It sure does feel like Spring. The mountains are bursting green and there is that quiet hum of the busy bees. I myself am one of those bees jumping from project to project and trying to remember to sit down and eat. The grand opening for 7 Ton Letterpress Collective is May 19th stop by from 4-8 for ice cream and punch!
I was excited when Dana at Chomp approached me about helping her create new business cards and hang tags. She knew I was in the midst of making the die jacket for my press and wondered if this project was something I could tackle. Seeing as I love Dana’s aesthetic I knew this would be a fun project as well as a great opportunity to test out the die jacket. Today was the moment of truth. I had done all the planning and printing. The die had been made and shipped to the shop. All I had left was cutting. I am pretty psyched about the final result and look forward to more die cutting in the future
This year for the Penland Scholarship Auctions poster I did a lot of drawing and carving! The majority of the piece is hand drawn type, inspired by art nouveau and circus posters. Projects like this take a lot of time, coffee, and love. If you are in the Penland area during any of the dates listed you should certainly check out an auction. You can find some beautiful work and know that your money is going to an excellent cause.
The last week and a half I have been fortunate enough to participate in Penland’s Winter print residency. Margot Ecke, the master printer in letterpress, has been a breath of fresh air. She introduced me to trace monotypes and has managed to get me excited about a book project!
I finally came up with a press name. Two Step Press it is! You can check out the new cards I made this fall on my etsy site. More soon!
At the last-minute a spot opened up in Eric Ryser’s etched steel class and I jumped at the chance. This is my first time in the iron shop and there has been a lot to learn. The pictures above are a few process shots, a picture of the piece Seth etched and forged, and a few shots of the plates I am working on. By the end of the week I should have a tent sculpture made to look like an old tin toy.
These are a few details of the final prints I made this spring. It was an amazing concentration here at Penland and I have to thank Leslie Noell and Amy Tavern for helping me through the process. It feels like I just opened up a door that I have been staring at for years.
Tonight at the print shop Daniel Beck and I will be showing work we made this spring in our independent study classes. Come by if you are in the Penland area.
The Verdant Laboratory
EXPERIMENTS IN DRAWING AND INDUSTRY
PRINTS AND SCULPTURE FROM
Eleanor Annand and Daniel T Beck
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 7:00pm
PAUL HAYDEN DEUNSING PRINT STUDIO
Seth Gould taught me how a file works. Now I am better at beveling my plates.
I fell in love with etching. I might have already mentioned that.
Jack Mauch made a portrait of the core students as popcorn.
I went for a walk through this pasture with a friend on his birthday.
I helped make this cake for another friends birthday. Yes that is the ghost of Gram Parsons!
And last but not least I finally got to take a picture of this truck that I have admired for the past year. I love my new camera!
I am an artist , designer and printmaker living and working in North Carolina. Go Away Winter is a collection of my days.
