Oculus Song

I'm working on a new artist's book, titled Ocular  Oculus Song. Right now, it is in the model stage, and I am trying to decide on a typeface. The book will include risograph and letterpress printing, maybe some hand painted details. The book will include some of my writing. It's never been easy for me to translate my ideas into writing, it can be like pulling teeth, but it's exhilarating too. 

:: testing typefaces ::

:: handset type ::

:: risograph printing and handmade paper cover ::

 :: risograph printing and tracing paper ::

To Recount Their Dreams

A new print, part of a series of prints about the north. 

:: To Recount Their Dreams, letterpress on cotton paper ::

 :: detail ::

 :: detail ::

:: detail ::

Red

 :: on the press ::

:: a large custom box ::

 :: scraps ::

:: story, letterpress on cotton paper ::

:: detail ::

Guests and Projects

I had a guest at the studio last week, the great Kevin Mercer of Large Mammal fame. He brought some gifts, which was very much appreciated and a super cool thing to do. We had a great talk about printmaking and art making in general and even did a little bit of collaborating, which there will be more info about soon. But for now, I just wanted to say...Thank you, Kevin, that was really fun.

 :: gifts! ::

 I also had the chance last week to make a couple of prints.

One for my own amusement,

 :: TVC15 ::

And one as part of a larger body of work. This one is titled Scythian. Letterpress on cotton paper.

 :: Scythian ::

I've also been digging around into my old work because I'm starting a project that will incorporate old writings, and I found some work from 2004. I was so happy to see this work again and to see how much I've changed and yet there is a strong narrative that runs through it all.

:: Untitled, photographic work from 2004 ::

It works.

Today, I printed on my Vandercook. After many months of fixing, tweaking, searching for parts, getting bad parts, returning parts, etc...it finally works. It works. It really works. And I feel really good about that.

:: pretty pretty vandercook ::

 :: and I looked at my sketchbook ::

 Last weekend, I spent the weekend in Silver Springs, MD at the Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair, which was great and inspiring and super fun thanks to my coworkers.

:: common press ::

:: our table looked so good! ::

Cleaning

 :: hecate and mushrooms ::

I've started the process of cleaning up my new-to-me Vandercook No. 4. I'm still a bit in disbelief. When I started cleaning it I kept having to remind myself - you're not at work (I work in a university print shop) you're cleaning your very own press.

 :: clean rollers ::

The cleaning process is a real rabbit hole. There's hard dried ink lurking everywhere and it does not want to come off. It's very satisfying though when you finish one area, like the rollers, and move on to the next one.

 :: ink and paint composition ::

I'm also learning more about the press as I clean it. When I got home and removed the tympan paper. I found prints with the press name The Stone House Press, a fine press in Roslyn, New York run by Morris A. Gelfand.

I found this photograph of Morris.

:: Morris A. Gelfand ::

Thank you, Morris. I will treat your press well.

:: results ::