10 Ways Art Can Transform a Home

by Dana of The Patterned Peacock 

As someone who makes her living selling illustrations and prints, it’s no surprise that I am a big believer in the value of artwork. But I was recently challenged at a craft show to put into words the reasons behind my belief. Since I was caught off guard I did a poor job of explaining why it’s worth the time and effort to find some pieces you like and hang them up in your home. That encounter stayed with me and inspired me to create a list of ten ways art can transform a home. 

If you find you're motivated to make some changes, check out my latest Pinterest boards: Gallery Wall and Decorating with Color.

Marketplace Preview: All About Art

It's so close one can feel it in the air, tingling with anticipation. The 6th Annual Boston Handmade Marketplace in Union Square Somerville is less than three weeks away! Come see the original, unique, and diverse array of ALL LOCAL exhibitors and arts organizations at our summer celebration of handmade: Saturday, July 13th from 3-7pm. While you're there, buy some art!

Mermaid Octopus, a watercolor and ink illustration by Sepia Lepus.

National Public Radio recently produced a story advocating for investing in visual art. According to their featured expert (a former successful Wall Street portfolio manager who now consults with clients about art as an alternative asset), "Fine art has a proven track record as a good choice during hard times. It outperforms in times of economic turmoil and trouble. It has outperformed during all of the wars of the 20th century. It's outperformed during the last 27 recessions." So if that's not enough to persuade you that real art made by real artists is something you should bring home and put on your walls instead of that old, faded Monet poster you bought in college, let the artists of the Boston Handmade Marketplace turn your head with their incredible talent...

Handmade art, original illustrations, and prints by Monkey Chow.

 

 

Fine art photography by K Hawkins Photography.

Original artwork Dana Garczewski of The Patterned Peacock.

In addition to the independent artists exhibiting their work at the 2013 Boston Handmade Marketplace we are delighted to present Somerville master printmaker Carolyn Muskat who will be exhibiting her artwork along with several other artists from the professional lithography studio and gallery that she owns and operates, Muskat Studios.

Carolyn Muskat working in her Somerville studio, Muskat Studios.

The 2013 Boston Handmade Marketplace is: One-of-a-kind, limited edition, unique, fun. Live music, DIY activities, craft demonstrations. For all these reasons and more, make Union Square Somerville your destination on Saturday, July 13th.

Announcing New Members of Boston Handmade

Boston Handmade is a juried, membership group made up of independent Massachusetts artists and craftspeople sharing business and marketing skills, art and craft techniques, and networking activities to increase each others sales and market exposure. We review applications for new members several times per year and we are delighted to announce these new additions to our group resulting from our recent winter reviews...

Vintage Coffee Mug Cup Wallet by Abigail Leigh

Amy Bohn of Abigail Leigh Handbags designs and sews wristlets and handbags from new and vintage home decor fabrics and remnants.

Shibori tied, hand dyed silk scarf by Enchantedhue

Susanne Guirakhoo of Enchantedhue creates silk scarves and home accessories from fabric that is hand dyed using plant material collected locally.

Handwoven Byzantine Chainmaille Necklace by Linkouture

Bev Feldman of Linkoture makes handcrafted, modern chainmaille jewelry from silver, gold, and semi-precious stones.

Brass filigree necklace by Prunella's Workshop

Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop creates metal jewelry and clothing accessories in silver, copper, and/or bronze inspired by the medieval period.

Retro Cameras print by The Patterned Peacock

Dana Garczewski of The Patterned Peacock creates prints, calendars, and banners from her original artwork.

During the next couple of weeks we will publish interviews with these new group members so you can get to know them and their outstanding handmade work. Follow our blog so you don't miss a beat!

Printmaking exhibition at the Boston Public Library

Randy Garber, To My Surprise, detail

If you're a fan of printmaking, you probably already know about Mixit Print Studio in Somerville, MA, where for the past 25 years Boston-area artists have been congregating, working, teaching, and sharing resources. If you don't already know about Mixit, you should, and tonight is a great opportunity for you to find out all about it.

