The party has moved...

To my new site here - http://www.jessicacwhite.com. See you there!

New prints now available

My new prints for 2013 are now available at my Etsy shop!

You can also see them in person through the end of January at the Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC, on December 1st at the Big Crafty in downtown Asheville, or on December 15th at the Crafty Feast in Columbia, SC. Happy holidays!

The Bad Sparrow - a video!

I made a little video document of The Bad Sparrow crankie. Enjoy!

This is a letterpress printed scroll, 9" high by 25' long, made into a 'crankie' -- housed in a handmade box with a cranking mechanism. Printed and handmade by Jessica C. White. Original story and illustrations also by Jessica C. White. Music is Baker's Waltz by The Mammals.

Apologies for the poor video quality. I'm much better at making physical things than digital!

You can also see this video on YouTube here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKAiAgs878o.

Heading to Nashville

This weekend, I'll be exhibiting at Handmade & Bound, a small press expo sponsored by the Watkins College of Art. Believe it or not, this will be my first small press/book arts show on my own; without a school group (UICB) or trade organization (Ladies of Letterpress). I'm excited to show my new crankie, The Bad Sparrow, along with digitally printed codex versions of the scroll. I'll also have new prints from my recent show at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville. And of course, I'll have plenty of Moral Code and Art School Chronicle zines. Stop by and say hello!

Solo show at Blue Spiral 1

If you've been following my tweets and Facebook posts lately, you've seen a few sneak peaks of prints that I've been working on for the past few months. Finally, you can see the finished prints in full at my upcoming solo show, The Adventures of Prudence and Patience, at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville, NC!

They'll be on display in the Small Format Gallery from August 1 through October 5, 2013. Join me and other artists for a gallery-wide opening reception Thursday, August 1, 5-8pm. (Blue Spiral 1 is located in downtown Asheville: 38 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801.)

Type on the Cob

Just returned from an amazing weekend of complete letterpress immersion! I spent last week in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where we had the third Ladies of Letterpress conference: the Type on the Cob wayzgoose. It was three days full of printing and printing-related workshops and presentations, including typecasting, cutting wood type, wood engraving, and a screening of Linotype: The Film. Here I am sitting on the Miehle press with Kseniya Thomas, my partner-in-crime in the daily workings of Ladies of Letterpress, and our gracious hosts at Printer's Hall at Midwest Old Threshers, Rick Von Holdt, Jim Daggs, and Steve Alt.

Check out more photos at the Ladies of Letterpress website here, and find out more about our conference, and future letterpress conferences at www.letterpressconference.com.

Letterpress Now

Finally, my book, Letterpress Now: a DIY Guide to Old & New Printing Methods is out! (It was actually released January 1st, but I'm just now getting around to blogging about it, oops.) It was so exciting to walk into Malaprops, a local favorite bookstore, and see my book on the shelf.

To purchase a copy and get started on your own letterpress printing adventures, stroll in to Malaprops (55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC), order from BarnesandNoble.com or Amazon.com, or get a personalized signed copy directly from me by ordering from my shop.

You can see a  preview of the book at Lark Craft's website here, or read a review and take a look at some sweet pics at the Mint Design blog.

If you're interesting in what it was like for me to write the book (plus some personal tidbits about me), check out my interview with Felt & Wire. This is the first in what will be an ongoing series of DIY letterpress posts by me for Felt & Wire, so check back regularly to learn more tricks and tips for printing!

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!

Gearing up for the Fall

I just found out this morning that I'll be vending again at The Big Crafty on December 4th! This is one of my favorite craft fairs, both for vending and shopping, because of the variety of handmade stuff, the friendly faces, the party atmosphere, and of course it's all right here in my neighborhood. I never take it for granted that I'll be in because of their jury process, so it's always exciting to put it on my calendar.

But before December comes along, we still have November to contend with, and this will be one my biggest Novembers yet! As some of you already know, I moved into a new studio space this past summer, but I haven't yet invited anyone to stop by, or opened it to the public, because most days I'm either still fixing it up or just too gosh darn busy to have people wandering around in here. I'm now working on the invitations for the big Grand Opening and Open Studio, scheduled during the River Arts District Studio Stroll on November 12th. Check back here for details, or sign up to be on my mailing list to get a personal invitation (including a raffle ticket to win a free Heavens to Betsy print!).

L.A. Printers Fair

Well it took a bit of coaxing from Rachelle Chuang, the tireless volunteer extraordinaire at the International Printing Museum, but I packed up and headed out to the L.A. Printers Fair last week. I met my friend Kseniya Thomas there, where we set up a Ladies of Letterpress table right next to my Heroes & Criminals Press table. The trip was mostly for work, but we made sure to fit in a little bit of sight-seeing, shopping, and sampling the local cuisine in some swanky (and some not-so-swanky) restaurants.

