Afternoon weekend classes in Bernal Heights, San Francisco
Basic carving
The first step to beautiful prints. Learn basic carving skills
Basic Printing
Great for first time printmakers. Learn basic printing skills for printing at home (no press needed)
Printing on Press
Take the next step in printing. Open to beginners or those who simply want time on press
Creative Printing
This is a more free-form process than traditional relief printing-perfect for painters or artists who find carving too tedious
More to come your way
Barbara Kruse, aka Barbobot
I like to say, above all, I am a maker of all things- whether artistic, technical or anywhere in between. I earned a BFA at Virginia Commonwealth University in Sculpture back in the 90s along with an engineering degree which has managed to dominate my career path for the past 25 years, working primarily as a hardware design engineer.
In the early aughts I got to collaborate with various SF based technology art groups, building big robotic and welded sculptures and performing in various venues, including the obvious stop at a Burning Man festival or two. My solo works, still technology focused, were primarily quieter installations using interactive sensors and light.
Unfortunately, life and work took over for almost a decade and my art practice fell off until 2020 when I re-committed to finding my creative spark. I picked up printmaking and glass working right before COVID hit and have been interweaving the two pursuits ever since. In 2023 I put my mechanical engineering skills to use and built the custom etching press we use in printing classes and demos.
I like to bring both my left and right brain to my teaching and my art, both digging deep into the technical minutiae as well as listening to that free spirit that just wants to create. Printmaking is a delightfully fun skill to teach to all types of students as even the most beginner levels can get beautiful results.