So Many Updates

Moth Migration Project, Prints, Small Print Store, stonetrigger press

StoneTrigger Press Abiquiu, NM

I have so much to tell you about. But first, It is Open Studio in Abiquiu, NM October 7 and 8. I am flying back from Brooklyn to participate. Stonetrigger Press will be open, to the public with a huge sale on prints and drawings.

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StoneTrigger Press Abiquiu, NM

I will also have loads of one of a kind journals, but it is only for these two days. For more about the AST, maps, times and artists, you can check the website by clicking here. There are 31 stops but multiple artists at each stop. Make sure to come to stop 4!

Hilary Lorenz Hand Printed One of a Kind Journals

The Studio Tour is from 10am to 5pm. My studio is at 5 Trigger Drive. From 84, take NM554 (The El Rito Road) 1/2 mile, turn right on CR 142, drive 1 mile to Trigger Drive. It is on your left. There will be signs!

Hilary Lorenz photographed by Da Ping Luo at Wave Hill, Bronx, NY 2017

I have two exhibitions happening simultaneously. On September 10th, the exhibition, “Call and Response” Wave Hill, Bronx, NY opened. Wave Hill’s curatorial team invited artists who have shown in the Sunroom over the last ten years to return and present new responses, encompassing an exhilarating reexamination of the site, 50 artists, including myself, created work for the show. The exhibition runs through December 3 and it is amazing!

The Making of a Rock Garden by Hilary Lorenz, 2017, photographed by Da Ping Luo, Wave Hill, Bronx, NY

My work is installed in Wave Hill’s Sunroom Gallery with it’s beautiful arched windows. and incredible light. The piece is hand cast flax pots, filed with laser cut plants and tiny rocks hung to form a 7 x 7 grid of 49 pots. This work is my reflection of the tiny plants in Wave Hill’s Alpine House.

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Next the Moth Migration Project website went live! The MMP is an on-going multi-venue international project that engages communities in both science and art through the crowd-sourcing of handmade paper moths. In the first 6 months I collected, almost 15,000 moths from 24 countries.

Moth Migration Project installation of 4,000 moths at 516Arts in Albuquerque, NM 2017

The premier exhibition is currently on view at 516Arts in Albuquerque, NM. The exhibition opened August 19, 2017 and will run through Nov 11, 2017. This exhibition shows close to 4,000 of the 15,000 moths collected.

View of walls and ceiling of the Moth Migration Project by Hilary Lorenz at 516ART, 2017

View of walls and ceiling of the Moth Migration Project by Hilary Lorenz at 516ART, 2017

This project will continue. I have a commitment letter from the Bundaberg Regional Galleries, Bundaberg, Australia to show the project April to June 2019. This exhibition will focus primary on Australian moths, so I highly encourage all Australian’s of all ages and profession, you do not need to be an artist, to check the instructions and send moths to the project. Click here for Instructions

In addition I have proposals to two Canadian Art Centers and US Galleries. It does not matter where you live, I really want to hear from you. Please consider being a part of this amazing international group. We also have a FB group, click here for the link.

After Open Studio I will get to work on my on a project for next summer. I was selected a 2018 artist for the Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency Program by Parks Canada, US Parks Service and The Yukon Arts Center for my project “Trail Magic.” “Trail Magic” engaged other backpackers along the trail with a barters system I devised based on hand printed cards of hiking equipment. I get to spend time backpacking and making art in both Alaska and British Columbia. I may never come back to Brooklyn.

It is an extraordinary fall with lots of exhibitions, open studio, and projects underway for the next two years. I hope you can join me along the way.

Last Minute Gift Giving Special

Prints, Small Print Store

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So you waited until the last minute. Good for you! I have a great last minute stocking stuffer, gift for teachers, friends, anyone who still takes notes on paper! Each Moleskine Cahier journal is hand printed from original artwork. Each one is unique.

