Treasury!

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 Luzelle van der Westhuizen of Mengsel Design

Biography



I’m from Cape Town, South Africa. Moved to London 5 years ago and live with my husband near Wimbledon in South West London. I have a degree in Jewelry Design and after working for various other designers, I decided to venture out on my own. My jewelry has always been very graphic and two dimensional, so printmaking and illustration was a natural step for me. Looking back, I now realize how much I as drawn to print from a very early age.


Why do you like to print?


It is addictive! I love playing around with colours. The thing with silkscreen printing is that the quality of the ink on the paper is something that is hard to replicate with digital and every piece is unique. I really enjoy the physicality and the technique behind it. Coming from a jewelry background, it was easy for me to find my groove in another type of workshop/studio environment.


What is your favorite print medium and why?



Definitely silkscreen printing. I love the graphic effect and the bright , bold colours and shapes that can be achieved with this technique.

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


I’ve only been printing for less than 2 years. I completed a short course of 3 evening classes in silkscreen printing a year and a half ago at the East London Printmakers Studio and after that I was hooked. After finding a printing studio closer to my home, I joined and started printing and experimenting. I would say that most of my printmaking progress has been trial and error and I feel that I’m now at the stage where I’m getting very comfortable and that I get the results that I want. I still have more to learn though! There’s ALWAYS more to learn.


What inspires you?


I’m mostly inspired by geometric and hand-drawn patterns, as well as African and Scandinavian design. Beautiful vintage objects and graphic typography are also very inspiring. I find a lot of inspiration by going to old, specialist bookstores that sell rare books and prints, like Sotheran’s of Sackville Street. It is really great to live in a city like London and just go out exploring with my sketchbook.

How do your promote your work?


I have my own blog, where I enjoy sharing my work process and I always include promotions like discounts and giveaways, which I also post on Twitter and Facebook. My Etsy shop is also advertised on leading design blogs, such as Bloesem, Pikaland and Print and Pattern. So far, I’ve been lucky with others bloggers writing about my work frequently.


Are you working on any particular projects now?


[Last spring I participated in a] pop-up shop with Curate 40 at the Notting Hill store of Pedlars. Also more work for Heal’s and a few new print designs for my Etsy shop.


Tell us one random fact about yourself


Afrikaans is my first language.

Check out Luzelle's Etsy Shop and Website

Interview with Brian Holden of Borealart

Visit Brian's Etsy Shop and Website

Biography

I am a visual artist and also an arts educator who has resided in the city of Thunder Bay since 1980. The region is known for its beautiful, rugged boreal forest wilderness and is found on the northwest shores of Lake Superior in the province of Ontario, Canada.  It is also my place of birth.    

 

My work is highly influenced by these surroundings and is reflected in studies of the landscape and flora/fauna of this region. During my youth, I had the opportunity to not only live here in this region for a while in a variety of small communities that bordered on wilderness but also in a few less populated rural agricultural regions of southern Ontario. A lot of time was spent during my childhood and teen years exploring the woods and fields which forged a deep respect for and love of nature that to this day continues to be the source of inspiration for my images. I often still make journeys into the back country by canoe or by vehicle and on foot to get my reference material.  

I studied the basics of visual art at Sheridan College in Brampton Ontario. After a brief time there I undertook an independent direction with my creativity and through self teaching expanded my understanding and levels of skill in a range of various mediums. It was also at this time that I returned back to this region and committed myself to becoming a full time artist. This has included involvement with the local arts community and has culminated by serving in a leadership capacity as president for a local artist collective for a couple of years. I have established a presence here through exhibition of my art in local galleries, both in group and solo exhibitions. Not only do I spend a great deal of time working in the studio, but also I have made time to give instruction to others (mainly in printmaking). I am active in the role as an arts educator in regional schools and also in private workshops for older youth and adults.

Why printing?  

I was introduced to printmaking during my senior high school years and also in an elective course in community college.  Although painting at that time was the medium I was engrossed with, it became apparent that the more printmaking experience I had, the stronger an appeal it produced. Painting then took a backseat. Printmaking presented challenges that provided the stimuli to develop an image through various stages. The varieties of techniques I am able to explore as a printmaker have allowed for an expansion of creativity more so than any other medium I have tried to date. I also like the idea of producing more than one copy of a single image, and printmaking allows an artist this possibility.

What is your favorite print medium and why?

Silk screen would have to be my favorite medium. I was introduced to serigraphy in art class while I was studying in secondary school. I quickly became proficient enough with the medium that the school I attended in the mid 70’s occasionally employed my skills to design and screen print posters for school related events. Later I adapted the medium to print on fabric and create wearable art. However it was the fine art serigraph print on paper that has been the driving motivation that I have been trying to perfect for well over three decades. I also like the variety of techniques one can employ with serigraphy including the cut film stencil, drawing fluid/screen filler and photo sensitive emulsion coated screen. I can focus on one technique or also choose to combine different techniques to achieve the final product.

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

For over thirty years I have employed a variety of printmaking disciplines in my studio practices. This includes relief block printing from linoleum, wood, cardboard and styrofoam surfaces, serigraphy (silkscreen) on both paper and fabric, intaglio processes such as acid bite hard ground etching on metal plate, drypoint and, in the past couple of years, non-toxic etching via solar plate. I have also explored collagraph and monoprints.  Recently I have undertaken the study and application of relief engraving using both wood and plastic surfaces. My background in painting sometimes is incorporated into a few print images.   

I believe that my work is evolving as I become more adept with each technique and expand on what I know, but also from what is learned each time I create a print.  Ultimately when I realize that a successful image on paper has been achieved this stokes the fire to keep me motivated and to see where I can take things next.

What or Whom influences your work? 

During my early years I was quite in awe of screen prints produced by some of the well known pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Liechtenstein and David Hockney. Their screen printed images were truly inspirational to someone who was learning screen printing.  However throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s I had the opportunity to view paintings and hand printed images by a few established artists from both my own country and also the galleries of northern Europe.  Two Canadian artists of note especially influential were A.J. Casson (who had translated some of his work to serigraph) and painter Tom Thomson. Casson was a member of Canada’s famous Group of Seven and Thomson is acknowledged by the group for his influence in depictions of the Ontario landscape on canvas.  The way that both of these artists have explored landscape and nature in their work moved me to approach my imagery from a whole new perspective in terms of simplicity and composition. It also forced me to figure out how I could use printmaking as the vehicle to achieve something interesting and personal.

How do your promote your work?

I have had a website since 2003. Last year a new website was launched to coincide with my solo exhibitions that have a whole new layout and look, but also there is a common theme in my recent work that focuses on continuity. The older site is still kept as an archive and is linked from the new site. In addition I have maintained a blog for a couple years.

I am fortunate to have a local few retail outlets that display and promote my work.

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

The key to successful printmaking (for me at least) is organization.  Always, always, always, keep those brayers spotlessly clean!  My last bit of advice is “do not be afraid to try new things or shake things up, try experimenting by combining things into new and exciting hybrids ”.