I made a print for the Little Free Print Exchange in addition to organizing the exchange and building the Little Libraries!
Little Free Print Exchange explains the interactive exhibition, but the actual theme of the print exchange was “community.” Community is a huge deal, especially in printmaking where expensive, heavy equipment is a necessary part of the process, making community printshops (like Louisville’s Calliope Arts or Lexington’s Bluegrass Printmakers) a vital resource for printmakers who wish to continue their craft after graduation. I love the collaborative atmosphere of community printshops and I’m so lucky to have the best of both worlds: a home studio with a Vandercook proof press and super supportive family, friends and employers (always find a job that grants you access to printmaking equipment). So, starting with the community theme, I wanted to relate this idea to my obsession with beneficial insects. When do insects gather – what insect communities are there? Obviously there are bee and ant colonies, but I wanted to throw in another perspective – a little macro/micro contrast. The moon is hypnotic to me and so it was settled.
Night Shift is a 7-color linoleum cut printed on French paper in an edition of 34 – 25 of which are dedicated to the Little Free Print Exchange. I started on my Vandercook which has no built in registration system and has no automation – hand inking and careful paper placement are the way of the home studio.
I finished the edition on a 1920s C&P at Frankfort Crossings Studio, which was pretty exciting since Wesley Tanner and I restored the press very recently – it printed beautifully.
