Author Archives: Jess

Print shop

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Oh yeah, I’m a printmaker! I spent my last 2 years of college in the printmaking lab. Sometimes nearly 24 hours a day. I love printing things. I love making one thing to make something else a whole bunch of times. I like to have an extra to give to my mom. I like to plan and retrace and perfect my drawings before they become something. I like to print things. I am a printmaker!

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Welcome to my birthday party. We went to the art store this morning. I got some screens, bulbs, and ink, came home, drew and planned, and once Logan was down for a nap I got to work! It was so cool how fast the screen was made. Flash–just like that. I went the low tech route to make my master by just drawing with the Riso pen (that came with the press) and filled in an area with Sharpie. Over all I was pleased as punch, though the part I had planned on being a flat color didn’t burn completely and had some texture. I actually like that in the finished print though. Want to see it? Well, here it is:

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I drew the tulip tree pod hanging on my mobile.

It is the same screen printed twice with two different colors of ink. The paper is Rives BFK becuase I have tons of scraps. It has some texture, but not too much. The ink sits beautifully on it. I learned that when I mix an ink color I need to make more than I think I need so that I get adequate coverage. I didn’t make quite enough of the bluish color and the line drawing pod is splotchy in the middle. I used Simple Green (thanks to all the awesome info over at the Gocco flickr group) to clean my screen in between colors and it worked like a charm without any toxic chemicals. On the brown run I used the ink blocking foam to guard the solid seedpod from getting printed and that worked just perfectly. So, all in all I call my first printing a success :)

Here it is on Rives Lightweight in a creamy color. Oh, and without the blue ink…

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Now, how could a birthday get any better? I have the BEST husband this world has ever seen.

(Well, I did get a light blue fleece jacket from my inlaws, which I really needed. It’s cute and feminine and warm. THANKS!!)

Go-go Gocco!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! I just checked my e-mail and had an inbox full of birthday wishes!! Wowee, that’s fun, but how did you know?!?

Earlier this week a package arrived from Japan, addressed to Barry, but the contents had to be fully disclosed on the customs label, so I knew exactly what it was. It was this:

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It’s a Print Gocco PG-5. And thank goodness for the internet because all the books are in Japanese and, well, it just looks like Japanese to me. It is missing bulbs and screens, and only has one color of ink, so my birthday party is a trip to the art supply store to get things so I can get cookin’. WOO-HOO!!

(We have had a busy week. It was Brenna’s birthday this week too, so stay tuned to get the low-down on that.)

Spirograph Dreams, and Needing Travel Advice

I remember sitting on my grandparents couch, feet on the coffee table with the stone top, pinning gears to a piece of cardboard and spinning my pen away. I love to make anything that takes a process and makes something like magic. I’ve been daydreaming about spirographs lately and found this site. It’s not quite as fun as the real thing, but close :)

Also, I’m planning a trip to San Francisco the beginning of June. Things I really want to do are, go to the San Francisco Center for the Book, comb a beach and come back with a collection of cool rocks, see some art, and shop. I’ll be there for 3 or 4 days with Barry while my mom watches the kids. Barry will be at conference meetings during the day–so I can do some exploring and art looking by myself, then we’ll be together in the evenings. What I’m asking of you, dear Internet, is for suggestions of places to shop, art to see, a beach, food, and–do I need a car? Will public transportation be fine? Then money otherwise budgeted for a rental car could go toward shopping. We’re staying somewhere downtown I’m pretty sure…

Anyway–help anyone?

The goods are on their way!

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I spent ALL DAY stuffing envelopes. I had quilt blocks strewn all over the floor of my art room so that I could see them all, then tip-toed through and stuck them to my flannel wall. Time flew! When I was ready for a lunch/potty break it was already 4:00 PM and I started about noon!

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Every set is different and just awesome! The combinations were endless and tons of fun to sort through.

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So, all you swappers, I’m taking my laundry basket to the post office on Monday. That means your blocks will be in your very own mail box late next week!