Printsy Interview - Susan Heggestad

Interviewed by jocreates

Name: Susan Heggestad
Website: susanheggestad.com
Etsy: sheggestad.etsy.com
Blog: suegnu.blogspot.com
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/susanheggestad

Brief Bio
I was born in the small town of Vermillion, South Dakota, but moved out west to Sacramento, California while still a young child. Because I spent my formative years there, but eventually moved back to the Midwest as an adult, I consider myself both a California girl and a true Midwesterner. I have a large family: my two boys (ages 11 & 12), my husband and his three girls (9, 14, and 18). Oh and we have two dogs. I again live in my hometown, which I could only appreciate once I became a parent. I work part-time as an instructor, try to make work as often as I can in my little downtown studio, and enjoy having a flexible schedule to be home for my kids in the afternoons.

What printmaking medium do you most often work in?
My favorite, by far, is collograph. But I also love relief printing, monotypes, and intaglio.

How did you get started in printmaking?
Oddly enough, I attended a summer printmaking workshop before I even really understood what it was all about. I was studying in the art department at the University of South Dakota, and took an advanced drawing course with Lloyd Menard. Lloyd had been, for years, organizing a zany print workshop out in the Black Hills, called Frogman's Print & Paper workshop. Needless to say, I met all kinds of wacky, but lovable printmakers, and decided that I had to become one, too... I went on to attend 7 more workshops (although they are now hosted here, in Vermillion), and to get my BFA in prints, and my MFA in prints at University of Buffalo, NY.

Describe where you work.
I have a small, office-sized space up above my favorite coffee shop downtown. It's crammed top to bottom, and side to side with all of my art, supplies, equipment, etc. - including two presses. I cannot work very large, due to the constrained space, but I will be expanding after the holidays, and am REALLY looking forward to being able to stretch out a bit, so to speak.

What's your creative process for any given print? (eg. sketch first? Pre-planned or free-form?)
I do keep a sketchbook, and I often jot down simple ideas for images I tend to see in my head. That's often as far as I get with planning. I really enjoy being somewhat spontaneous in the printing process; in other words, choosing what sorts of textures and colors the print will be composed of as I go. I have, on very rare occasions, sat down and planned a multi-plate print very meticulously, before-hand. These weren't necessarily bad experiences (as a teacher, I appreciate the usefulness of planning), but this way of working just doesn't satisfy me as much as the surprise of improvisation. Of course, I've often wasted a lot of paper and ink this way...


What do you enjoy most about printmaking?
The potential for endless variations on a theme.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
Cleaning up.

What are your inspirations (other artists, people, places, events, etc.)?
Science. Especially the place where science and spirituality meet.
The expanse of the universe; the micro-expanse of our bodies.
Poetry and music.
Water.
Artists like Joseph Cornell, Magritte, Kiki Smith, Anselm Kiefer, Antoni Tapies, Marc Chagall, Leslie Dill...

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?
I'd like to think that I have more confidence now in creating my own imagery; in trusting that my ideas are worth pursuing... and of course, that I've got a much better handle on printing processes now. I'm learning to love color, which has taken me quite a long time to be comfortable with.


How do you get past creative slumps?
Everything happens in cycles, especially creativity. A creative slump is really just a downturn in the cycle, a time when your creativity needs to be nourished - you know, taking in, rather than just putting out. I try not to feel bad about simply indulging that need... reading, looking at things, finding new and interesting materials, collecting odds & ends, and of course, organizing all of my ephemera, sleeping...


How do you promote your work?
Well, I'm not really sure how well these things are truly promoting my work, but I do maintain a website, as well as my etsy store... I have some really great business cards that I got from moo.com (I put a small stack into all etsy packages I mail), I blog... I enter juried exhibitions a few times a year - and am generally fairly successful. I'm certain that I could do a whole lot more - but promotion is just not my strong suit.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?
Get a book! You don't have to take a class to learn something about printmaking... although some of the fun of being a printmaker is the social aspect; working in a printshop with other folks around to chat with, learn from. But of course, anyone can sit down with a piece of linoleum and start carving. Or heck - with a potato! I've seen some gorgeous potato prints! Printmaking is an area that is just sooo open to experimentation, to playfulness. The best book to look for is The Complete Printmaker, by Ross and Romano. Making your own prints will help you truly appreciate just what it is that printmakers do; might even turn you into a collector!