The fair itself was overwhelming, not just for me but also for the 1200+ visitors walking around like deer in headlights. And I mean overwhelming in the best of ways: such an amazing gathering of talented people, printed goods, presses, type, and anything else you can think of that's letterpress-related. As it turns out, the museum in itself would've been worth the trip, and the fair was just icing (gobs of icing). If you haven't been yet, I highly recommend that you put this event on your calendar for next year. Here are some highlights:

Ripple effect

On the heels of an amazing Ladies of Letterpress Conference, my life quite expectedly moved into it's usual mode, Fast Forward. I'm teaching again on the beautiful campus of Warren Wilson College, starting with an introductory class on paper making followed by a class on book arts. I'm also back to setting up my new-ish studio. I can't quite call it new anymore, since I moved in a full 3 months ago, but needless to say I haven't put my full effort into settling in. There are just a few more things to move in (i.e., the flat file that still sits in the middle of my living room floor), but I promise it'll be all dressed up and ready for its Grand Opening / Studio Open House in November. (more on that later)

But back to right now, I'm giddy with seeing my artwork on display at CNN.com! I was contacted by them over the summer about creating a work of art to commemorate 9/11, as we are now approaching the 10th anniversary of this tragic event. They asked that I respond to the event with the theme "Ripple" in mind. I decided to make a drawing with an image that I used recently in another drawing, the banjo boy playing next to gravestones, and to show a flutter of papers coming down towards him from the east.

As my statement on the site says, "One of the images that really stuck with me from September 11 was the fluttering of papers that flew out from the twin towers. I imagined very personal histories on each of those sheets of paper, from financial statements to family wills, day planners or even a saved birthday card. As the country learned more about the people lost in this tragic event, I sensed the wind carrying these personal stories, and the grief, across the nation. I think we all felt the papery debris fluttering down on us, no matter how far we were from ground zero."

I hope that this image will bring back the bittersweetness of the event; a tragedy that broke us down but brought us back together again, stronger and more resilient than ever.

Digital prints of this drawing are now available in my shop, and $3 of every purchase will be donated to the National Military Family Association.

Little Phoenix Press and LoLPCON!

As usual, I have one or two too many projects in the works, and this summer is zipping along as I keep up with all of them. One is a new series of letterpress printed cards and blank books with a Chinese inspiration. Instead of printing them as part of Heroes and Criminals Press, I decided that it needed a new imprint, and so I created Little Phoenix Press. The name comes from my own Chinese name, which is the same as my grandmother's. Even though it's another name, it is all essentially me in my studio, printing away. This is the first card printed in that series - Xie Xie (Thank you) - of little kids on a rocket ship from a propaganda poster. The design includes another run of silver on the rocket ship, but I'm having some trouble with my rollers (need to order new ones), so they will have do as they are. I didn't print a lot of them, and the plan is to make a larger run this fall with the silver, once my new rollers come in.

Also in the works, and has been in the works for about a year now, is the Ladies of Letterpress Conference! I'm not sure what came over me a year ago when Kseniya, my business partner, and I decided that, why yes, we can organize a conference, nevermind our complete lack of experience. Now a year later, considered us schooled. Well ok, I admit that I'm still no expert at organizing large events, but I've definitely learned a lot, and next weekend will be the ultimate test. We're expecting about 150 people and we have two venues: the Renaissance Asheville Hotel and Asheville BookWorks. The conference includes panel discussions, demonstrations, presentation, and a trade and printers' fair, all revolving around letterpress printing. This is exactly the kind of conference I would want to attend, and I have a feeling that it'll be a fun weekend all around. Wish me luck!

New work at Blue Spiral 1

I am so thrilled to be in an upcoming show at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery, Storyline. This show includes 6 other regional artists who all work in a narrative style, and also intertwine text with images. I'm impressed by their work, and feel incredibly honored to be in such good company. The show will be up July 1 through September 30, with an opening reception this Thursday, June 30 from 5-8pm.

Some of my new drawings that will be shown there include No More Snow, inspired by Iron and Wine's song 'Radio War,'

and Carrot Flowers, inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel's 'King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1.'

New Press, New Studio

It was like Christmas yesterday, when I arrived at my new studio with my brand new Chandler & Price Old Style 10x15. She's only brand new to me; this press was made in 1885.

I first visited and purchased this press back in April from an awesome and talented printer, Loy McWhirter, outside of Burnsville NC, but there really isn't any room for this beast in our apartment, so I went on a studio search in Asheville for the perfect home for the her, and Heroes & Criminals Press. I finally found it in the River Arts District, at Riverview Station. It's one of the studios that they call 'rustic', and they mean it; no air conditioning or heat, open ceilings (lots of small studios in on big space, but we each have 4 walls and a door), and a shared bathroom and sink down the hall. Some benefits to the rustic space include an affordable price, nice high ceilings, two arched windows, and I happen to *like* the rustic look. Every now and then a bird or two flies in through the hallway window and I get to work to little cheep-cheeps and fluttering wings.

With Loy and Bruce's immeasurable expert help (and Scott too), we moved the beautiful press from Loy's studio to mine yesterday. In order to get her through my studio door, we had to first take the flywheel off (well, Bruce did). We moved the press carefully on three rolling iron pipes onto the trailer, closed and tied down the platen, and secured her to the trailer. We put the flywheel in the back of the pick-up and secured it with bungee cords. Then we drove to Asheville where we unloaded at Riverview Station, rolled her on the same three pipes through hallways, up a freight elevator, through more hallways (uphill this time!), then through the door to my studio. She found her perfect home in the corner by the window, showing off her beautiful curvy flywheel to anyone passing by the door.

There are a few more things that still need to be moved in - the typecase, flat file, more shelves, and possible the Showcard Press if there's any room left. Bit by bit, it's all coming together and I plan on getting lots of work done here this summer. I'm also getting it all set up, cleaned up, and dressed up for the Grand Opening that I'd like to have during the next River Arts District Studio Stroll the weekend of November 12th and 13th! Stop by and say hello!