Tagged: art
New tumblr, print, comic and shop!
New! New! New!
I’ve started to post on tumblr as Private Spectacle Press. I’m finding it a bit easier to keep myself updating using tumblr and connecting to folks. I’m still going to maintain this blog since I’ve put so much heart into it already, but the PSP tumblr will be seeing more action than this space, so give me a follow if you’re already a tumblr addict! (Not too late to become one btw…)
I have a new shop up as well, where you can buy some of my zines, comics, books and prints. I’m planning on adding many more items to it in the coming month, including my new comic, Last Playlist. I just posted my latest linocut print, a No Junk Mail sign to detract those useless flyers and real estate broker business cards from accumulating in your mail box.
A Look at Things to Come
I’ve been thinking a lot about the future… thinking about what and how I’ll make in the next few months, what I’ll be up to a year from now and also, beyond, beyond. I have mixed feelings about planning my life. I realize that planning too much is pointless: we can’t predict how the world around us will shift, how we will change and along with us our desires and dreams. At the same time, I like to dream big and know I won’t get anywhere near my goals unless I figure out how I’m going to reach them. Planning can also be scary! What if that thing you’ve worked so hard towards doesn’t work? Or, perhaps worse, what if it succeeds and you HATE it? When your plans fall outside of anything mainstream, dependable or financially stable, you can almost hear the concerned mothers and fathers of the world tense up (however old and independent you may be); not the most reassuring sound.
Still, at this point, I’m excited about the new possibilities I am working towards, whether or not they turn out how they now appear in my mind’s eye!
To conclude this vague little post, here’s a few process shots from one of my most recently completed projects: a papercut comic about my late Grandmother. It will be published in the next issue of Broken Pencil!
My biggest lesson from this project? Nothing beats a sharp blade! Forget about size, shape, ergonomics… it’s all about the sharp!
Insomnia Redux and Lately…
I made this piece during Nuit Blanche last September at Red Head Gallery‘s Insomnia Redux event. Members of the public contributed various 2-dimensional objects and a group of artists reworked and remixed the pieces. I wish I had thought of taking a picture of the panel before I added my touch to it. Imagine a bare wood panel with broken pieces of glass glued on to it, with blobs of paint on the glass and thick red lines on the side. I contributed the rest. This was a really fun event and I am so thankful to the artists at Red Head for inviting me to be a part of it!
In other news… I will be at TCAF again this year! I will be tabling with other authours from the Porcupine’s Quill Wordless Novel Series. The Festival is celebrating it’s 10th year and the lovely staff at the Beguiling are pulling out all the stops. Have you SEEN the list of special guests?! Wowza! I’m really excited to meet David B. (And I barely ever want to meet people because I feel awkward and don’t know what to say that they haven’t heard a million times). His book Epileptic had such an impact on me and came along at a very influential time in my art practice. I will also be debuting a new comic at the fest which has been in the works forever and I’m so excited to finally be sharing it with the world.
I have a few other zine and comic related things coming out soon but I will share them when I can show them. What a great year 2013 is turning out to be! I’m doing a much better job managing my commitments so far and avoiding burnout. Let’s hope I can keep it up!
I’ve also started a new quest! I’m looking for an etching press, preferably with a press bed around 15-16″ wide. I decided that it is silly of me to wait until I have a big enough space to buy my ideal (big) press and that I can do a lot of great work with a small press while I wait for that scenario to manifest. So, if anyone knows of a small etching press for sale somewhere in Southwestern Ontario-ish, leave me a note in the comments! As my friend Nick Shick wisely said, “It takes a village to buy an etching press!”.
Lino in the Works
Happy New Year to all! Here’s a peek at a print I’ve been working on for the past few weeks.
Binding Boom in new studio
Being an artist with another job means that time to make things is always precious and passes too fast. I just finished an intense (as in, very focused) and awesome bookbinding session in preparation for Canzine next Sunday. I managed to also force myself to take many process shots. I get so detail oriented and INTO IT when I’m working that it can be hard to remember to stop and pick up my camera.
Doesn’t my chair look so welcoming? “Sit down, let’s make some books!”
Drilling holes in the text block… no way was I going to use an awl for all those pages! I usually drill the covers and text block before cutting the spine piece, but here I muddled it up and had to do if after.
Folding creases as guides for cutting the corners.
Corners cut. It takes some practice to get this right so your corners are not lumpy or do not show the board beneath.
Folding in the edges of the bookcloth. The long side is recut so that it lines up with the front when glued down (keeping in mind the 1/16th of an inch you’ll lose in the crease).
Bookbinder’s tools. I love this shape of bone folder, very useful for creasing paper and bookcloth for smooth edges. The sturdy awl was an awesome investment for this project.
Cursory snack shot. Water, dark chocolate with espresso, ginger spice cookies (vegan and wheat free).
Almost halfway done with the bookcloth step
More than halfway done. Hope dawns on the horizon!
In this batch I got the idea to mark the spine pieces in pencil so that I could keep track of which cover they go with, in which direction. This really helps in making sure the covers line up nicely in the end.
Little “favours to your future self” like these really help in being able to work faster and achieve crisp execution every time.
Such a happy sight! Only the sewing step left and that is the fastest and easiest part. Another day; for now, to bed!
Total progress: 60 books of an edition of 200. Next up: a batch for contributor Megan Speers to have available at Canzine West (Vancouver) in November.
Zine Dream 5
This weekend is Zine Dream 5 in Toronto! Zine Dream is an awesome event that has been put together for the past 5 years by my pal Jesjit Gill (the same genius who printed Boom Boom Boom at his Colour Code print shop).
Each year this event gets bigger and better. There was a really great friendly vibe to the fest last year and I especially loved the standup comediennes. This year will feature more DJs, more musical acts and, for the first time, will include satellite events: a launch party at Art Metropole tonight and a workshop and panel discussion at XPACE on Saturday.
Come out, listen to some tunes, make new friends and buy some zines. Smiles are free.
New(s) 