Printsy Interview - Nick Morley

Interviewed by withremote

Website: www.nickmorley.co.uk
Etsy: www.linocutboy.etsy.com
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/nickmorley/
Blog: linocutboy.blogspot.com

Brief Bio

I grew up in rural Oxfordshire surrounded by cows and lawnmowers. Then I went to art school in Sheffield, an industrial city in the north of England. At art school I made a video of Bill Clinton laughing on a 60 second loop and dabbled in painting. I spent a semester in Vancouver in my second year at art school, where I got into etching. After graduating I moved to Vancouver for a year, then London where I worked as a technician in an art gallery or five, continuing to make my own work sporadically. In 2001 I won an award which gave me free access to a printmaking studio in Oxford for one year, where I worked on a series of prints of wrestlers, then I joined East London Printmakers, where I still work. ELP is a printmaking cooperative with 30 keyholder members and 130 associate members. We run a printmaking studio and organise exhibitions, talks, events and so on. I also have a studio of my own where I draw and paint and procrastinate. That is my haven where I can let my imagination run riot without fear of judgement. Last summer I spent a month at Cork Printmakers in Ireland on a residency. I make a living from selling my work in exhibitions and on Etsy, teaching printmaking and doing commissioned illustrations. I have done two book covers so far, one for Penguin and one for Faber and Faber. This is something I want to pursue more seriously in the new year.

What printmaking medium do you most often work in, and why?
I make etchings, linocuts, woodcuts, wood engravings and screenprints. I like them all, and when I'm bored of doing one I switch to another! I draw all the time, and drawing is what connects all the work, as well as the fact that I tend to work in series.

How did you get started in printmaking?
I did some on my Foundation Art and Design course before I went to art school proper. I fell in love with etching and the richness of aquatint. I think etching attracts a certain kind of personality! Someone who is quite methodical and careful. However, I know a lot of really experimental, messy etchers, so maybe not... Anyway I fit into the former category.

Do you find yourself having to explain to your family just what it is that you do, at every family get-together? In other words, "print education"?
No, my Dad's an artist too, and both my parents have been very supportive. I do sometimes find myself explaining how I made a print to friends. Some of my friends have been on the workshops I teach and this makes them appreciate all the effort that goes into making a print!

Describe your creative process.
I scour the internet, second-hand shops, markets and museums for images which interest me. These are usually things which are a bit unusual in some way. Pictures of bearded men, wrestlers and hunters in particular. I then make drawings in my sketchbook. Some time later I'll go back and look at the images that interest me the most and develop them into prints. The nature of the image usually suggests which print process would be most suitable. For instance, if it's got lots of detail I'll make an etching, or if I want it to be big and colourful I'll do a screenprint.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
I actually love it all. Even the editioning! I get into a kind of a trance with it and it can very quite therapeutic, although that's not why I do it.

What inspires you?
I'm quite competitive, so if I see another artist's work I admire I'll want to do something as good if not better. I also find good movies inspiring, as well as good writing and music. In terms of what images inspire me, I'm really into old photos, wall charts and postcards. I collect educational and political posters so if I'm feeling bored I look through my collection for a boost of enthusiasm!

How has your work changed/evolved since you started?
It's constantly changing, although the longer I go on making things, the more I see connections in my work going way back to when I was a student. In each new piece I make, I try to challenge myself. For example, I might make the biggest etching I've ever done, or a screenprint with the most colours. I hope my work has improved, but
at the same time what I'm striving for is to recapture the sense of wonder I had as a kid. I use a lot of crayons and felt tip pens. In many ways I draw now the same way I did as a kid. I think it is so important to play. So many adults have lost the sense of what it is to play. You see that spark reignited in them when they are around a kid with a ball or whatever, but most of the time they're in this boring adult world. I'm lucky, I get to play and people sometimes end up buying the results of that!

