02/13/10

Ready for winter to be over.

02/12/10

And from the Firecracker Press, here are some long-overdue pictures of the holiday cards that I made.

Here is the Nolan press that I used to make my cards. We received training on using this press, which is hand-operated (you can see my relief block sitting in the printbed; you lay your paper on top of it, add "packing" (extra sheets of scrap paper) so that you get the right amount of pressure for the image and relief impression that you want, and you pull the press so it rolls overtop) as well as a more automated letterpress known as the Vandercook which operates by turning a handle. These are amazing machines. They are all decades old now but lovingly kept and run in good working order. They weigh a ton and were built to last until the end of time.

I would have liked to use the Vandercook instead of the Nolan -- it's easier to produce a smooth, uniform image -- but class congestion meant that it wasn't in the cards. Our instructor did mention another place on Cherokee where we can rent time on a letterpress -- All Along Press. They're in the process of moving and looks like they won't be open again till March, but I'm hoping to have time to go back there and keep using the skills that I learned in the class. Printmaking was a lot of fun.

Oh, and here's my Christmas cards:

02/11/10

A couple of shots of Firecracker Press down on Cherokee Street in south city STL. I took a printmaking class here back in the fall, which was really fun. I have a few shots still to put up of that, but here's a view of the retail end of their shop (one half is retail, the other half is the printing workshop) along with some examples of their work. I really love the combination of the bold design sense along with the handmade quality of the work.

Letterpress is a labour-intensive technique that's fallen out of favour with more automatized printing processes, but there's still some small craft presses like Firecracker around who use it to create works of art. Now the class is over, but Matty (instructor and shop manager) mentioned an art co-op down on Cherokee that rents out blocks of time on their letterpress, that we can go to if we wish to continue the practice. I found their website, but it looks like they're still in the process of moving and won't be open again till March. I guess that gives me plenty of time to think of what I want to make and work on the printing blocks till then.

02/10/10

Back to St. Louis from the south. The view from I-55 is so anonymous, its businesses so recognizable. This is Anywhere, America.

02/09/10

Yikes, it's been awhile. Trying to get back into things...

Here's a shot from Lambert's Cafe in southern Missouri. If you've driven from St. Louis to Memphis, you know the place, its massive portions, its distinctive decor, and the Christian dating guides for sale in the gift shop.