Currently on view through July 31st at the main branch of the Boston Public Library is an exhibition titled, reThink INK: 25 Years at Mixit Print Studio, which includes more than 150 works by 71 artists in three venues throughout the Copley Square library location. This collaborative exhibition, produced by the Boston Public Library and Mixit Print Studio, celebrates the studio’s 25th anniversary and the library’s deep and long-standing connection to the Boston printmaking community.

Tonight, Tuesday, April 24th, from 6–7pm, in the Rabb Lecture Hall, The BPL and Mixit Print Studio present a panel discussion with three distinguished scholars and experts to explore the role of printmaking in art today. Topics will include the impact of digital technology on the conception and execution of contemporary printmaking, current institutional collection and curatorial practices for prints, and the continuing influence of printmaking on other media. The panel will be moderated by Randy Garber, local Somerville artist and Partner at Mixit. The panel participants are:

Patricia Phillips / Critic, Associate Provost, Rhode Island School of Design

Andrew Raftery / Professor of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

Susan Dackerman / Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Curator of Prints, Fogg Museum of Art

This event is free and open to the public and is sure to be a fascinating discussion. For directions and more information visit: http://www.bpl.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/mixit/related-events/

Preliminary Product

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

A lot of attention gets placed on the artist's final product. And rightfully so. But there's something to be said for thinking about and celebrating the process.

So here's a post devoted to the t-shirts that get no love. The scrap t-shirts. They've been used for perfecting alignment and testing colors. You won't see any of these on any runways in Paris but they are strangely interesting and powerful.

1. Lots of Boston:



2. Faint Tuxedo + Pink Burst:



3. Beauty and the Townies ... coming to a theatre near you in 2013.



4. Elephant Boat



5. CrossFit Farming ... the next craze?

Unexpected Colors

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

I deal with color a lot. A small cooking gaffe resulted in an unexpected splash of color. I forgot to add the spices (turmeric, cayenne and paprika) to my latest soup project, potato and pea.

Adding these spices later than recommended created beautiful earth tones. I took a picture before mixing everything together.



I'll be on the look out for other sources of unexpected color. Have you ever found color where you didn't expect it?

Yearly Gift Exchange

By Arthur of Arthur Halvorsen Ceramics

A few days ago we had our yearly meeting at my studio home, Mudflat Studios. Each year one of the highlights is the gift exchange. I was thrilled to get the card set by An Li Liu. They are totally my style and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them as soon as I got them home with me, I wanted to frame them!

I went to IKEA and got simple white frames because I wanted to show off the prints in my room and not the frames. I have to say, I have noticed that I'm collecting owls now, and the guy with the big heart down on the bottom totally stole my heart when he was on top of the stack when I opened my bundle of cards. Thanks An Li!!!

New T-Shirts: Dove and Bear

by An Li Liu of An Li Liu

Okee, so here are a couple of new shirt designs I’ve been printing up this week. I’ve been exploring designs that don’t involve hand-cut stencils for a few reasons – one of which is the repetitive stress in my hands and elbows that I’ve been experiencing with cutting detailed images in thick acetate. Thanks to Evan of Evan Webster Ink for helping me out with my screens!

Look for Raindrop Dove and A Bear and Two Mountains in my online shop, and they’ll be at Sarida in Roslindale, MA, and Craftland in Providence, RI in the next couple weeks.

Coming this Spring…

by An Li Liu of An Li Liu

I know it’s been an unusually mild winter, but with the recent cold temperatures and brisk wind, I’m already longing for warmer weather. I checked my mail yesterday and happened upon a wee package with some samples of my spring-like note card that is being published by Calypso Art Editions Cards right here in Massachusetts.

Keep an eye out for it this spring at retailers nation-wide!

Oh, and I have been a busy bee working away on new shirt designs, so I’ll post pictures as soon as I can!

Spooky Screened October

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

In honor of October I'm writing about costumes. Personally, I wait until October 31st to figure out what to wear for Halloween. But screen printing can be a great way to make costumes and I really enjoy thinking about and making screen printed costumes. They are a good excuse to play around with specialty inks (think glow-in-the-dark, neon, puffy or glitter!). For a school play in Brookline I used metallic silver ink to portray buttons and a police person's badge.