How do you get past creative slumps?
The periods where I'm not feeling inspired are really tough. These can last from a few days to a few months! Whenever I think about giving it up I think about the alternatives and realise I've got it pretty good - I'm doing what I love and have immense freedom which you don't get in many other jobs!

How do you promote your work?
I exhibit in galleries, take part in craft fairs, try to improve my google ratings by posting my work in as many different places on the internet as possible. I always carry postcards to give to new people I meet and try to keep my mailing list up to date. One of the book cover illustrations I got was from someone I met at a Christmas fair and through Etsy I've got an exhibition in Germany as well as offers
from America. Basically, just putting it out there as much as possible!

Any long-term goals as a printmaker?
To make the perfect print. This is what I strive for every time I start a new one.

And anything else you'd like to add?


Thanks!

Printsy Interview - Nate Nolting

Interviewed by: sheggestad
Name: Nate Nolting
Websites:
www.withremote.com
withremote.etsy.com
www.flickr.com/photos/withremote/

Brief Bio
I am almost 30, I’ve been screen printing for 7 years, and I’m having a blast doing it!

I started Withremote in 2002 while working on my senior thesis at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN on “Graffiti as a form of Graph Design”. Back then most of my work was photocopies and stencils (I think I lost a lot of brain cells back then from spray paint). I built up a screen printing studio in St. Paul over a few months in 2005 to start creating rock posters and art prints. I try and make at least one print run a week depending on my schedule.
Through the use of screen printing I create art prints and other items that are a response to the world around me.


What printmaking medium do you most often work in, and why?
The medium I used the mostly is screen printing. I dabbled in just about every other printmaking technique in college, but I really gravitated toward screen printing while producing gig posters for First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN. I guess I’m a sucker for big halftones and how quick I can print by hand with a screen and squeegee.

How did you get started in printmaking?
After college at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN, I joined a group called Squad19, a graphic artist coalition in Minneapolis. The main focus of the group at the time was to produce graphics for the music industry. So naturally we worked on a lot of gig posters. At the time there were three of us in Squad19 and none of us had any idea how to print. With the help of users on gigposters.com and a lot of trial and error, we eventually figured it out and were soon making 1-2 gig posters a week with editions of 50-75.

Do you find yourself having to explain to your family just what it is that you do, at every family get-together? In other words, "Print Education"?
Oh, I have to explain what I do at just about every turn. My wife is fairly educated in the process now (I get her to come and rack prints for me sometimes) and I try to explain what I do to my family but it usually comes out as I make some sort of pictures. I’m one of the only “artists” in my family, and most of what they know as art involves ducks and deer in some fashion.
What I have to explain the most is what “Withremote” is. It’s just a name people, like Target. Get over it.

Describe your creative process.
Generally I try and create a different style for each print I make. Usually my prints come out of whatever I’m doing that week or something that I saw/heard that I want to make a print in response to. A few times I have had people ask me how many people work in my studio to make this much work. I say “just me”.

What's your least favorite part of the process?
Clean up, my hands end up smelling like Comet cleaner for a day and a half after cleaning out screens.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by the news, fashion, prime time sitcoms, video games from my youth, my wife and my son.

How has your work changed/evolved since you started?
My work has gone in waves. After college I was doing a lot of politically motivated work, mainly as a response to the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. Then my work shifted to rock posters, which were half about the music and half about experimenting with forms and what I could get away with. Now that I’m a dad, I have toned down my work, involving more “cute” elements in my prints rather than skulls and flames.

How do you get past creative slumps?
If I get in a creative slump I just try something else, usually painting. If I can’t come up with something, I scour websites like FFFOUND and others to get some inspiration, or I just take a break from it all and turn on my Wii. I generally don’t get stuck too long. The hardest time is the winter since I’m not printing due to the cold and an unheated shop.

How do you promote your work?
I mainly sell/promote online, on Etsy and my site, and then two craft shows a year in the Twin Cities. I do Craftstravaganza in the spring and No Coast Craft-O Rama in the winter. I’ve been doing both of them for a few years now and have built a decent following.

Any long-term goals as a printmaker?
I would like to keep going, to build a heated shop on our land so that I can produce year round, and possibly teach.

Printsy Interview - Shannon Buck

Name: Shannon Buck
Website: loadedhipspress.com
Blog: loadedhips.blogspot.com
Etsy: loadedhipspress.etsy.com

Brief Bio: I officially studied printmaking at Portland State University but most of what I currently do with letterpress is self-taught. I've been printing under the name Loaded Hips Press for about 6 years now. I'm also a painter and I make whirligig scupltures, small lady and cat pirates with kinetic arms.

What printmaking medium do you most often work in?

Linocuts and letterpress but I dream about working with aquatints and etching again some day.

How did you get started in printmaking?

In college. Suddenly my neurotic tendencies to want to follow a methodical process while still freaking out and making art made sense. I started with zinc etchings. I love being free to let go and let chemicals do their thing, I can pretend to be a magician. I learned how to use a letterpress from a workshop and then I sort of got hooked on it.

Describe where you work.

Most everything I do is in my studio, which is an extra room added on to our house. The previous owners of the house used the room for wood-working so it already had good artistic mojo. I do most of my printing on a community letterpress (the same press I learned from - a table top Chandler & Price clamshell platen press) located at the Independent Publishing Resource Center, a little nugget of goodness in Portland, Oregon. I have a letterpress in my studio, but, well, it's been my little problem child.

What's your creative process for any given print?

I sketch first but there's lots of room along the way for compromising and adjusting. For landscapes I work from my personal photographs. Currently I have a show up with my fellow printmaking buddy Carye Bye of Red Bat Press at the IPRC where you can see my process of sketches and blocks.

What do you enjoy most about printmaking?

There's nothing like rolling back the blankets and slowly peeling the paper off the plate after running it through the press, and finding this beautiful, luscious print.

What's your least favorite part of the process?

Printing is a zen state and if you're not in the zone you can really screw everything up. If I'm having a bad print day I have to just clean the ink off and walk away, go get some coffee and start again on a different day. But luckily that rarely happens.

What are your inspirations?

Sue Coe, Kathe Kollwitz, the Fauvists, the Symbolists, the Secessionists, old movie posters, postcards, and advertising - back when they used lithography and letterpress. I'm also in awe of all the old letterpress printers, still around to tell their stories. I recently had the opportunity to meet the printers of the American Amateur Press Association when they had their picnic in Eugene, Oregon. I got to see a linotype machine in action, it was truly amazing. It's a giant machine that melts lead and casts a slug as you type the letters on a keyboard. These guys really inspired me to continue printing.

How has your work changed and evolved since you started?

It's simplified a bit. I think more in terms of blocks and repeating forms. And, well, I'm 4 months pregnant (!) so I'm really excited to see how my work changes once this little person arrives.

How do you get past creative slumps?

That's the best time to get out old sketchbooks and revisit abandonded projects.

How do you promote your work?

Uh oh, I don't really. I need an agent.

Any other comments or advice for others who want to try making hand-pulled prints?

I don't know that I'm experienced enough to say. Maybe in 50 years I will be. For now I would say fill the world with what you want to see.

Thanks for the interview, Shannon, and good luck with the new family member in a few months!

Winter Trees

December's here - and it's cold and wintry up here in the northern hemisphere!

Celebrate the arrival of winter with these original linocut prints from members of Printsy.

Winter Tree by okiepokies

Tree Number 1 by Flying Monkey Studio

The Naul by inugie

Winter Branches by Winged Lion

Winter on the Farm - Vermont by studio27

Check back soon for some summery prints from the southern hemisphere!