July 18, 2022 Starts On-line Chapbook Workshop!

Now is your chance to take a 4 day chapbook workshop with me! This class is taught on-line meeting at 6:30-8:30 EST, Monday July 18, Thursday July 21, Monday July 25 and Thursday July 28.

Folded, Stitched and Glued is a hand-on analog class where you can learn multiple methods of creating chapbooks. You will learn the steps and tools to plan, design, and construct a different form of chapbook each week. You will learn book anatomy, paper selection, sewing, folding, and gluing.

This class is grounded in practice and experimentation. You have the opportunity to try different forms of the chapbook to see how they may influence your writing or artmaking. The class is dedicated to learning techniques and materials so that you can explore what is possible. We will make multiple forms of the same book using different paper or sizes, and you can then add your own unique ideas.

Each week we make a new book structure, with several variations. At the end of class I will give you a descriptive prompt to follow in your practice during the week. Use the prompt to come up with your own ideas.

This class is offered through The Shipman Agency a literary services to writers at all stages of their careers. The Shipman Agency Mission: to provide clients, venues, emerging writers + students with the best possible experience, and to represent authors who are on the cutting edge of contemporary thinking about culture and the world.

Want to sign up? Click Here

Make Books with Me!

Classes, Folded Paper

Beginning Tuesday, March 16, I am teaching a Chapbook Making Class for adults through my good friend Leslie Shipman’s Literary Agency. I have a long history of working with both poets and artists, the book above was a collaboration between myself and Elaine Equi.

This class is for anyone interested in making basic book structures. Over 6 weeks, students learn and practice making several different chapbook designs using stitching and folding techniques. We will explore the pros and cons of different designs based on your specific needs and ideas. Whether you want to make unique books or an edition of 100 or more, you will have the skills and knowledge to confidently create the chapbook for your writing at the end of this class. In the first four weeks of class, you will be learning and practicing various book techniques and then image making.

The virtual class offers unlimited interaction and we make the books together. If you are a writer who has always thought about publishing your own chapbook, an artist interested in making books, or a person from a completely unrelated field interested in learning something new, perhaps you want to make journals, this class is for you.

Class is 6:00 to 8:00, March 16 through April 20. It is $300 and you can click here to sign up.

List of Supplies for the First Class:

Several pieces of 18” x 24” paper. It does not need to be precisely that size. You can use a newspaper, brown paper or even wrapping paper. If an art supply shop is close by, you can get a pad of newsprint paper.
Scissors
Pencils, pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, anything you have on hand.

If you have it, you can add a cutting mat, x-acto knife, glue, cardboard, or heavy board, decorative paper or cloth, (use any rags), but it is not necessary.

Once you sign up you will receive a specific list of supplies to include such things as: Bone folder, Awl, text weight paper, Cover stock, Bookbinding needle, Small binder clips, ruler, pencil, a simple supplies you may already have.

I hope to see you in class!

Portrait of Hilary Lorenz in her NM Studio by Barbara Yoshida.

Cast Flax Paper with Jacqueline Mallegni

Exhibitions

Cast Flax Planters and pebbles by Hilary Lorenz

“The Making of a Rock Garden” is a cast paper and linocut installation that I am creating for the exhibition Call & Response curated by Gabriel de Guzman at Wave Hill – a public garden and cultural center in Riverdale, NY. The exhibition opens September 10 and runs through December 3, 2017. Call & Response celebrates the 10th anniversary of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Space.

In preparation for this artwork I have been experimenting with casting paper pulp. Part of the experiment is finding the right aesthetic for my idea, the other is learning technical skills. Today, I got to spend the day with the amazing Jacqueline Mallegni of Paper Rain Studio in Abiquiu, NM. Jacqueline makes minimalist sculpture and custom lighting all from natural materials. Today she is teaching me how to make shaped flax paper. Jacqueline teaches classes in her studio as well as at the Espanola Fiber Arts Center in NM; Palo Alto Art Center; Gospel Flat Farm Gallery and Commonweal both in Bolinas, CA and the O’Hanlon Art Center Mill Valley, CA. You can find details on these links or her website.

The first component of my art installation is the paper planters. I would like them translucent, they must resemble real planters while respecting and taking advantage of the material properties. I also need to make 50 in a reasonable amount of time.

I will share with you some of the steps I learned today from Jacqueline.

Combing and layering the flax onto screen

The pressed and glued flax ready for forming

smoothing_fiber_Hilary_Lorenz_hand_tattoo

Applying and forming the flax sheet around the planter

Smoothing out flax sheet around the form

Creating the creases on the form

Letting the forms dry in the sun – the one to the right is painted with indigo

The flax forms drying under the hot New Mexico sun.

After drying the detail of the top lip of the finished planter. I experimented with a soft frayed edge and a hard edge.