I wish screen printing was more useful for making individual costumes but, because of set-up times, it's ideal for a minimum of fifteen of the same item. So grab some friends and dress as members of the Dharma initiative!

Have a safe and happy Halloween from Evan Webster Ink and Boston Handmade!

Print Gocco

by Leah of cricicis design

I've been working on a new series of drawings- of fish! They are hand drawn instead of digitally illustrated, and with a little more detail than usual. I wanted to maintain the sketched quality when I printed them, but still keep them somewhat consistent with my silhouetted animal illustrations of the past.

So I decided to dust off my Gocco! Have you ever used a Print Gocco? It's a screenprinting system that's compact and clean. You start with a carbon-based image (the old machines came with a carbon pen for drawing) or a photocopy, and an emulsion-coated screen. You pop flash bulbs into the top and press down- when the bulbs flash, the carbon burns into the screen to create a stencil. Then you ink up the screen, insert it back into the same place where it was burned, and press down onto your paper to make a print. Then you repeat! It couldn't be simpler. Unfortunately, production of the Print Gocco ended in 2005. I have a few screens and bulbs leftover, and thought this would be the perfect project for them. It feels nice to print these drawings in such a tactile way.

Here are a few more photos of the process and the final products:

Meditations on Repetition

by An Li Liu of An Li Liu

It's starting to be print mania at my place as I'm stocking up for my first fall/winter shows and fairs. People seem to be of the opinion that as you make multiples of one thing, it becomes boring or arduous. Though I do love spontaneity, I've been enjoying the repetitive nature of my printing process.

I find that if I can be really present in every action -- from scooping ink to pressing the squeegee to laying out the shirts -- making multiples becomes really meditative. In this state of mind, I'm in no rush to finish, and I find that this awareness makes for better results and fewer mistakes.

So the next time you're engaged in a repetitive task, like painting a thousand tiny circles, or washing a bag of potatoes, see how your experience changes when you become more attentive in your actions.

Unique Wedding Invitations

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

I recently worked on a fun and meaningful project: a set of ~100 wedding invites for a friend. I screen printed light brown canvas cloth with dark navy ink. Lara (who's the one getting married, in case you can't tell!) sewed this piece of cloth to a thick piece of paper with all the important details.

The invites reflected the personal and hand-crafted nature of their production. What a fun project, enjoy the pictures!

An Interview with New Member An Li Liu

by An Li of An Li Studio

Hello Boston Handmade community! I just became a member last month, so in this inaugural post, I will introduce myself. It’s nice to be here.

BH: Tell us a bit about yourself.

AnLiLiu: My name is An Li Liu, and I’m from Toronto, Canada, and after a good deal of traveling and living briefly in Vancouver, BC (that’s like a second home since my parents live there), I now reside in Cambridge, MA with my partner Barun.

BH: What is your background?

AnLiLiu: I majored in Cinema Studies and Religion at the University of Toronto, and after completing a program in New Media Design, worked in the field for a handful of years. I have always been involved with art and making things – my mother and brother are both fantastic artists. When I was young, my mom taught me how to mix colors, and when I eventually met artsy friends, we’d make paintings together as an evening activity. I only recently began to focus on my artwork as a business, which is evolving into t-shirt designs and other graphic work. When I’m not busy in my art studio, you’ll find me in a yoga studio around town both teaching and taking classes. I’ve been a practitioner for nearly a decade and began teaching over a year ago.

BH: Can you describe your work?
AnLiLiu: I’ve always loved cutting and pasting, and made collages like crazy many years back. I’d use images from magazines, and found objects as well. I stopped making art for a long period of time and focused on digital work. I realized how much I missed working in the physical/tactile domain, and returned to it with gusto. Now I utilize digital illustration as part of my collage-making process by translating these illustrations onto hand-painted paper, and then using them in compositions. I love my x-acto knife.

My t-shirts designs are made with a combination of hand-cut stencils and silkscreening. It makes for a clean, simple process. I use only water-based, solvent-free inks, and no chemical cleaners whatsoever.

