Harold Garde Printmaker

Harold Garde was born New York City in 1923 and studied painting at the University of Wyoming and at Columbia University. ‘Strappo’ is a printmaking technique he discovered in the mid 1980s while cleaning his painting palette and he has explored and perfected the acrylic transfer on glass process extensively ever since. Garde has taught many strappo workshops and he also shares the technique which is explained and illustrated thoroughly in his little book, ‘Harold Garde, Strappo’ available from blurb.com.

In the summer of 1985, owner John Ames opened Gallery 68 in Belfast, Maine. In combination with his gallery, a small press was installed and offered for artists to use. From 1985-88, Garde was to make the most frequent use of the press and produced over 300 monotypes and several dozen relief prints. His command of the process and his affinity to the spontaneity and freedom it offered resulted in an exceptional body of work.