The Wayzgoose Annual Book Arts Fair

Posted on April 20, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 195/365

It’s the best time of the year; time for the Wayzgoose!! I’m not even going to try and hide the fact that this is my most favourite show of the year, anyone who’s attended will understand.

This is an annual gathering of bookbinders, book artists, papermakers, printmakers, paper marblers, and anyone who makes things to do with these things. We all get together for the day to show our work, engage in shop talk and be inspired! It’s the best.

Traditionally a Wayzgoose is a feast held by a printing house for it’s employees. Today the Wayzgoose is a day-long fair, plus a gorgeous letterpress printed poster (like the one above by Graven Feather, of course!). And it’s also when the Wayzgoose anthology comes out, which is bound in a limited edition of 115 copies each year, with signatures from the vendors of the fair and local printmakers. Like I said, it’s pretty incredible! Check it out if you can, details below.

When: Saturday April 25, 9am – 5pm
Where: Grimsby Public Art Gallery, 18 Carnegie Lane, Grimsby, Ontario.

For more information, please visit the gallery’s site here.

The Studio On a Sunday

Posted on March 1, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 145/365

Today’s post is all about some screenprinting I did a couple of days ago! I did 115 prints for the Wayzgoose Anthology. If you’re in southern Ontario and into printmaking, book arts, and the like, then you should check out the Wayzgoose Book Arts Fair in Grimsby at the end of April!

I always mix my own colours because I enjoy it, and it gets me the exact colour I want.

Just a sneak peek at a corner of my print. And also the wonderful zebra print duct tape I usually use. (It gets the job done and puts a smile on my face!)

I’ve been practicing calligraphy on a fairly regular basis. So when it came time to come up with a design for my print, I naturally turned to ink, but this time to brush and ink rather than my calligraphy pen. I decided to draw my design right on my screen rather than use photo-based techniques.

This is my small, portable setup to screenprint. It works really well and stores away neatly in a minimal space.

If you’ve ever wanted to try screenprinting you should! It’s fun and not too invasive, take a workshop or a class if you really want guidance on how to get started.

Springtime Renewal

Posted on April 24, 2014 by sproutspress

I thought it was about time to formally introduce my latest project; Hay Fever Hankies. I know some of you have seen them on my social media, in my Etsy shop and maybe you’ve even seen them in person at a market or fair! I’d like to share a bit more about these little gems and show you where they come from, what they’re made of and all about.

This is a product that is proudly made from reclaimed materials. This means that each edition or collection will be different, depending on what fabrics are available and most appropriate for the season.

You may remember the first collection of Hay Fever Hankies, as pictured above: crisp white fabric with imagery in summer colours.

This time around I decided to change things up and refresh my original idea. I started with fabric in four springtime tones: Mocha, White, Pistachio and Grass Green and kept the images in a neutral grey. When looking for fabric I always hunt for 100% cotton, no scratchy fabrics!

The prints are lino cuts based on my sketches of local plants: Timothy/Hay, Ragweed and Crowsfoot. These are printed onto the fabric using water-based earth friendly inks. They are heat set, sewn by me and then pre-washed.

I really like how the Crowsfoot turned out. Since the printing is done by hand, each handkerchief is a bit different, giving uniqueness and character to each.

If you’re into getting outside in springtime, check out my Upcoming Shows to snap up some hankies of your own! This saturday, April 26 2014, I’ll be at the Wayzgoose in Grimsby! Otherwise, they’re available online here.

Ps. You may have noticed that the prints on the Grass Green fabric seemed to have disappeared. This isn’t your imagination, I’ve decided they have a different purpose than hankies . . . this is all I’m saying for now, so stay tuned!

An Old Friend

Posted on March 4, 2014 by sproutspress

Besides being a bookbinder, printmaker and general maker of paper arts, I also like to grow a vegetable garden. And, every year, I watch in wonder as my seeds sprout and grow into seedlings and eventually make the journey outside.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA I won’t go into the story of why I chose to name my artistic practice after the mighty sprout and its incredible journey. Instead, I’d like to tell how it has re-united me with an old friend. (If you like, take a look at my About section to learn why I chose the name Sprouts Press). IMG_0688_fotor

I should probably clarify a few things. When I say that I was re-united with an old friend, I’m not talking about a person, but an old love. A former romance, let’s say, with printmaking. But not just any printmaking, I’m talking about printing on a Vandercook press, in a studio, with oil-based inks. Sigh. So, when the annual Grimsby Wayzgoose Book Arts Fair call for vendors arrived in January I agreed, as usual, to submit an original print in an edition of 115 for their anthology. I thought it was time to honour my namesake in print format and decided to dedicate my print to the mighty sprout. Normally, I plan several weeks in advance and use the back of a wooden spoon to produce my 115 prints. Not this time. I’ve been teaching bookbinding workshops lately and my favourite is at a wonderful space here in Toronto, Graven Feather, where there is a Challenge Proof Press!!

After mentioning to them that I used to print on Vandercook press, and how much I loved it and how great it would be to print my 115 prints with something different than the back of a wooden spoon, it was decided that I could print on their press! So, this is how it happened, how I was re-united with printing on a press, with oil based inks, in someone else’s studio, by the mighty sprout. I drew my image, cut the lino block and printed it in a lovely leaf-green on light grey stock.