LA Art Show, 2012

This is going to be my most name dropping blog post ever.

I printed up a mess of prints at the LA Art Show as part of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society. The IFPDA sponsored us to come and demonstrate printmaking to the audience of collectors and looky-loos at the Art Show. It was lots of fun, and I was lucky enough to find a purchaser for two of my large sculptural prints. And that means they take up less space in my loft and I can make more sculptures soon.

Jason and I at the premiere party

At the premiere party, I met Kim Coates (who plays Tig, the sergeant of arms) from Sons of Anarchy. He and his wife were completely charming in a way that I found surprising because I'm still such a naif that I expect actors to be somewhat like the characters they play.

David Caruso listened to my spiel and watched me print for a bit, but I didn't know what to say to him because I only know CSI: Miami from watching the Soup and when they'd film on my old campus.

Printmaker David Lefner, Shyla, and myself at the premiere party

Showing the heavy embossment to some onlookers

Plates to print

My figures, from the piece

"I don't like that, I've never liked that" on display.

Printing with the artist Dirk Hagner

Here are the three prints I made especially for the LA Art Show.

They are relief monoprints: I carved a relief silhouette, and then selectively inked it. I'm really happy with how they came out and am now printing the three plates together on a full size sheet of BFK.

LA Art Show 2011, and even more prints

In addition to screenprinting and collaborating with Linda Lyke, I also printed some mono/collagraph/relief prints on my own. I didn't prepare as much as I should have for these demos. I just grabbed a bunch of old plates and used those to generate the prints instead of making something new specifically for the event. I prefer my prints from the event last year to this one, but I did have more time then and much fewer people to talk to. Being chatty and friendly while working is so difficult.

From the LA Art Show facebook page:


This one is from an old collagraph plate with a chine colle. The image is from the collagraphe and it's just inked ala poupe.


Chine colle onto blank paper with kitikata of a collagraph and relief print. The block is from a much older print.

LA Art Show 2011, more prints

In addition to collaborating with Linda Lyke, I also made some mixed media prints on my own and some screenprints. Of all the mediums, screenprinting was the least popular to the crowd, but I think that could be because so many people already know all about it. I've been trying to think of ways to liven it up for next year, but so far I haven't come up with much.

Three color screenprint, image generated from a copper etching. I rather like this one. The first two colors I made by adding powdered graphite to transparent base, giving it a washed monotype effect.


Two color screenprint, image from a photograph. Inexplicably, I could never get this one to print well, but it looked best when I printed it in my sketchbook.

Print Jam at LA Art Show 2011

For the first half of my shift at the LA Art Show, I worked with Linda Lyke. We collaborated on four prints, and this one is my favorite of the four:


It's collagraph, monoprint, and relief.

LA Art Show, 3rd time

I'll be at the LAPS table demo-ing printmaking techniques all day on Friday during the LA Art Show. Our booth is P90, right across from the big black umbrella sculpture and the pile of shattered china.

Monoprints from the Show

A selection of the better monotypes I made at the LA Art Show:


1. mono14, 2. mono15, 3. mono13, 4. mono12, 5. mono11, 6. mono10, 7. mono9, 8. mono8, 9. mono7, 10. mono1, 11. mono2, 12. mono3, 13. mono4, 14. mono5, 15. mono6

This one is my favorite:

I mostly used sample paper that I've collected from various product fairs from when the economy was better and companies gave away all that stuff for free. I've run out now, so I need to stop being such a cheapskate.

LA Art Show, 2010

I returned again to the LA Art Show with my wee press, and did LIVE! printing of monotypes at the Los Angeles Printmaking Society's booth.



My little didactic speech about the process I mastered, and repeated the same set of jokes over and over. Thankfully, the only people who heard their repetition were the poor people staffing the booth with me. I didn't bring any referrence material, so some of the monotypes I made are rather poor as I figured out the right pressure for the plate and paper and got used to painting in front of people, but perhaps it's good to get used to embarrassing myself in front of of a crowd of people. It's practice for teaching.



This was my second year in a row doing this at the LA Art Show. Perhaps next year I'll plan ahead better and see if we can sell the prints I make for charity or something.