traditional and contemporary printmaking.

Born in Valdobbiadene in the Veneto region of Italy, Francesco studied at Treviso’s Artistic High School before completing a five-month period as an etching assistant at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto. He later completed his Master’s degree in graphics and printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna.

Francesco went on to lecture in printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna and also at the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara.

He now lives and works between Margaret River in Western Australia and Italy, teaching printmaking through Margaret River Printmaking and running printmaking retreats and projects in Italy.

His practice combines a strong foundation in traditional printmaking with experimentation, unconventional materials and environmentally conscious, non-toxic processes.

He has received numerous awards and residencies in Australia and internationally, including first prize for printmaking in the Giorgio Morandi prize in Bologna and second prize for printmaking at FIG Bilbao.

A Life Between Australia & Italy

Francesco’s teaching reflects the two places at the centre of his practice.

In Western Australia, he teaches through Margaret River Printmaking, where the focus is on traditional and experimental approaches and developing printmaking skills within a creative community.

In Italy, he runs printmaking retreats and projects from his studio in the Apennines near Bologna, creating opportunities for artists to work, exchange ideas and collaborate across countries.

That combination of deep traditional training and an experimental contemporary approach gives Francesco’s workshops their distinctive character.

Follow Francesco

Keep up with Francesco's work, workshops and printmaking practice:

Facebook | Instagram | Website

The Greenhills Experience — More than a Workshop

Printmaking particularly benefits from uninterrupted studio time.

At Greenhills, your accommodation and studio are all in one place, with meals and refreshments provided throughout your stay apart from our Friday evening dinner at nearby Whitegum Farm, so there is no need to rush home.

Instead, plates and ideas can evolve over several days.

You can proof, evaluate, make changes, return to the press and see where the process leads.

Greenhills’ large studio includes a cast-iron print press, with tables and workspace available throughout the retreat.

The result is a slower, more immersive way of learning — with time to experiment, make mistakes, try again and talk about the work with other artists.

Your Retreat Includes:

four nights private accommodation at Greenhills
three full days tuition with Francesco Geronazzo
welcome dinner on arrival
all meals and refreshments at Greenhills, except Friday dinner
morning and afternoon tea
generous studio access throughout your stay
use of the Greenhills print press
demonstrations and individual guidance
maximum of 12 participants
all linen and towels
airport transfers where applicable.

On Friday evening, the group will dine at Lake Kimberley Bar & Grill at Whitegum Farm. Friday dinner and drinks are at guests' own expense.

Who Should Attend?

This retreat is suitable for all levels.

You may be completely new to printmaking, have some previous experience or already use printmaking as part of your art practice.

Francesco’s approach is particularly suited to artists who want to:

explore traditional and experimental printmaking

develop confidence with drypoint and tonal techniques

experiment with different plate materials

learn more about colour and proofing

combine several printmaking processes

explore non-toxic methods

and develop a more individual approach to printmaking.

Most importantly, it is an opportunity to spend three uninterrupted days immersed in making.

Materials

A complete materials list will be sent to participants following confirmation of booking.

Because Francesco works with a range of processes and plate materials, the final list will outline the specific tools, papers, inks and materials required for the retreat.

Your retreat

$2,300 per person — private room

Price includes GST

Your retreat includes four nights private accommodation, three full days tuition with Francesco, all meals and refreshments at Greenhills except Friday dinner, and studio access throughout your stay.

A 20% deposit secures your place. The full balance is due eight weeks before the retreat. Monthly payment plans are available by prior arrangement.

Coming with a friend?

Save 10% each when sharing one of our limited twin rooms, subject to availability.

Twin Share — $2,070 per person

Independent Stay option

For participants who live locally or prefer to arrange their own nearby accommodation, a limited number of Independent Stay places are available, subject to availability.

You'll still join us for tuition, meals and refreshments at Greenhills, studio access and the social side of the retreat — you simply arrange your own accommodation or bring an approved self-contained caravan or motorhome.

Independent Stay — $1,820 per person

Price includes GST.

Friday dinner and drinks at Lake Kimberley Bar & Grill are at guests' own expense for all accommodation options.

Explore What Printmaking Can Become

Three days in the studio.

Traditional skills.

Experimental processes.

Multiple plates, proofs and possibilities.

Time to make, test, adjust and try again.

And the opportunity to discover what happens when technique becomes a starting point rather than the destination.

7–11 April 2027

3 days tuition

Traditional & Experimental Printmaking

All Levels

Book Your Greenhills Retreat

Complete the form below and we'll send your deposit invoice to secure your place