New engravings

I've been working on a couple of engravings lately, keeping in mind a solo show that's coming up next summer at Blue Spiral 1 gallery here in Asheville. I started on a new series that I've been simmering on for a while, The Adventures of Patience and Prudence, which will be a set of printed engravings that look like they've been torn out of a children's book (of the same title). Here's a proof print showing the beginnings of print #1:

Soon after starting on this project, I stopped to print a tribute for my cat, Quimby, who died suddenly after a brief battle with kitty cancer. I just needed to spend a few days working on something that memorializes him and cheers me up a bit. Hopefully it will bring some cheer to others, as well. Quimby always made sure that you got a snuggle if you looked like you needed one.

 

This is just a proof print, but these broadsides should be finished in the next week and will be posted up for sale at my site and my Etsy shop by early January. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Asheville Humane Society.

Now showing at Over Easy Cafe

Yep, that's right. from now until the end of November, some of my prints and drawings are on display at Over Easy Cafe in downtown Asheville. Go check it out!

Moving the C&P to its new home

I spent the day moving my presses to their new home, the basement of my house. Ok, I'll admit that I mostly watched, but with plenty of anxiety, and offered to help out whenever I could. They made it home safe and sound, with zero broken parts and zero broken fingers or toes, hooray! I still need to set a few things up before presses are up and running, but the cat is now giving it the Official Inspection.

Fall Weddings, part 2

This one has a custom illustration of a sweet little gingko leaf, printed in gold. Printed on Lettra in Ecru.

Fall Weddings, part 1

These invitations were printed over the summer, but now seems like the appropriate time to show them off...

Weekend festivities and book pre-orders

Well I don't know how I do it, but yet again I've scheduled too much to happen all at once. This past week had me spinning, starting with reviewing the final proof of my upcoming book, Letterpress Now (pre-orders are already available at Amazon here!). Maybe I'm a little biased, but my editor and art director at Lark Books have done an amazing job putting it all together, and this book is awesome! Toot toot my own horn. **Update: you can go ahead and pre-order from Amazon now, but if you want a signed copy with a little hand printed gift from me, hold yer horses and order directly from me when the book comes out in January.**






On Friday night, I had an event with my friend Alex Krug at the Lexington Avenue Brewery. She set up a show and asked me to come out and give a letterpress printing demo, so we made it a Print Release Party. The LAB has a sweet live music venue in the back of the restaurant - the acoustics are great, and the set up with a giant stone wall gives it a different kind of atmosphere.

And finally, this weekend was the River Arts District Studio Stroll. It's been a good weekend, with a steady crowd. It's been fun to meet some new people along with seeing familiar faces. And I never get tired of hearing squirrel stories (everybody has one!). I've been giving little printing demos on my Kelsey, with a giveaway postcard. Here are some photos of my space, before people started to arrive.

Advice from a seafaring squirrel

After much delay, I've finally finished the next print in my Heavens to Betsy series, "Bigger Signs." It's letterpress printed using a reduction woodcut, photopolymer plates, and handset type, with a bit of hand coloring. Text says, "You're right. We need to make bigger signs." What do you think... does the squirrel offer good advice?

 
The print is now available directly through my website here (unframed only), or at one of these fine galleries: Blue Spiral 1 (Asheville, NC), Penland Gallery (in the woods of Appalachia near Spruce Pine, NC), and Blue Gallery (Provincetown, MA). Sorry, no digital prints are available at this time.

It's also available for a short time at the Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, NC, where I'm currently in a show called Funny Papers, May 25 - July 7th. Join us for an artists' talk next Tuesday, June 5th, at 7pm!

National Stationery Show with Ladies of Letterpress

Just got back a few days ago from the National Stationery Show, and slowly becoming re-combobulated. It was a whirlwind of paper, prints, cards, 'glad-handing' (as my friend Kseniya puts it), with some ribbons and balloon animals thrown in the mix. I made some wonderful new friends, though I need to apologize if I remember your prints more than I do your face or name.

I didn't exhibit this year, and instead focused on helping out my fellow Ladies of Letterpress to set up and, um, man the booth. There were eleven printers sharing the extra-large booth display, each one displaying their unique skills and creativity. Their names, and links to each of their websites, can be found here.

It was my first time visiting NSS, and even though the first day was overwhelming (had to find a quiet corner at one point to read for a while), I left feeling exhilarated. Not quite enough for me to jump into the stationery business, but enough for me to go back for another round one day.

Spring is in the air

Yes, and blooms are welcoming the warm afternoon showers. Time to gear up for those upcoming summer weddings! Here's a recent invitation I printed for Jenni Mullendore, with custom apple blossom illustrations to reflect the apple farm where the wedding will take place.

Asheville BookWorks MicroPulpery

I've been making paper on commission for a couple of years, but haven't really pursued selling handmade paper in stores until now. Fellow Asheville papermaker Frank Brannon (of Speakeasy Press) and I have decided to join forces and finally make this happen! We're calling ourselves the Asheville BookWorks MicroPulpery because the paper is handmade at the papermaking studio at BookWorks, and each batch is carefully handcrafted seasonally, in small quantities - just like at one of our many local microbreweries. Right now we offer 4 kinds of paper: cotton rag in white, cotton rag in cotton candy blue, cotton/abaca blend, and a double-thick flax. Because we're making them in small batches, there is no guarantee that we'll always have the same papers for sale - if you see something you like, it's better to go ahead and buy it now!

Papers can be purchased at Asheville BookWorks and at Asheville Art Supply, or you can order directly from us by contacting Frank (frank@speakeasypress.com). We also offer papermaking classes, commission, and artist collaborations.

Lucky Creature cards

Just finished a big batch of business cards for Scott Smith of luckycreature.com, using his own drawings in four different designs. The plan was to finally get the hang of edge painting with these to add all the color that's his signature style, but it just didn't work out. I might get an airbrush one day and try again, but until then, I think it's best left to the professionals!

Heroes and Criminals in downtown Asheville!

Blue Spiral 1 has been carrying my prints for a while, but now there's a new place to shop for Heroes & Criminals Press goodies! My cards, chapbooks, and letterpress ephemera are now available at Garage 34 on Lexington Ave., right down the street from the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. It's an awesome store chock full of handmade goods from local artisans, and they're breaking out all the new spring stuff right now. If you're up for exploring a bit while in Asheville, come by the River Arts District and you might catch me at work in my studio (#291 Riverview Station, 191 Lyman Street).

Goin' to the circus!

Across the hall from my studio in the River Arts District is the headquarters of a local Asheville favorite, The Runaway Circus and The Loose Cabooses. They recently asked me to print posters for their upcoming show, a collaborative design between Blair Menace (monkeys) and me (text):

They'll be performing this weekend and next weekend, and I'm can't wait to see them tonight!