BH: What's your favorite color?
AnLiLiu: I’m a big fan of all sorts of colors. I’ve spent a lot of time in South Asia, and wild color combinations are everywhere there – from clothing, temples, and trucks, to the plethora of hand-painted signs. It’s wacky, mesmorizing, and amazing. But at the same time, I’m also partial to simple, clean design, so it’s a bit of a paradox, but I think it can make for an interesting aesthetic.

BH: What inspires you, and where do your ideas come from?
AnLiLiu: I’m inspired by all the surroundings I encounter. I really do enjoy nature; as trite as it may sound, it is an endless source of stimuli for the imagination. Needless to say, I’m a fan of the Planet Earth series, and other David Attenborough nature documentaries. I also love the the beautiful films of Peter Greenaway and technicolor wonderland of Pedro Almodavar, as well as mind-bending writers like Jorge Borges and Haruki Murakami.

BH: Any tips on selling handmade stuff?
AnLiLiu: Please impart any tips you may have! I’m a novice to selling online. I only began late this spring. I’m trying to balance varying tasks: designing, making, marketing, and selling one’s own work. I’m not a very natural self-promoter, so that’s the hardest part for me. So far, I’ve gotten some really positive support on Etsy (I also sell on Supermarket), and that’s been really helpful when you’re just starting out!There are so many great things about selling online, but I’m happy and eager to find a local community to share my arty/crafty life.

BH: Where can we check out more of your work?
AnLiLiu: I’ll make a list!

Website: www.anliliu.com
Online shops: Etsy, Supermarkethq
Brick and mortar: Sarida -- a sweet, newly opened artist-run shop Roslindale.

Do check out my blog and of course Facebook

Making Paper

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

Life is nothing if not an opportunity to leverage our tools (eyes, hammer, brain, engine, hands, etc.) and experiences (crawling, printing a t-shirt, making a friend, writing a story, planting a seed, etc.) to create something more amazing than the last.

Paper before screen printing to make business cards.

This is not how I would have defined life three years ago. But running a creative business has changed my perspective completely. And my creative juices have been flowing harder than Iguazu Falls.

Mom in front of Iguazu Falls. Photo credit: me!

At Evan Webster Ink, we strongly encourage experimentation and "no-box" thinking. This has had the positive effect of creating a habit of innovation. In the short-term being creative can be difficult or even anti-productive. But in the long-term the benefits are immense. By constantly trying new things Evan Webster Ink's quality and quantity of offerings is constantly improving. But more importantly, attempting to create amazing (and sometimes succeeding!) is plain fun. And I spend a huge portion of my day working. Enjoying work, therefore, is a necessity.

The latest experiment is an especially exciting one. We recently began screen printing on paper. It doesn't even sound worthy of the lengthy introduction you just read (skimmed?). But it's a direction I'm proud we're going in. We recently printed business cards for a restaurant, our own business cards (2 colors on front, 2 on back!), hang tags and gift-box packaging. A variety of custom postcards, greeting cards, event invites, and business cards for an exciting new furniture company in Jamaica Plain are in the works.

All the scraps from the screen printing of business cards.

Final product.

Front of Evan Webster Ink's screen printed business cards.

We made a couple more than a couple.

Oh, and did I mention that we also just printed some hang tags and packaging!

Our own screen printed gift boxes for Evan Webster Ink retail.]

Wine-themed hang tags.

Three Reasons to Love Screen Printing

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

Over the last couple of years working as a screen print artist I've gotten a very complete understanding of the craft. I've decided to think about exactly what I like about screen printing and try to summarize those thoughts for you here.

1. Repeatability: This is a key to my enjoyment of screen printing. For as long as I can remember I've enjoyed finding quick ways to do things. In grade school they called me "señor flash" based on the time it took me to complete homework assignments. For this reason, painting is not for me. Screen printing offers a way to prepare a design well and then repeat it consistently and quickly - perfect!


2. Creative Wiggle-room: I do like having the ability to print the same exact image every time. But I also love the fact that minor twe aks can be made between prints to give them a true hand-made, one-of-a-kind look. Exactly the same every time is boring but slightly different is fantastic! For example, one can mix colors of ink in a screen which results in a blended color, the exact blend of which changes every print. Also, to improvise color intensity I sometimes adjust the pressure of how hard the ink is pushed through the screen. This makes me think of my aunt's mug collection. Each mug is exactly the same shape (with a little thumb area on the handle!) but they are all glazed totally differently. This mix of consistency and variation is great in pottery and in screen printing.