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On my Etsy Store I have both small and large journals with handprinted original artwork on the covers. Normally my small journals are $13 each but I am offering 3 for $27, plus flat rate priority mail shipping of $6. The catch? I will put three random journals in the mail to you. But I promise they will be awesome. I will ship within 24 hours. To learn about and order the small journals click my Etsy Stonetrigger Press Store Here.

small_moleskin_handmade_journal

I also have large Moleskine Journals. They have 80 acid free pages, a nice pocket in the back and measure 8.5″ x 5.” They are available for $38 for three. And yes you get the same priority mail shipping special. Details on the large journals and to order click here

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Finally if you are in the NYC area and want to come to Red Hook Brooklyn and pick out your own journals you are welcome to do so. Otherwise all orders will be shipped as they come in, within 24 hours! Happy Holidays from Hilary, Conrad and Homer at Stonetrigger Press

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Two Weeks to Brooklyn Bridge Park

Prints, Small Print Store, stonetrigger press

Hand drawn rocks by Hilary Lorenz

On October 1 I begin installing a new artwork at 99 Plymouth Street in Brooklyn Bridge Park across the street from Smack Mellon. Commissioned by the park in early spring I have been drawing, carving and printing birds that inhabit the park. This past month I began work on their habitat, first with the rocks that surround the marsh then I will make the grass. The piece will be big, there is a 12 and 24 foot wall in one area, and a second 20 foot and 12 foot wall in anther. I always get nervous that I do not have enough printed and cut paper, but I should also know that by now I always do.

I planned my schedule carefully for this piece. I spent March through July carving the linoleum block birds. In August I made multiple drawings. And the plan for September was to spend 30 days printing my heart out on my big, 33″ x 72″ press at LIU Brooklyn where I am a tenured professor. All went well until September 1. Dr. Kimberly Kline, president of LIU locked out faculty during contract negotiations. I had 48 hours to get my blocks, paper, ink and completed artworks out of my LIU studio. I managed to do that along with a small press. My bike, flat files and 20 years of artwork are still there and I cannot access them. Yes, the lockout is horrible and I technically went from a full tenured professor to unemployed and uninsured in about 48 hours. But as they say, “opportunity comes from adversity” and it is true. A friend offered me space in his studio, another friend use of his press. And while his press is smaller than some of my blocks I can do a great deal of work. Instead of printing some of the large piece I will hand draw them them onsite. This is certainly offering me the opportunity of new ways of creating my artwork. It is also showing me that no matter what happens with these negotiations, I will be just fine, but I worry deeply about my students. I have to pass through a whole lot of anxiety, fear and anger to get to the other side and it is not pretty. But working from home and at least making drawings, and txting with my students, everything feels right.

Linoleum block hand colored Seagulls by Hilary Lorenz for BBP.

Updates and Important Information

LMCC Process Space, north shore animal rescue, Prints, Small Print Store, stonetrigger press, Uncategorized

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For those of you that frequent my Etsy Store. I will close the shop from June 29 to July 15 while I am traveling.. Before I go I am offering Summer20 coupon, a 20% discount on all orders over $40 from today until June 28th. All orders will ship by 29th. Just type in “Summer20.”

Also, Mr. C, Conrad has his own benefit print. After making 16 vet visits in 4 weeks, the always smiling Conrad got his own 7″ x 5″ print, a super deal at only $10 to help offset the cost of his bandage changes. Surprise a friend and make them smile with a smiling Labrador in a cone hand printed linocut. All details are on my Etsy Stonetrigger Press Page.

My four month Governors Island residency is coming to a close. As part of my participation in Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Process Space artist residency program, I’m pleased to invite you to learn more about my latest project “Migration” a series of linocut printed and hand colored birds at LMCC’s Governors Island Open Studios. This is a preview for a later and 10x larger more sophisticated installation at Brooklyn Bridge Park, in October. Open Studio is free and open to all on June 25th from 1 to 4pm only. Click here for FB invite.

There is an hourly ferry from Manhattan and one from Pier 6 in Brooklyn. Plan ahead it will be crowded on the ferry!!!!! https://govisland.com/info/ferry

Lastly I will leave for my studio in Abiquiu, New Mexico on June 29th and stay until July 29th. From there I will drive to Cape Cod, Massachusetts for a three week artist residency at the C-Scape Beach Shack on the National Seashore. and return to NYC on September 1.
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Smokey, from Start to Finish

Small Print Store, stonetrigger press

I am working on a super fun project creating a portrait of Smokey a beautiful Weimaraner rescue pup who lives in Michigan. I photographically detailed the entire process for you to see, but especially for Smokey’s human companions. I know this girl is very special.