Tiny flax wrapped pebbles

Indigo painted bleached flax in a creased and pleated form

Close up on edges of planters

One days work, four different forms plus pebbles. A combination of natural flax, bleached flax and silk. Thank you to Jacqueline Mallegni at Paper Rain Studio

I love learning new things and today was an exceptional day. I am excited to see how these planters evolve and how they will influence the making of the linocut plants that will tumble out of them.

Sold-Original Watercolor Drawing with Collage, Seamore, The Red Eared Slider

Drawing

Original Watercolor, 5″ x 7″ with Collage – Click to Purchase

He is back, Seamore the Red Eared Slider, but this time better than ever in an original watercolor drawing. Seamore is a linoleum block print that is cut out and collaged onto 300 pound Arches Watercolor Paper. I then layer up hand drawn watercolor with my favorite Schmincke super high quality natural gums, water-soluble resins, and pigments. On the right are two stripes of vintage Italian hand printed paper. He is gorgeous!

Original_Watercolor_Turtle_Framed_Lorenz

White Frame Not included with artwork

This is what he would look like in a standard white wood frame. I think this is my favorite. But I also have an example in black. Frames are not included they are only for reference.

Black Frame Not included with artwork

This is all part of my July 30 day watercolor challenge and it is a a fun challenge. It is exciting to have the pressure of getting each one made and working in such volume forces me to take some risks, and risk in art is always good! As usual this is available at my Stonetrigger Press Etsy Store.

The Tom and Michelle Holland Studio Visit

stonetrigger press

Michelle and Tom Holland printing at Stonetrigger Press

Today was a great day at Stonetrigger Press, Poet Michelle Holland and Painter Tom Holland came to make prints. I met Michelle and Tom in March and we became fast friends. I had been wanting them to make a print with me and finally in between our athletic events, Michelle a runner and Tom a cyclist, we made the date.

Just two days ago I bought a gorgeous landscape painting from Tom and I was eager to see how he would treat the linoleum. Michelle, a poet studied art in college and had made prints in the past, so I was excited to see what she would do. Both, amazingly freehanded the drawings onto the blocks, Tom with a brush and ink, Michelle with marker. They carved and in no time, faster than anyone I have worked with, they were ready to print.

They each made an edition of 10 with 2 artist’s proofs. Here are photos of each of them signing their work.

Tom Holland signing his prints at Stonetrigger Press

Michelle Holland signing her prints

I am thrilled with the final prints, the two editions are meticulous. Printed onto Magnani Pescia Italian made paper with Gamblin Black Ink plus my secret ingredient. (no, I will not tell you, then it would not be secret), the prints are velvety smooth with rich black ink and a slight embossing.

Michelle Holland Linocut

Tom Holland Linocut

You can see more of Tom’s work by clicking this link. And if you are near Chimayo, NM you can make an appointment to see paintings in person.

Michelle’s books include the New Mexico Book Award winning collection, The Sound a Raven Makes, Tres Chicas Press 2007; and Chaos Theory, Sin Fronteras Press, 2009. Last week on Father’s Day I got to hear her read “Not a Sonnet” in Santa Fe, NM as part of the ReelFathers Project. It was incredibly moving. This video is not from last week, it was filmed as part of the Poetry Matters on New Mexico Culture Net.

We finished our day with a nice swim at Abiquiu Lake along with Conrad and Homer, my Labradors.

For more information on Tom and Michelle, or if you are interested in their prints you can contact them directly through Tom’s site.

Pregnant Gerbil, Print of the Day, February 4

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Pregnant Gerbil on Olive Green background

Isn’t it cute? A pregnant gerbil on an olive green background. I really don’t know if the gerbil is pregnant, but in the 4th grade when Mrs. Seaver offered her students, “gerbil couples” to take home, I got mine and soon my two gerbils populated into about 200 in record time.

Pregnant Gerbil now on Etsy, $20 each, just click here.
Each linoleum block print image is 4″ x 6″ printed onto Rives BFK paper 8″ x 10″ in an edition of 10 for only $20.

Full size paper of the Gerbil 10″ x 8″

It was very entertaining for a while having all these gerbils. Luckily I always worked, even in 4th grade, so that I could get new aquariums keep my expanding family in. It was really fun at first, then after 100 or so, it was not so fun. But I am still fond of the little critters.

Table of Olive Green Gerbils

You will find 10 of these prints available on Stonetrigger Press Etsy along with two pages of additional prints. Each weekend I made a new print, always on 8″ x 10″ Rives BFK, and always ready by 8pm EST.

What will happen on Day 31?

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Thirty prints in thirty days has been an amazing challenge, a huge amount of fun, and a project that just took off. I will stop it now. What is going to happen next?

I have given this a lot of thought. Those thoughts include, “I would really like to have Saturday and Sunday to work on longer projects, drawings, larger prints, or a “play day” out in the snow. I also want to print linoleum blocks onto soft cotton t-shirts and offer t-shirts.

