Printmaking: Texture, Tone & Process

The Experience

This is a focused, small-group printmaking workshop centered on material, texture, and the process of collagraphy.

Over two days, participants will explore the creative possibilities of collagraphy through building plates, inking, and printing. The workshop is grounded in making. We begin with a short introduction and then move directly into the process, with guidance, demonstrations, and plenty of room for experimentation and personal exploration.

The group is limited to eight participants to allow for individual attention and a strong studio environment. This is not a lecture format, but a hands-on working studio focused on observation, process, and discovery.

The workshop concludes with an informal presentation of the work created.

About Marie

Marie Calmet is a printmaker and educator based in Fa, where her main studio is located. In Espéraza, she runs L’Atelier de la Place, a working studio and gallery where she exhibits part of her work.

She brings extensive experience as a teacher, having led printmaking workshops in Collioure and Espéraza, taught at the Carcassonne School of Art for several years, and worked across a wide range of educational contexts in France and the UK. Her teaching has included work with adults, students, and community-based programs, always with a focus on engagement through making.

Her approach is rooted in a deep understanding of materials and process. She guides participants through the technical foundations of printmaking while encouraging experimentation, sensitivity to texture and tone, and the development of a personal visual language. Each workshop is shaped in response to the group, balancing structure and openness so that participants can both learn the technique and discover their own way of working within it.

Quillan, France

Tucked into the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Haute Vallée de l’Aude, Quillan is one of those rare places that still feels quietly undiscovered. Surrounded by mountains, rivers, vineyards, and medieval villages, it offers a landscape that feels made for artists. Dramatic light, changing skies, and a slower rhythm of life invite people to look carefully and create thoughtfully.

The town sits along the River Aude, where daily life unfolds in cafés, small markets, and streets lined with old stone buildings. Within minutes you can find yourself deep in forest, on mountain trails, or looking across wide valleys shaped by centuries of history. The nearby Cathar castles, hilltop villages, and rugged landscapes give the region a powerful sense of place and story.

This part of southern France has long attracted painters, writers, and musicians drawn to its natural beauty and independent spirit. The culture here is closely tied to the land. Local markets, regional wines, traditional food, and a strong sense of community shape everyday life.

For artists, Quillan offers something increasingly rare. Space to think. Time to work. A landscape that rewards careful observation. It is both peaceful and quietly alive, a place where creative ideas can unfold naturally.

Many people arrive here while exploring the region and discover something unexpected. Locals sometimes say that you do not choose Quillan. Quillan chooses you.