I start with a collection of photographs provided by Smokey’s family. I blow some up so that I can see detail, making copies both light and dark to see texture. Then I start the drawing onto a 7″ x 5″ linoleum block

This is the block before I carved it. I draw in a range of lines to use as a guide, but eventually my carving tool becomes my “drawing” tool.

I use a variety of carving tools to bring out the details of the drawing. I carve away everything that I want to appear white.

While I am carving, I also pencil in lines, and brush over the surface so that it is easier to see what is cut and what is left.

Once I am ready to print, I mix up oil based ink until I get the color I want.

I use a brayer to apply ink to the linoleum block, making sure to cover the surface evenly.

Once the block is inked up, I carefully place it on the press bed.

A sheet of paper is carefully placed on top the linoleum block. I have a “template” in place that is my guidelines for placement

I use this handle to crank the press bed under the rollers thus applying pressure to the block and transferring the ink to the paper.

Here is the print side by side with the block on the press bed.

Here is where it gets really interesting. I wanted to put a jacket on Smokey, so I took the first print, cut it up so that I would have a pattern of the jacket. I then reversed it, since everything in printmaking is mirror image and used it as a stencil to block out the ink. Meaning, I would ink the block, put this paper over where the jacket should be and print it. This will leave an open spot for me to put the jacket.

This is the block with stencil on the left, and the print on the right.

This is a second pattern I used to cut the Awagami Japanese hemp paper for the jacket.

I am sizing up the paper cut jacket before I adhere it to the print

And here is Smokey in her fine green jacket.

And in her fancy red jacket. I think she is looking especially fine.

Paper used: Awagami Factory, Japan, handmade Shiramine Select, 110g
Collage paper: Awagami Factory, Japan, Shin Inbe, color hemp paepr
Ink: Speedball Oil based ink
Press: Takach
I use a variety of carving tools from Switzerland, Japan, and the Czech Republic.
If you read this far, and you want a portrait made of your pet, you can order one through my Etsy Store, at StonetriggerPress.

Filling up the Etsy Store

30 prints 30 days, LMCC Process Space, Prints, Small Print Store, Uncategorized

What a busy time it has been! I am vigorously working at my studio on Govenors Island located in the New York Harbor getting ready for Open Studio on May 28 and 29. My Dad recently visited and spent the afternoon with me carving. And while working on this projects is fun, it is also great to get some new small prints into my store.
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I have a number of new linoleum block prints, birds, buffalo, mountain goats, reindeer, lions, all printed on some great new paper I got at the Southern Graphics International Printmaking Conference. Awagami Paper from Japan was there and I bought all the paper they would let me have and I am not using it on my prints for you!

If you hop over to my Stonetrigger Press Etsy Store, here are some of the new 5″ x 7″ prints that are available, all printed onto 8″ x 10″ paper unless otherwise noted.

Linocut Song Sparrow

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Detail of linocut Mountain Goat

Linocut Song Sparrow

Linocut Lion

Prowler

For Peace Bird, click- Peace Bird Linocut

For the Buffalo, click Brown Buffalo

For the Reindeer, click Reindeer

For the Song Sparrows, click Song Sparrow

For Prowler, click for the Bear

For the Mountain Goat, click mountain goat.

Right now there are 53 prints in my store and I try to keep adding them on a monthly basis. If you have a special request I love to lear from people and I am happy to try adding your favorite critter.

“Buddy” is back! Now on a cinch bag

Small Print Store, stonetrigger press

Linocut printed bag with hand coloring

Buddy is back and this time he is on the front of a heavy duty cinch bag.

This is a custom bag. It is a delicious pink heavy duty canvas bag with the original colors of the “Buddy” linocut. Because it can be difficult to match the ink from the original print, I took into consideration the color and weave of the bag. Once printed I felt Buddy was lacking a bit of detail, so I went in with a brush and hand painted highlights of white and yellow so that he will really sing!
I also got my nifty “Stonetrigger Press” stamp so that I am able to stamp each bag making them very unique to the press. Each linocut was hand carved and if you want a custom bag, you have over 50 linocuts to chose from and 5 different color bags all from my Etsy Store.