3. Color Constraints: The more colors in a design, the more screens you have to make, the more work that has to be done in preparation, printing and clean-up. There's an inherent incentive in screen printing to use less colors of ink. This forces screen printers to get creative while getting simple. Thinking about visual expression with limited colors has vastly improved my artistic ability and allows my work to say more with less.

Thanks for reading everyone, if you want to follow me check out twitter.com/evanwebsterink, facebook.com/evanwebsterink and evanwebsterink.com/blog!

Intro to Evan Webster Ink

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

Hello world! My name is Evan Webster and I'll be introducing myself to you in this blog post. I did a little self-interview, check it out:

1. About YOU:

- Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Evan Webster and I'm from Brookline, MA. I currently live in Brookline and anticipate staying in the Boston area area for a bit. The area has given me so much and I have a lot to give back to it. But it's cold here.

- What is your background?

I have a background in Hispanic and Latino Studies - that's what I studied in college. I spent a formative year abroad in Argentina learning about others, myself and steak. I have two great parents and a little brother who goes by "Muffins". While less important to who I am than my family, I have had jobs before. I worked at the CVS down the street when I was in high school. In that job I learned something that has been reinforced every moment since: it's hard to make money while keeping your sanity. During college I worked as a host at a tapas restaurant and started to be aware that communication matters as much as action. After college I worked in an office in Cambridge which to put to rest any aspirations of a traditional corporate life - most especially when they laid me off. I currently work at Evan Webster Ink where I'm learning creativity and empathy from the best teachers in the world.

- Apart from creating things, what do you do?

This is a difficult question. Most of what I do is create. I'll change the question and ask myself "Besides creating things professionally, what do you do?" Well, I like to hike and bike, ideally combined with cooking, hopefully with my girlfriend, friends or family. And I'm hoping this year to get better at swimming and to brew a batch of beer.

2. About being an artist:

- How long have you been doing your artwork/craft?

I received a book about screen printing on December 25th, 2008. That's when it all began.

- What first made you want to become an artist?

Being an artist is merely something I've fallen into while trying to improve myself as a person. So I guess that means that becoming a better person first made me want to become an artist because artists create invaluable gifts.

- What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

The first thing I created by hand was probably a sand castle. I probably made it because I couldn't think of anything better to do with my hands. When I was small moving small objects like grains of sand was an exciting feat. Today it's equally impressive.

3. About your artistic process:

- Please describe your creative process.

The majority of the work I'm associated with is made by squeegeeing ink through stenciled mesh onto knit cotton. I do this every week and it's still interesting to me, amazingly.

- What are your favorite color combination(s)?

Red, black and white or Blue, blue and orange.

- What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

My ideas come from the desire to create solutions. I'm inspired by people who work for themselves along with space, the environment and libraries.

4. About your work:

- Describe your work.

I work at Evan Webster Ink, where I try to take customer's visions and make them into something tangible. The ability to listen is my most valued tool.

- What do you love most about what you make?

I love that they are completed. This to me is a great success. And it allows me to move on and pursue future successes.

- What is your biggest obstacle with it?

My biggest obstacle with my work is my next idea. And I'm always thinking of new things, which is a major problem!

- Are there other mediums you’re not working in that interest you?

Not at the moment.

5. About your business:

- How do you promote your work/business?

Primarily by doing good work, being empathetic, charging enough to allow me to do a good job and thinking about ways to solve my customer's problems. I also write a blog, post on Twitter / Facebook, participate in events and would like to start a garden to promote my business.

- What advice would you give to someone starting a small business?

Get customers first. Read what the experts say but then trust yourself more than anyone else.

7. Randomness:

- Name some favorites: books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites

My favorite series of books is The Golden Compass, favorite movie is The Usual Suspects.

- Tell us something we don't know but SHOULD know about you!

I don't think anyone should know how bad I am at singing. If you ask to hear me sing I will refrain out of concerns for your safety.