For the month of February the project will look like this:

1. A new print Monday through Friday, still 8″ x 10″ still $20. 5 prints per week instead of 7.
2. No prints, no posts on Saturday and Sunday
3. I will use the weekend to carve larger blocks for t-shirts and offer 1-shirt a week. I will also offer your choice of color on the t-shirt. This will be a different image from the art prints.

See you on Monday!

Please send me your ideas and thoughts. I love hearing them.

Kookaburra, print 15 of 30

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Kookaburra

Kook-a-burra, isn’t it fun to say? There are 10 Kookaburra’s now on my Etsy Store or $20 each. This is print 15 of 30.

Seven years ago I spent three months in Tasmania. I loved hearing the Kookaburras, I also like saying the word, Kook-a-burr-a. I am missing my Australia friends, the human ones, so in thinking of them I made the kookaburra.

This print has a complicated rainbow roll of black to mid-lavender to blue. After I finished printing, I had ink left. I also had paper cutoffs. My paper, Rives BFK is 22″ x 30, it yields, 6, 8″ x 10″ sheets and 3, 6″ x 10″ sheets. So from here on out, I am going to print the cutoffs using the same ink but a different block. The peacock is an open edition and is available for $15 on Etsy.

Peacock and Kookaburra

Today you get the Kookaburra on 8″ x 10″ and a Peacock on 6″ x 10″ paper. Image size on both is 4″ x 6″. You can also get free shipping.

Now through Monday January 19, type in “Freeshipping” to the Etsy checkout pager and get free shipping on any purchase $40 and over.

Table of Peaocks and Kookaburra’s

Orange Chicken in Mint Green Turtleneck, print 14 of 30, $20

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Orange Chicken in a Mint Green Turtleneck

Get your chicken here: stonetriggerpress.etsy.com

When I was a really little kid, my grandpa took me and my older sister to the Mcclouth’s farm auction. I was probably 4 or 5 years old but immediately I was captivated by theatrics of the auctioneer and the bidding. I wanted my grandpa, since I was too young, to get in on the bidding and ‘win” us something. And then that “something” appeared, a crate of 6 or maybe it was 8 chickens. I wanted chickens. We begged Grandpa to get those chickens for us, and he did. We were the winners of those chickens. I was so proud!

Later in the day we met one of the Mcclouth, kids as I remembered it, and told him of our big win. He said, “you should have just told me you wanted the chickens, I would have given them to you.” But in my little mind, which still works the same way today, he totally missed the point. I wanted us to beat out everyone else for those chickens! Getting them without the fight would not be the same. But what he did give us, was a really beautiful red and gold rooster. I remember him carrying it out of the barn in his hands, the rooster turned over on his back. We then rode home with a truck full of chickens.

We did not have a pen or shelter to keep our new chickens in, so as soon as we got home Grandpa was out in the backyard, he and grandma’s house was next to my parent’s house with a big field in between. The coop was on Grandpa and Grandmas property but in between our houses. Those chickens must have lived 25 years. It seemed like we had them forever. In the winter, a couple of them almost lost their feet because they did not know enough to stay inside and would venture out into the snow. We had to block their door shut to protect them. They all laid eggs, except the rooster of course and we, thought I think mostly my grandparents, ate the eggs.

When I moved to NYC in 1993, there were chickens all over my neighborhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Huge blocks that had pretty much gone derelict, was now chickens paradise. I loved hearing them in the morning, But as the neighborhood changed and new buildings went up the chickens disappeared.

This year I am out in New Mexico and I want to stay here rather than go back to NYC, and if for no other reason, to build my own chicken coop and go to the action and “win” me some chickens.

The chicken in this print is sporting a mint green turtleneck. The green is a piece of kitakata paper, that has been chine colled onto the printing paper. This is a process of printing and collaging at the same time. It is now available on Etsy at my StoneTrigger Press store for $20, there are only 10 of them available.

This is print #14 of #30. To date here is the line up of the 14

30 prints in 30 days

January, 30 prints in 30 days $20

Uncategorized

30 prints in 30 days

Thirty prints in thirty days is a project that I began on January 1, 2015 after listening to a 30 day painting challenge podcast. I carve, print and put one print on my Etsy store at the end of the day for $20. Here is how it works:

1. I hand carve a different 4″ x 6″ linoleum block each day.
2. I hand print on a Charles Brand etching press an edition of 10.
3. I write a blog post announcing the print at 8pm EST, 6pm MT.
4. The print is then available on my StoneTrigger Press Etsy store.
5. After 2-3 days of print drying, I sign and number each print.
6. I package each print in a glassine envelope and cardboard.
7. I put it in the mail to you within 4 days.
8. Shipping is $4.75, that covers actual shipping cost, shipping materials, packaging time and helps off-set the cost of a 12 mile trip to the post office.
9. If you are local you can email me and pick up the prints in person.
10. If you want me to hold prints and I know you, I will.
11. If you are ever unhappy with your print, tell me, I will exchange it.
12. I hope you are having as much fun collecting prints and I am printing.

Hilary Lorenz, Stonetrigger Press

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