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Friday, August 4, 2023

Memory Lane

First relief print, 2002
I have been working on getting my Etsy shop open again after years of sitting idle (www.nappingcatpress.etsy.com) and I found an old box full of artefacts from my first years of printmaking. What a fun and frustrating time -- fun, because every day was. Like exploring Mars. Frustrating because, being self taught, I had no idea what I was doing right, or wrong; troubleshooting an issue and wondering if the solution was just a simple fix, but instead working dozens of ideas that jus led to more problems. Ironically, it was this tenacity and outlier thinking that has made me exceptional at my day job.

But if I could start over, I'd do it the exact same way, just with more tenacity. I have a pretty thick portfolio from 20 years of printmaking, but it really should be 10X as thick.

The print shown is the very first relief print I ever did. After dreaming about block printing, I got books from the library. One suggested carving and printing with potatoes. This was the result, and I was hooked.
 

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Dusting Off the Shelves

 Well, it's been a while since I've had my Etsy shop open, and it seems like a smart time to get it back up. I've got a lot of work in my files that I'd like to put on people's walls, to make room for an expected flood of creativity heading into fall.

Heading. Into. Fall

Jeesh. Well, anyway, I am very busy cataloguing and sorting prints, and trying to add as many as I can to the shop every day. I invite you to click on the photo of my press (above, on your desktop; if you're on mobile, you need to click the little link at the bottom of of the page that says "desktop mode," or just go to wwwmnappingcapress.etsy.com


****HOWEVER!!! WAIT UNTIL Sunday August 6 to buy****

On Sunday, August 6, 2023, I will release a special code you can use at checkout to receive a HUGE DISCOUNT. Along with free shipping, this sale will run until the end of August.

The discount code will be released here at the blog, as well as on the Napping Cat Press Facebook page (so go like that page, and this blog, to get notified of the discount shenanigans.


Monday, July 31, 2023

Horn Tootin'

 It became official last Wednesday, with the reveal of the Erie County Fair Commemorative Poster, the first one ever selected from entries in a contest held last winter. I am so honored to be part of the history of the Fair, I could burst.


Sunday, July 9, 2023

Photo Parade

The original concept.

 









After finalizing the drawing, I make a tracing on tracing paper to lay over the block. This helps me to keep things aligned color to color, a process called "register" or "registration."










Using carbon paper, I trace over the tracing paper and transfer the image onto the block.










After carving out the lines, I mix the ink. I am, by trade, an ink technician for a printing company, so this is my favorite part.










After rolling the ink onto the block, I place paper over the block...










....int it goes into this cast iron press. I know of only one other printmaker who uses a cast iron press to make reduction woodcuts.










And the result!










Many layers of ink later, a poster is born!


Wednesday, May 17, 2023

2 of 12

The poster represents much of what I find special about the Fair. We love to see the animals, and that is our #1 priority when we visit. Horse shows, the fish in the conservation building, cows, sheep, pigs. Our favorite is the rabbit & poultry barn. Modeled on a photo I took a few years ago, this fella keeps an eye on me, while in a cage behind him, a bunny peeks out to see what's up, doc?


 

1 of 12

 The Erie County Fair slogan is "The Best 12 Days of Summer. Opening day has changed over the years, but the anticipation is still great. When I was a kid, it was preceded by the arrival of the James E. Strates shows train, and by a grand parade full of floats built by every community in the County. For myriad reasons, the opening has become more compact, with a grand opening at the main gate, and a canned food drive. When people say "This ain't the fair I remember!" My answer is "That's because it's alive. The only things that don't change are in museums." The fair that adults remember today were pale imposters to our great grandparents. Kids going to the Fair in 2023 will relish the memories, and scoff at the 227th. That's how history works.

To honor Opening Day, I have the Main Gate wrought Iron sign, with balloons st aloft. This was the square I fretted over from the moment I drew it. The lettering and thin lines were a fright to carve. But it all printed beautifully.


Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Making History

In February of this year, the Erie County Fair put out a call for artists to submit designs for the 183rd Erie County Fair. I'd missed the email, and a friend who is also an artist and Fair fan told me about it and suggested that I enter. I'm not a poster maker, but I had an idea, and thought I might enter, just for fun.

The call was to submit a sketch of the proposal, photos of past work, an an artist's statement. At the eleventh hour, I found my original idea unworkable, and a little dull. A day before deadline, I basically gave up. I went for a walk to clear my head and to berate myself for not being much of an idea guy.

In the middle of that walk, I had a vision: tell the story of how I view "The Best 12 Days of Summer." Graphically, colorfully, in a very woodcut way.

I drew and inked my cartoon and got my application in just before deadline. I loved my concept, but I knew it didn't have the slick look and clean lines of modern computer-aided posters, and so I just prided myself on getting into the mix.

A few days later, while I was expecting a "thank you for entering, however...," I was pretty surprised to be informed that I was in the top 3. WOW!

The next step was to interview with the Commemorative Poster Committee. A wonderful group asked me questions about my own history as a Fairgoer, and were genuinely interested in my medium. They graciously let me ramble on for half an hour. As I walked home, I was full of pride for achieving that, and expecting to win the third place slot. 

A couple days later, walking downtown to my bus on a sunny afternoon, I received the call. 

They loved the design. They loved my passion for the fair. They were intrigued by the process.

I would be creating the poster for the 2023 Erie County Fair.

 

Monday, May 15, 2023

Summer Uncovered


We're almost there kids. I'm so pleased by how it's turned out. While it's not my most complex print, the cutting was insane. I'd been worried about keeping thin lines, and was actually going to print dark-to-light. This print was too special to rely on the easy way. I dug deep (and used up DOZENS of X-acto blades). If you look at Square 3 & 8, you can see the tiny characters. The register held beautifully, as you can see on Square 12, with my monogram and the building with the lighted windows.