In s3e15, Platemark host Ann Shafer talks with printer Julia D’Amario, who has been the printer at the Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, OR, since 2002. Formerly she printed for Pace Prints in New York from 1989–2008. In between all that, since 2008 she has spent summers printing for Jim Dine in his Walla Walla, WA, studio. In fact, Dine lists Julia among his favorite printers—and he has worked with many, many printers across the world. If that weren’t enough, Julia is set to open her home shop to artists in the near future.

In this episode, Julia, whose specialty is intaglio prints, relates her early experience at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Studio, where she met future Pace Prints colleague and Platemark guest Bill Hall. She tells us about favorite projects at Pace and Sitka, working with Jim Dine, and her love of prints and printmaking.

Episode image: Lainie Koch.

Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Otis, Oregon.

Nearby is the incredible view at Cascade Head, Oregon.

At Jim Dine’s studio in Walla Walla, WA, 2007. Top: Ruth Lingen, Jim Dine, Bill Lagatutta. Bottom: Kathy Kuehn, Nina Dine, Julia D'Amario.

Julia D’Amario’s home in Surprise Valley, CA.

Julia D’Amario’s home studio in Surprise Valley, CA.

Robert Blackburn with (left-right): Bill Hall, Agnes Murray, Julia D’Amario, Marjorie Van Dyke, Suzanne Gaffney, Lyn Rogan, and Jennifer Lynch, c. 1984.

Making monoprints with Ellsworth Ausby at Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, New York, 1983. Photo: Lynn Rogan.

Entrance to Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, 114 West 17th Street, 1983. Photo: Lynn Rogan.

Sandy Gellis (American, born 1940), printed by Julia D’Amario. Great Bird Series, 1997. Diptych: two softground etchings with aquatint. Plate (each): 12 3/4 × 6 1/4 in. (32.4 × 15.9 cm.).

Jim Dine with Julia D’Amario and Kathy Kuehn signing editions for the portfolio A History of Communism, 2014, at Dine’s Walla Walla, WA, studio.

April Gornik (American, born 1953), published by the Print Club of New York, printed by Julia D’Amario. Loire, 1995. Etching and aquatint. Plate: 16 13/16 x 19 7/8 in. (42.7 x 50.5 cm.).  

Mary Heilmann (American, born 1940), published by Pace Prints, printed by Julia D’Amario. Hip Hop, 2002. Aquatint in colors. Plate: 39 × 30 in, (99.1 × 76.2 cm.).

Sandy Gellis (American, born 1940). NYC Rainfall: 1987, 1987. 124 etchings.

Sandy Gellis (American, born 1940). Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, 1987-88. Portfolio of 12 etchings. Each plate: 12 x 12 in. (30.5 x 30.5 cm.); overall: 35 1/2 × 48 in. (90.2 × 121.9 cm.). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

Marie Watt working at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology during her Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency, 2022, Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Otis, OR.

Julia D’Amario’s aquatint from Little Hat Mountain series.

Drying tarlatans at Julia D’Amario’s home studio, Surprise Valley, CA.

Jim Dine (American, born 1935), published by Pace Prints, printed by Julia D'Amario and Ruth Lingen. Raven on Lebanese Border, 2000. Softground etching and woodcut with white paint (hand coloring). Sheet: 781 × 864 mm. (30 3/4 × 34 in.); image: 676 × 768 mm. (26 5/8 × 30 1/4 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.

Jim Dine and Julia D’Amario beginning work on spitbite etchings for Electrolyte in Blue and Astonishing, Health and Sunshine (60 litho-etching combination prints incorporated into a book of poems titled, Electrolyte in Blue and also mounted together on three separate sheets for Astonishing, Health and Sunshine, 2021, at Dine’s Walla Walla, WA, studio.

Jim Dine (American, born 1935), printed by Julia D’Amario. Astonishing, Health and Sunshine, 2021. Spitbite aquatint, drypoint and lithograph with hand-coloring on Shiramibe paper, mounted onto three sheets of Hahnemuhle Copperplate White paper. Sheet (each): 142.7 x 83.1 cm.; image (each): 125.7 x 68 cm. Cristea Roberts Gallery.

Jennifer Bartlett (American, 1941-2022), published by Pace Prints, printed by Julia D’Amario and Aldo Crommelynck. Boat, 1999. Color aquatint. Plate: 22 x 29 3/4 in. (55.9 x 75.6 cm.).