Scratching the Surface: Emerging printmakers from local Universities

Our new show in the main gallery showcases a variety of printing techniques by local university students. Curated by Pyramid staff, Landria Shack & Gretchen Schermerhorn, this show ranges from small intimate prints, pieces printed on Plexiglas, and a silkscreened work composed of four wooded panels. One of my favorite pieces is Homeward Bound, silhouettes of a little girl and a guilty dog are layered over a silkscreened landscape photo. The figures are somewhat reminiscent of Ernest Shepard’s‘ Winnie the Pooh illustrations. The sweetness of the image juxtaposed with the sinking boat in the background makes this piece more than simply a cute scene. Another print, Screamer Two has a painterly quality to it, demonstrating yet another possibility of printmaking.

Excavate another favorite print of mine is , a playful combination of giraffe and a construction shovel.

Fanciful Cravings

Walking into the Kunst Vault installation, “Fanciful Cravings” is like stepping into a pristine city boutique. White walls are the canvas for handmade paper clothing and purses. Beautifully printed dresses and a shirt also hang from clothing racks, most of which can be tried on. The artists, Maria Barbosa and Gretchen Schermerhorn encourage the visitor to try on the clothing, deconstructing the separation between art and viewer interaction. Simultaneously, the installation also explores the relationship between art, commerce, and fashion. Oh did I mention that all these one-of-a-kind pieces are for sale? Stop by Fanciful Cravings and check out this stunning show for yourself.

DOWNSTAIRS-

In our downstairs studios come take a mini-workshop, so come on in learn a new skill, and take home your handiwork. Workshops are $5 each

1. Silkscreen a Crafty Bastard t-shirt, with a choice of two different designs. Bring your own t-shirt or buy a blank one from us

2. Make your own blank book- Learn how to fold and stitch your own lovely blank book

3. Letterpress a Crafty poster- The type is set, now it’s time to print your own Craft Bastard poster.

UPSTAIRS-

Upstairs in our gallery, check out the opening of two new exhibitions: Drawn to Washington: featuring emerging university printmakers and Fanciful Cravings: an installation which contemplates the relationship between art and commerce.
Also in the gallery, the artists in the show will be selling their prints as well as Pyramid artist books.

OUTSIDE-

Pyramid Atlantic Staff Shoppe (Booth 69)

Our talented staff are selling a plethora of handmade goodies & offering info about Pyramid

Karen Hardy- Letterpress Associate. Presenting letterpress printed cards, including holiday cards, blank card sets, and a selection of prints. Plus a sale section!

Karen’s latest designs are inspired by biology, the classification of animals as subjects, and of course her guinea pig Juliet.

Sarah Levine- Marketing & Publicity Coordinator- Handmade dog and cat toys

I was first inspired to create pet toys by my cat who demanded the highest quality catnip and original design. My inspirations include vintage fabric, 1940s illustration, and my goofy dachshund. Take a peek at my new etsy store: CityMouseDC.etsy.com

Chris Mills- Website Manager- Screened kid’s tees

Chris says his influences are “waking up earlier than I want to, wood chips under my feet, soft foods, swing sets and communist propaganda posters”. Check out Chris’ design work

Gretchen Schermerhorn- Director of Pyramid’s Papermill and Print Studio & Outreach Coordinator, is selling a selection of handmade blank books ranging from 3″ x 4″ to 6″ x 9″.

Gretchen explains that this series was inspired by pattern created through repeated line and color.

ps- My mom is helping out at the booth, she’s nice so come and say hi.

Wow- that’s a lot of stuff! So come on down to our turf and rock Crafty Bastards Silver Spring.

Yes, I am telling you to knit, crochet, draw, whatever it is you craft in public! If your craft is portable- why not take it outside the house and socialize? One fun group is the Drink and Draw social group, which has “chapters” across America. If you’re curious about the outcome, the LA group put out a compilation of their drunken drawings.

Of course dear to my heart are the Stitch and Bitch groups (or whatever the non-copyrighted name is now) that have long been bringing yarn out of the living room. Knitting meet-ups are a historical activity of women, but one that has evolved with the years. Help each other with stitches, while showing the world that knitting is not just for grandmothers anymore.

