Tugboat Printshop
Posted by Amy on Monday November 8, 2010
I’m a huge fan of husband and wife team Paul Roden and Valerie Lueth of Tugboat Printshop. They make the most fantastic block prints – each is drawn by hand, carved out of woodblocks by hand (with hand tools), and printed onto paper by hand on their in-house etching press. They show lots of in-progress photos and is a visual treat for those who love this form of printmaking.
My breath was taken away when I saw their Bonfire print. Five different wood blocks were hand cut and each individual block was pressed onto the paper in several stages to form a masterpiece.
Go team!
Comments [4]
Artist interview: Nathalie Chikhi
Posted by Amy on Thursday July 29, 2010
Nathalie Chikhi is the queen of experimentation. She’s been making art everywhere she goes and no material is off bounds in her creations. Although I am very much taken by her drawings and colorful explorations (particularly Pixels, which is made up of ice-cream sticks!) she has experimented with paper, sculpture, bamboo and even messed around with toy cars — I kid you not! Read on for a personal one-on-one with Nathalie and you’ll soon be inspired to look around for things to make too!
Name: Nathalie Chikhi
Location: Orlando, USA
Website: nathaliechikhi.com
Shop: shop.ikubix.com
Gallery representation: newbloodart.com London, UK
Blog: nathaliechikhi.blogspot.com
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/nathaliechikhi
Facebook: nathaliechikhi
Illustration media: I do art & design so all kind of media and techniques like graphite, permanent markers, vector graphics, acrylic painting, clay, textiles and many more…
Tell us a little more about yourself!
First, I would like to thank you Amy, to give me this interview and the opportunity to share my work with the Pikaland’s community. {Amy: you’re welcome Nathalie!}
I was born and grew up in Quimper, Brittany. I went to art school over there, the only thing I knew is that I wanted to create some stuffs. During my childhood, I was drawing on the last page of my notebook and did some murals in my bedroom. At school, I was better in drawing that anything else.
Where do you live? What stands out about living where you are, and what is your daily schedule like?
I am primary based in Orlando, Florida where I have my home space studio. But I also travel extensively across USA. I have created many pieces in temporary domestic space or hotel rooms. I want to keep doing new artwork even if I am out of my studio. I use the space as a rule like a format of paper or a limited numbers of colors. This limitation of space helps me to experiment with various materials. For example, the series blizzard was done with permanent markers on paper. The series Pixels started in a domestic space, using wood sticks painted in acrylic and continue in my art studio. This process is part of my art practice.
What is great with Florida is the weather. I have also my friends there. Orlando is a growing city, with many things to do, a lot of opportunities for artists and close to Miami.
I am very much 9:00am-10:00pm. I practice art daily, alternating the creation of new artworks with marketing tasks/website updates/inventorying/reading art blogs (and so on).
How did you get your start in making art?
During my time in France, beside my graphic design job, I kept connected to the art world going to openings and art conferences or taking art classes. I have been invited by BD4D to create a flash motion. I did some videos with a creative group of designers which have been showcased at the Centre Pompidou and at the Biennial of Valencia in Spain. I did few paintings and sold some.
But let’s say, coming in the USA has been a revelation of what I really want to do. I decided to build a strong portfolio back in 2005 after I visited New York for the first time. I was really blown away by all the good art over there. It was amazing!
Right after NY, I moved to South California where I really started to paint-draw daily. I found out the series Mechanic and showed my work metamorphosis at the Art Center of Huntington Beach. Back in France, I continued to practice and organized my shows; one in a shop of contemporary furniture in Paris and another one in local cafe in Brittany. It was interesting to confront my art with people familiar or unfamiliar with art. At the same time, I did some textile monsters and illustrations but I felt more attracted by abstract textile works like ovolites.
CLICK HERE to read the entire interview!
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Sponsor giveaway: Benconservato
Posted by Amy on Tuesday March 9, 2010
Everyone should have a monster to call their own. Mine would be one that’s a little rough around the edges, scruffy looking with a gruff voice, but a big heart (and one with a smile goes a long way too.)
If there ever was a lady who could translate my perfect monster onto paper, that would be Emma Kidd of Benconservato. She’s based in Australia, and is an artist, illustrator, printmaker, and photographer who’s always busy dreaming up and drawing monsters!
She’s giving away a set of Monsters Behaving Badly Colouring Book and a 6-pack of Colour Me Happy Gocco Party Invites to ONE lucky reader if you’ll share with us your favorite monsters (real or imaginary!)
Giveaway ends on 16th March 2010 and the winner will be announced via email!
UPDATE: Commenting has now closed, thanks so much for participating. The winner of this giveaway is stephanie morgan rogers.
Comments [32]
Lori Dean Dyment: Monotype/Studio Sale
Posted by Amy on Monday August 3, 2009
I am intrigued by monotype printing, and this explanation courtesy of Wikipedia is of great help for those who might not know that much about the process of producing a piece of monotype:
Monotyping is a type of printmaking made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. The surface, or matrix, was historically a copper etching plate, but in contemporary work it can vary from zinc or glass to acrylic glass. The image is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two together, usually using a printing-press. Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then, using brushes or rags, removing ink to create a subtractive image, e.g. creating lights from a field of opaque color. The inks used may be oil based or water based. With oil based inks, the paper may be dry, in which case the image has more contrast, or the paper may be damp, in which case the image has a 10 percent greater range of tones.
Unlike monoprinting, monotyping produces a unique print, or monotype, because most of the ink is removed during the initial pressing. Although subsequent reprintings are sometimes possible, they differ greatly from the first print and are generally considered inferior. A second print from the original plate is called a “ghost print” or “cognate”. Stencils, watercolor, solvents, brushes, and other tools are often used to embellish a monotype print. Monotypes are often spontaneously executed and with no previous sketch.
I just discovered that Lori Dean Dyment is one of many who practices this method of printmaking. And good news to those who love this form of printmaking: she’s having a big studio sale for August where large pieces are available at 50% off.