studio shots

Here are a couple photos of the studio... The press is above – those clamps are holding a piece of metal (actually it's part of the lock up bar for the press) so that I have an absolutely straight guide that helps me register the job I'm printing just-so.


The current job – it's a big one – is a three color run of business cards with metallic inks. I usually print with rubber-based inks, but with the metallics I am using oil-based Van Son. This job is a two sided business card so each piece of paper (the cards are ganged 6-up) will be put through the press a total of 5 times: that's 3 times for the back of the card and 2 times for the front. The registration is fairly tight on these, too, so that's why I chose to only go 6-up – it seemed like a good compromise so that I would be able to print several at a time, but also not lose too many per sheet with each color change. After these are printed – it's 500 cards for 11 employees – the edges also get painted with metallic ink! It's one of those jobs that is super labor intensive, but gives me an opportunity to learn an awful lot.


That said, I spent the first day going back and forth (and back and forth) on how to get the first run exactly straight. Ben ended up clamping this piece of metal to the feed board of the press, so now each piece of paper follows this guide, making it just perfect every time – or at least as close to perfect as possible. Just think – even 1/2 a millimeter off will affect the next run which will affect the next run and so on and so forth so that by the end of the fifth run, it could be awfully crooked. I can't have that, so I think this guide will do the trick!



This is my Pantone Guide ... That vibrant purple – the fourth from the bottom on the page sticking out – was the last custom color I mixed.

sneak peek

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

So, clearly, I'm not very good at keeping things a surprise since I've just given you a sneak peek of three out of twelve months for the 2009 calendar. That's, um, a full quarter of everything there will be! But the thing is it could change, it WILL change, over the next couple weeks – sometimes it will be just a little change here and there, color or shapes, but sometimes the whole thing just gets scratched because I don't like it anymore (or maybe I never did).

I'm pretty excited about the direction the new work is heading – what about you? What do you think? My idea, my intent, was to draw some florals – but not exclusively so – ones that evoked thoughts of Japanese textiles and vintage fabrics. It's a lot of work when I'm not in the right space, but I think I really got on a roll this last week and a half. The months that are holding me up right now? March and May.

And I should add that I'm not entirely sure about December yet because the flowers are inspired by the tattoo I drew for myself that is on my left arm. So that seems a little odd to me to have matching tattoo and calendar – yes? No?

Maybe there will be more sneak peeks to come, maybe not. Which do you prefer – show and tell or a surprise at the end? (Either way, it looks different once printed; that's when the texture can really shine. I am thinking of printing the calendar on Somerset Textured instead of Lettra this year ...)

texture, pattern, calendar

Truth be told, I guess I've been feeling a tiny bit of anxiety over the 2009 calendar, which I very much want to draw and print, but which I've been pretty much at a stand-still with. I've been busy settling in here and watching the days slip on by, knowing all the while that in order to have the calendars for sale by November 1st, I need to have the drawings done well before then – as in: NOW!! I've been looking through some of my books – and just feeling like I might not be able to draw 12 new botanicals. I've had this idea in the back of my mind for a little while and I just sat down today to draw. I'm hoping I may be on to a little something – something that just might turn into the calendar.


Here's my seed of an idea, sprung from the past year of printing and being fascinated with the texture of letterpress printing, with how some designs just really come to life with letterpress. (Now I know that there is a whole lot of debate out there about whether or not to print with an impression – and I'll just say I fall solidly in the middle of that, thinking that sometimes it's nice to have that deep punch on soft paper and sometimes it's nice to hold back a bit.)

Anyhow, I am drawn to textiles, particularly Japanese patterns and those vintage tablecloths and napkins you can find at estate sales ... I thought: what if I pull elements from those patterns – ones that might look plain at first, but really shine with letterpress – and build on that? In that photo above, I love the geometric patterns on the Japanese napkins I bought years ago in New York. I love the vintage raspberry tablecloth. And look closely at the paper towel – such great pattern and texture in such an everyday item. That sweet pea flower, bought at the farmers' market yesterday, sketched in and printed above a pale gray pattern, like the one in the paper towel? It may sound odd, but I think it may work – layers of pattern and texture, some simple, some more complex. (Though actually what I have sketched right now is a grid, but less structured, something more resembling the loose weave – is it called warp and weft? – of a linen fabric ... with a flower pattern on top.) Thoughts anyone? I don't really think of myself as an artist, but I would hate for someone to look at my 2009 calendar and wonder: what the hell?

Back to work on this with hopefully some solid ideas to show you soon. I'm excited about the possibilities here and am running around the house pulling out bits of fabric and odds and ends.

market day

Liam and I went to the Farmers' Market today and this is what we came home with: cherry tomatoes, two bunches of basil, shiitake mushrooms, sunburst summer squash, red bell pepper, rainbow chard, haricot vert, fromage blanc, camembert and a bunch of sweet pea flowers. All of it local and so lovely, costing about $40 in all with two dollars spent so Liam could have his face painted to look like a fierce tiger. He's taking his nap now or there would be a photo of him. I'll try to take one when he wakes up, but small tigers do tend to get rather grubby and sticky throughout the day, especially after pizza and gelato, and especially when they won't let you wash them very well for fear of losing any stripes. Silly tigers.

funny

I received some paper samples the other day for a big job I have coming up – and I noticed that it was addressed to Fat Suma Press, which just really made me laugh. What a funny mistake.


I've been meaning to post some pics of this lovely wedding invitation for some time. The loveliest part of all was the clients, Arwen and Saul, both of who were a complete pleasure to work with.




I mentioned this job before, back in May when I was drawing and then printing it ... It was a challenge for me, in the best of ways. I usually draw botanicals, more free form things, so this tandem bike – needing to be this balance of both pretty much technically correct and whimsical {Saul + Arwen, you know who belongs with which description!!} – had me working hard, with lots of revisions.

Thank you, Arwen and Saul, for being stellar clients – funny, so funny, and just plain wonderful.