Notes From the Studio

12/13/2024

As my daughter enters her middle teens, I'm becoming increasingly more aware that my time with her under our roof is quickly receding. Soon she'll have her driver's license, and - like most of us at that age - she'll want to be out with friends more than here with us. It's the natural progression of things, so I was extra excited when she asked me if we could collaborate on an art project for Youth Volume's winter recital.

We compiled a list of violin and music-based words, set them in a handful of different typefaces, and then printed them on the Vandercook No. 01 proof press using old pieces of sheet music and dictionary pages. Then we cut everything up and collaged the pieces over an old busted-up violin. The end result was a really cool art piece (which will be up for auction at the recital - more below), and also some truly wonderful bonding time.

Ink on Paper

Projects for Little Agate, Negaunee Public Library, and our family Christmas card have all come through in the last couple weeks. I learn a little bit more, get a little bit better, and grow a little more confident with every lockup. This last run was my first time mixing ink, and I'm really happy with how lovely the gold turned out.

Upcoming Events

I'll be at the Marquette Youth Volume winter recital, which is tomorrow (12/14) at 3pm, at Soma Studios (1221 Division St.). I'll have what's left of the 2024 Youth Volume prints, if you want to pick one up. There will also be several pieces of art made with decommissioned violins and cellos up for auction, with the proceeds helping fund this awesome program. Support local artists in your holiday shopping!

Other Rambles

In an interview, when asked "How do you practice your craft in the best way possible?" musician Patrick Flegel responded with "I don't think it matters how, it's justifying and making the time to do it at all. Doing is where it's at I think." (HT Austin Kleon's newsletter)

I'm a process nerd. It's what I do for a living, and what drew me to letterpress and printmaking in the first place. But it can also be a bit of a black hole, where I put all my energy into how something gets done, and never actually getting around to doing the thing. As I've (slowly and begrudgingly) learned over time, the process only emerges after you've been doing the thing a while.

See you out there,

~PB