If you haven't had a chance to come by the shop in person, you can now take a virtual tour of the joint, thanks to a robust post on Printeresting. It was a lovely visit from some very smart, funny people who do great work and deeds.
And if you are in Portland and it's still August, go check out their installation at Space Gallery, as Rum Riot Press runs amok!
I've decided to only print the truth. Not that I have a record of setting lies on the press; but I do want to keep it clean and pure. And one beautiful truth that's bubbled to the surface of late is that I love it when I, or a friend, drops a well-crafted F-Bomb.
There are plenty of extra-curricular and baloney cuss words that just fill space and ears. But thankfully, once or twice a day, I get to hear the real thing.
This is an homage to my ernest and foul-mouthed brothers and sisters, expressed with wood type and linoleum block. Thank you for dropping them.
PICNIC Holiday Sale happens tomorrow, Sunday the 11th of December, 11am to 6pm. Besides being a consistently fantastic craft fair, this year's PICNIC Holiday Sale is especially wonderful as it will be taking place at the Portland Company Complex, home of Strong Arm Bindery. In fact, the venue is right across the alley and just one catwalk away from my humble digs. Best load-in ever and an easy walk from downtown. There's plenty of parking: 58 Fore Street, just up the hill from Hamilton Marine.
This time around we have some new letterpress cards and posters high-lighting the compelling and complex world of poodle hair-dos: The Continental, The English Saddle, The Puppy (or Working) -- all tastefully described with linoleum block and wood type.
Hope to see you tomorrow, and best wishes for your winter.
I have a lovely little Kelsey press that needs a new home. 5x8" chase, with composite rollers---it's fully functioning and ready to use. I've posted it over on Craig's List, though you can contact me directly through this site. And I think we'd all prefer a local pick up here in Portland...
UPDATE 5/26/11: The press was sold this morning to a couple of awesome ladies from NH. Many thanks for the inquiries, and best of luck to the new owners!
Yes, we did it! Four days at the Portland Flower Show, 14,000 people through the front door and we're still standing.
This time around we took on a woodland theme. Screen printed some wood grains and letterpress printed some title work over it (with wood type, naturally). My heartfelt thanks to Reuben J. Little of 43rd Parallel Press for his advice and assistance with the screen printing of all things woodsy.
And a big thank you to my sister Ann, Will, Desneiges, Diane of Ferdinand, and Rich and Kathy--all for spelling me long enough to take time out for breaks and do some fudge gazing upstairs. Thank you very much!
It was a very easy commute, as the Portland Company is located just
across the alley from my studio, with ample opportunity to go feed the
cat and breathe a little bit.
And check it, right there in the background is our very own Vandercook 223. Best 3,600 lb trade show prop ever!! It really pays to do your business where fork lifts are abundant.
The last two weeks I've been putting in a lot of time getting ready for the Portland Flower Show, which took place from last Thursday and on through the weekend. The booth came as a bit of a surprise, without much notice---but the crew was game and I was ably assisted by both family and friends. Thanks to each and every one of you!
So to fit in with the crowd over there, we gave a stab at some floral images. I took some snaps of various fleurs, and Reuben J. Little of 43rd Parallel Press translated them into 3- and 4-color screen prints. I think they came out quite smart. This is a series of notebooks designed for mounting pressed flowers.
There are Tulip and Pussy Willow notebooks, as well, and I'll throw those up on Etsy as soon as I've got some decent pictures. There are also some very sweet flower presses produced by my brother, and those, too, will have their 15 minutes as soon as I get the lighting right.
I believe this is the first official collaboration between Strong Arm and the 43rd, and here's hoping there's many more to come. For the sake of closure, here's a few shots of the men of the 43rd (Reuben and Leif) working very late, late, late into the night:
