Interview with Mark McDevitt of Methane Studios, Inc.

Biography

Methane Studios gotits start in 1998 when Mark McDevitt and Robert Lee formed apartnership to produce silk screen posters for the East Atlanta clubThe Echo Lounge that featured some of the best independent bands inthe late 1990s.

The roots of thispartnership started in the mid 1980s at Columbus College of Art andDesign located in Columbus, Ohio. Robert and Mark, both from smallOhio towns, majored in Illustration and bonded over bad '80shaircuts, corndogs, good music and creating art to form a friendshipthat would transcend into creating award-winning artwork recognizedworldwide. Our status as well-known designers has led us to winawards in design competitions in How, Print magazine, and the Graphisposter annual.

In college we learnedin a more traditional way, which allowed us to explore techniquesthat we use today. We never let our posters "look"computerized. We use the computer like a pencil or paintbrush. Thecomputer has allowed us to speed things up and to explore moreoptions for sure, but we still belly up to the drafting table often.We draw inspiration from many artists, be it musical or visual, and ourwork tends to have a vintage influence and is shipped from oursecret, haunted (true story) studio located in East Point, GA.

Why do you like to print?

I like to silkscreen because the imageslowly comes alive right before your eyes color by color. I like theboldness of the medium, the imperfections and happy accidents thatcome along with it, plus its long history in the art world.

What is your favorite print medium andwhy?

Silkscreen is my fave. I took classeswhen I was in college and later on in my career experimented in mygarage for fun, which turned into Methane Studios. We’re producingsome letterpress cards that we’re excited about and hope tocontinue with more letterpress prints in the future.

How long have you been printing andhow has your work evolved?

We started printing in 1997 and at thetime we didn’t have any expectations for the work since it was moreexperimental, but now we strive for quality and good design. We arealways trying new solutions and growing as artists every year. Thelast thing we want to do is grow stale.

What inspires you?

A lot of the artists from the1940s-1960s inspire me, and I’m always discovering new old artworkposted on design blogs. We’re both music junkies and probably haveenough music that if I dropped dead at my computer it would continueto play music well after I have been mummified.

My family and Robert (my partner andbest bud) always inspire me to work hard, not to mention my boys seemto eat and grow out of everything quickly.

How do your promote your work?

We promote our work through ourwebsite, facebook, blogs and enter a lot of design competitions. Wehave also started to have booths at a lot of different craft fairsaround the country, which are fun. So if you see us, stop by and sayhowdy!

Are you working on any particularprojects now?

We are putting together work for ourFebruary gallery show in Raleigh, NC. In March we have a show inSavannah, GA, at the Bandwagon event, and then we’ll be at SXSW inAustin. In addition to all of that we are busy creating our firstgreeting card line, creating gig posters and getting ready for thebusy summer tour season, which could mean we might create and print more than 50 posters over a four-month period. 

We also get random projects from timeto time, so it’s always interesting to see what comes up on a dailybasis.

Tell us one random fact about yourself.

I used to collect beer cans back in thelate 1970s. I would cruise around Lancaster, Ohio, on my moped anddig in old dumps looking for rusty cone top cans, which were andstill are the most collectible. I can still remember how exciting itwas to make a big find and think about this every time I watchAmerican Pickers. Those cans reside in my man cave today!

Check out Methane Studios' Etsy shop, website and facebook page.

Interview with Michelle Murdock of Quail Lane Press

Biography

I currently reside on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, in California. I'm a native Californian but spent many great years on the east coast during college studying a mix of science and art.  I am an alumnus of both Columbia and Yale Universities.   

In the past I struggled to define myself but today I guess I consider myself a naturalist.  I'm an outdoor enthusiast, birder, nature art lover. 

I produce many of my prints using a a small rotary press in my studio on Quail Lane and all of my letterpress prints on a Vandercook Universal I at the Zephyr Press of Reno. A lot of my prints come out of my daily life in Tahoe-Taking walks with the dogs and looking around the forest at the trees and birds, or just thinking of new ideas in a tranquil setting.  

Why Printmaking?

I'm not exactly sure why I have always loved printing so much.  I started out printmaking with lithography and etching and just loved the process, the clearly defined steps, and (of course) the beautiful paper you get to work with.  I walk into any printshop today, and when the smell of ink and paper and steel hits me… I just feel at home. 

What is your favorite print medium and why?

Right now I have to say letterpress relief printing ostensibly because I do that the most.  If I had access to a big etching press and lab I might have to say that.  I dunno, it's a tough choice! 

How long have you been printing and how has your work evolved?

I've been printing off and on for around a decade.  As I already mentioned I started out in etching and lithography, but have transitioned to primarily linocuts, and photopolymer relief prints.

What or Who influences your work?

I get a lot of ideas on color and style from movies.  I love cinematography and artistic style in many movies-especially in independent flicks. 

I have to give a big shout out to bloggers, who are amazing.  The eclectic array of objects found in their blogs really get the creative juices flowing for me.  

Finally, my environment.  The lake and forest that surrounds me certainly has had a great influence on my work.  Sometimes it does so directly, by being the subject matter of it, or indirectly by clearing my mind so that I can create.    

How do your promote your work?

I try to be open to everyone and every opportunity.  I'm a one woman show at the moment so creating new pieces, ordering materials, selling and promoting myself has become increasingly hard to juggle.  However I think, at least in the area I live in, there are many people who are very interested in printmaking and the process behind it, which makes it much easier for me.

Tell us one random fact about yourself.

I eat an avocado nearly every day.  

Check out Michelle's Etsy Site and Website

Interview with Brandon Griswold of Honeycomb Print Shop

Biography

I’m a graphic designer living in Dallas, TX and am fortunate enough to work for the talented art department at Fossil. In my free time I design, carve and crank out prints for my humble print shop in the corner of my apartment. While I was earning my BFA in graphic design, I dabbled in printmaking. After I completed the courses I kept on producing relief prints when I had time. I was fortunate enough to intern at Hatch Show Print in Nashville last summer, which taught me a lot about letterpress and further instilled my passion for printmaking. While I haven’t made it my career, I think I keep my passion for it by making it my side gig. As a recent graduate, I’m glad to be able to continue to produce art constantly.

Why printing?   

I was attracted to printmaking after I took a couple of courses in college. We started with woodcut prints (still one of my favorite mediums) and expanded to intaglio, etching, litho and screen printing. I was especially drawn to the carving of woodcut. My dad used to carve constantly, so it connected me to that somewhat. I also loved the challenge of creating a perfect edition with perfect registration. It’s a nice feeling to step away from the computer and produce work that isn’t made with a mouse and software.

What is your favorite print medium and why? 

I love both relief prints and letterpress the most. Relief prints keep me connected to the love of carving and producing authentic hand made work. Letterpress is just awesome. I love using type that has been around for decades and it shows. The pits formed in wood type, the gouges in lead type, and the occasional work up all make it feel so warm.

How long have you been printing and how has your work evolved?

I’ve only been printing for about 3 years now, but my style and experience has changed quite a bit. I grew out of the traditional woodcut aesthetic with lots of carved lines for texture to now doing work that looks a little more contemporary with big fields of shadow/highlight. My love of type has made it into my work more and more as I’ve challenged myself with hand carving smaller and smaller type. I also just love the look of a grid of text.

What or Who influences your work?  

The work of Hatch Show Print has completely shaped how I view letterpress. I love the big, bold, and justified looks of the posters. I was also lucky enough to be trained there by some of the current printers to follow that aesthetic. I’m also influenced by many of my friends and what they’re doing, be it letterpress, poster design, or even animation. I’m influenced by everything around me, but then translate that to the mediums I use.

How do your promote your work? 

Promotion is probably my weak point when it comes to my work. I’ve got a facebook page, website, etsy shop, and twitter. Even though I have all of that, I rely a lot on word of mouth. Many of my sales have come through connections and referrals from friends.

Any good printing tips or funny printing stories (or both??) 

Always make sure you’re printing the right color before you start – I once printed 200 posters the wrong blue before realizing it. Needless to say there were plenty of make readies for a while.

Brandon's Etsy Shop and Website