Strawberryluna

Spoonflower, just what we’ve been waiting for.

Thanks to a Twitter mention by smartie artie Meg Hunt, we recently found a great problem solver! Love textiel design, but perhaps don’t have the space, materials and expertise to print your own design? Spoonflower is fix.

For a textile, pattern and design nerd like me, this is straight heaven. Spoonflower, based in an former sock Mill in Mebane, North Carolina in the US, is technically still in it’s Beta stage. However, just this week they made the big move from an invite-only site to a fully public interactive website. Upload patterns & designs, peruse and follow the works of other designers around the world, order custom printed swatches based on your designs, or just read through the extensive blog for ideas, tutorials and tips of the trade.

Basically? Spoonflower is pretty much amazing. Look for my work there soon! Can’t wait to go play. Eeeeeeee.

“This B.U.D.’s For You!” Custom Toy Show Wrap Up

Slightly overdue, but still a spectacular event, here is the round-up, wrap-up and review-for-you of theone-of-a-kind, custom toy show that we particpated in just last week in Buffalo, NY. “This B.U.D.’s For You!”, awesomely put together by our good friends at Hero Design Studio. The toys used for this show are B.U.D.s or Blow Up Dolls, sold as blanks for customizing. Totally fun and a true test of skill and problem solving. When’s the last time that you tried painting a 3-D surface for an art show? 

Check out the photos from the show’s opening on October 24th:

 

Mark Hero, myself and the gallery crowd talk toy turkey.

Mark Hero, Beth Hero, myself and the gallery crowd talk toy turkey.

 

Tatsuta-Hime, The Shinto Goddess of Autumn on her rightful pedestal.

My custom B.U.D.: "Tatsuta-Hime, The Shinto Goddess of Autumn" on her rightful pedestal.

Frownie, the King of Desserts.

Seder's custom B.U.D.: "Frownie", the King of Desserts.

 

The blank B.U.D.s on the wall get customized live at the opening reception. Edition of 2.

The blank B.U.D.s on the wall get customized live at the opening reception. Edition of 2.

All of the pieces in this killer show are, custom, one-of-a-kind, hand crafted, painted and styled pieces created just for the This B.U.D’s For You! show. They will all be on display and for sale at Hero Design’s Boutique store in Buffalo, NY through December 24, 2008 and also available via their website. Click here for more info. 

We had a great time making our toys, and an even better time at the opening. Thanks again Hero!

AIR October Benefit Parrrtaaay!

AIR. It’s a good thing right? We all need it to breathe. But, like many printmakers regionally (that means in the Pittsburgh area) and internationally (that means, you know, the whole globe) need AIR too.

AIR is the stuff we inhale, but it is also short for Artists Image Resource, the community co-op studio where I print all of my work. AIR is a not-for-profit, large, flexible use working artists studio with gallery spaces, screenprinting, etching, lithography, and letterpress studios and more.

Being not-for-profit means that my home away from home relies on donations and grant based funding to survive, hence the big October Benefit bash!

On SATURDAY OCTOBER 18 — OPEN HOUSE EVENT AIR’s annual fundraising event helps provide support for all of AIR’s programs and projects. This all day, kid-AND-adult friendly event includes hands on printing and art making activities as well as lots of bands, music, performances, food, refreshments and an exhibition and RAFFLE of work by artists and staff.

For a $10.00 entry fee at the door you can come and go all day, explore various printmaking processes and technologies, enjoy food and drink, experience performances, bands and music. For more specific information or call 412 321 8664. AIR is located on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side, at 518 Foreland Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

New! Okkervil River poster

Brand spankin’ new poster for Okkervil River, Crooked Fingers and Black Joe Lewis’ show tonight at Mr. Small’s Theater in Pittsburgh, PA.

Yay! I get to see a show that I did a poster for, rare treat. This poster will be available at the show and then at my website after the show. I will have only 25 copies for sale, so they will go fast!

Chicago 10

Well, it’s a funny ol’ world and a funny time to be thinking about American politics. And not really so much “funny ha ha”. In a random  stroke of good timing I just finished watching the film Chicago Ten after hearing a piece about it on NPR’s All Things Considered a few weeks ago. It was so compelling just to listen to the bits played that I “Netflixed” the movie right away.

The movie is a documentary, but with an interesting mixture of animation and live action archival footage of the 1968 Democratic Convention protests, riots and defendents in the subsequent trial. The animation and related audio portions are based on the existing film and audio recordings of the trial itself as well as appearances by the Chicago 8 themselves, in a sort of rotoscoped look, which is quite cool. For a documentary nerd such as myself, it’s an added bonus that the dialogue in the animated portions of the film are directly taken from court records and other filmed materials.

Ultimately, like other documentaries about the turbulent late 1960s in the US, Chicago 10 reveals an intense period of change, conflict and eventually some resolution. Albeit at times, seemingly tenuous. “Netflix” it.

Hand Job, it’s a BOOK.

Silly. And it is super rad. I might be a little late to the party, but who cares? This book Hand Job, A Catalog of Type is fantastic. 

Author Mike Perry’s enthusiasm in presenting a stunning array of working designers’ hand-drawn type and brief overviews of those same folks work is absolutely contagious. I am obsessed with this book right now and it inspired me to spend an afternoon drawing, doodling and brainstorming at a coffee shop like the dork I am. Happily I had over ten drawings and a big set of fresh ideas for new prints and design solutions.

Chock full of awesome.

2 New Prints released

And ready to go home with you, captain!

They are both ‘of the season’, kinda. The first is my VOTE! print, all about our civic duty. Hang ’em where humans use their peepers for maximum effect. 2-colors, hand screenprinted by me and available at my website.

 

VOTE!

VOTE!

The second is my Monsters Need Love Too print. Featuring real live GIANT GOOGLY EYES! Just in time for Halloween and bittersweet romances. I sure hope that they can work it out by the big All Hallows Eve Dance. Hand screenprinted (by me! duh!) 2-color print, available over at my website. Or, you know, clicky on the image. Down there, below…jeeze Gramps.

Custom BUD!

 

My Custom BUD, Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn

Custom BUD, Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn

So check it! I just completed a custom, one-of-a-kind toy for Hero Design Studio’s Custom BUD show opening on Friday 10/24/08. She’s Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn. Yup yup. More photos of this piece on my Flickr page.

Tatsuta-Hime is a hand painted and custom accessorized piece, the only one in existence, for the “This B.U.D.’s For You” show, running from Friday October 24th, 2008 to December 23rd, 2008 at Hero Design Studio in Buffalo, NY. Hot opening night reception on the 24th with many of the over 30 participating artists  in attendance including myself. Fun!

BUD (which stands for Blow Up Doll) Blanks are rad blank vinyl toys produced by our friends at Jamungo for customization or just minimalistic awesomeness. They produce a full line of super cool toys, check ’em out!