A custom linocut printed bag with hand drawings

Buddy is now dry and ready to be sent to his new home!

Four minute video of Cool Printed Bag

Prints, Small Print Store

I am very excited to share the latest addition to my Etsy Store, a demonstration of the cinch bags and how they are printed. You can even custom order your bag color and what linocut you want on it!

The first bags hot off the press:

Cinch Bags, Coffee, Pink, Khaki, Red and Tan

Khaki Cinch bag with Feral Kitty Linocut

Coffee Cinch bag with coyote

Red Cinch bag with Coyote Linocut

Tan Cinch bag with Coyote Linocut

My Daily Print Project

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store, stonetrigger press

Bat Linouct

We are now in the middle of March and I have printed and posted 69 items to my Etsy Store, some of which are now sold out. This all started as an experiment to make one print a day, open up an Etsy store to sell inexpensive high quality hand printed linocuts. These prints reach a far wider audience and collector base than the larger and more expensive projects that are made for gallery and museum exhibitions. And quit frankly it has been far more gratifying because of my direct interaction with people. Well, my virtual interaction with people, but never the less, it is far more engaging. In the two and a half months, I had 163 transactions on Etsy, with most people buying multiple prints, some even bought the whole first month’s 30 day set. There were just over 250 prints sold. Of course I would love to double, triple, even quadruple that.

Starting this project is making a tremendous difference in ability to also work on larger pieces and to become self-sustaining. That is my real goal. You see I have lived in NYC for the past 21 yeas, teaching at Long Island University in Brooklyn and coming to Abiquiu, NM in my summers. I bought my NM house in 2010 and built the printmaking studio. It is my goal, to create a solid business where I can move out to NM permanently. So, every time you buy a print, not only are you getting a really great new original hand signed and dated artwork, you are helping me create the dream of living a simple life of making art, walking my dogs, running in the mountains, and enjoying the quiet beauty of New Mexico. Today I put three new prints to my Etsy Store. The super awesome bat, a beaver which I printed over the summer and a fox. If you like my FB page, and follow my blog you will get all the Etsy updates as well as my larger exhibition updates.

Right now my drawings prints and journals can be found at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs, KS, The Fuller Art Center, Los Alamos, NM, The Printmaking Center of NJ, and this summer it will be at Lake George Arts Project’s summer exhibition Art @ The Lake, NY which will be followed by a Solo Exhibition in November. And of course at my studio in NM,(until August 1) and on Etsy. Yes, it is an exciting time and I am always looking for new venues, recommendations, collaborations so please keep me in mind and please recommend my store to your friends. I really do appreciate it.

Fox Linocut

Beaver Linocut

Annie the Dachshund Linocut

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store, stonetrigger press

Annie linocut on Japanese Kozo

Each time I make a dog portrait I try something different. It may be in the size of the block, a profile vs. full body, changes of paper or changes of color. Each one is very personal. I began “Annie” last week. Annie, one of the sweetest dogs I have had the pleasure of meeting, passed away a couple of months ago. After looking through a number of photos of her, I kept melting in her side looking gaze.

There were a couple of things I knew I wanted. First, I wanted to show the pink and blue blanket, though there was only a sliver of it. Two, I wanted to have a separation between her brown and black. The only way I knew I could that is in a reduction linoleum block. This block got carved and printed 4 times over, pink, blue, brown, then black. Once all four layers were printed, I printed what remained of the block, which was quite a bit, onto 300 pound buff Rives BFK paper. In total I have 18 prints. Some were thrown away for begin off register, too dark or too light. I finished with an assortment 4 color prints on very thin Japanese paper, type types of Japanese paper.

I am beat. It was a super busy week. Spring is here and I had fences to mend, a race to run, orders to fill, grants to submit and groceries to buy. For those of you in the know, grocery shopping involves a 100 mile round trip, so it is time-consuming. But these are complaints, on the contrary, I am so lucky that I am able to do so much and have so much fun. As I await the cinch bags to come in, I am starting on a 22″ x 30″ linocut. I will shoot a photo of the daily carving process. In the meantime, there are 64 items in my Etsy store, so check it out!

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