But of course you don’t need to have a group in order to craft in public. I love bringing my knitting with me to a bar, although I will admit to a couple of messed up stitches now and then. And yes, I promise I can knit and pay attention at the same time! At a Crafty Bastards info meeting at The Quarry House, I was happy to see crafty vendor “Woolarina” knitting among the beer and burgers. Also if you sell your crafts, being out in public can create interest and even sales of what you are making. Right now I’m hoping to break into a gay men’s knitting group, maybe I’ll be the token girl. I want to see you out there crafters!

A few months ago we had a group of kids at Pyramid who cut up their old jeans to make a pretty bluish paper. Also, old cotton t-shirts can be cut up and recycled into new paper, the color either determined by the shirt dye or added later if the fiber is white. In a class I took, we cut up a variety of shirts, and the strong red of one shirt mixed with those others to create a pretty pink.

Like yarn, paper can be made of many sustainable fibers like bamboo and seaweed. Check out this sweet journal made from recycled seaweed. Kozo (also known as Mulberry) is often used in handpapermaking, creating a beautiful translucent paper. The fibers can be harvested without killing the plant, thus creating a renewable resource.

Bamboo is another reusable fiber that we often use at Pyramid Atlantic to make paper, but don’t worry, there is still plenty for the pandas!

For a quick, clear look at the Hollander Beater and Handmade paper, read Ray Rich’s page at http://www.sumi-art.com/my-hmp.html

At some point I decided to make a cameo pin with Lily’s picture as a tribute to her beauty and life. I found some gorgeous green velvet from my fabric stash that reminded me of her huge luminous eyes. I spray mounted a photo of Lily on the velvet and then added a loose ruffle of black, as a reference to the classic Victorian cameo. Finally I attached two vintage Bakelite blossoms and crystals beads at the centers. There were a few glue marks on the velvet that I couldn’t remove that bothered me but I tried to ignore them.

Crafting the pin gave me something to keep me busy, which I desperately needed. Both the process and the end tribute helped me work through losing my friend. I wore the brooch for the next few days of work, it helped me feel closer to my kitty while I was away. We all have our own ways of remembering our loved ones, often striving to translate our feelings into physical displays. I think that creating a shrine with a pet’s favorite toys can be a step in the healing process. For me crafting the pin was part of my mourning and a way to remember my sweet cat, who deserved a tribute much bigger than I could ever give.

I started working at Pyramid Atlantic in January and am exploring all the art forms we offer. But up until last week, my closest experience in the Papermill was my mini dachshund peeing on the floor. Luckily Gretchen Schermerhorn, my co-worker and director of the papermill is forgiving of pups and an excellent teacher. Along with some fun classmates, I took Gretchen’s “Hollander Beater Unveiled” class where we learned how to make a variety of pulp, pull paper sheets, and press them.

After learning about different fibers and some background on papermaking we prepared to make a cotton rag pulp. We cut up orange, red, and white fabric into 1″ pieces, a pound total, which is a lot of cutting! I will skip the explanation of how exactly the Hollander Beater works because it’s somewhat extensive and it’s been a long day. So dot dot dot, after about 1/2hr in the Hollander beater we took it out and strained the pulp. Next we “pulled” the pulp through deckles/moulds (often made from picture frames). It was really fun and a bit wet and I think the whole class enjoyed the feeling of dipping our hands into vats and pulling sheets. I am excited to see how the different sheets come out. The class used about 4 different types of fiber to make our pulp. The different types of fibers and the length of time that they are beaten leads to a variety of paper thickness and appearance. Some of the pulp was thinner and very difficult to work with, sticking to the mould, but produced beautiful translucent paper. There was a bunch to clean up but we all pitched in and got it done.

Since I’m among crafters I probably don’t have to explain why someone would want to take the time and effort to make their own paper when they can just buy it. Even though computers and the digital age has done away with lots of paper, when you think about it, paper has been very essential to society. We record our history, beliefs, hatreds, loves, cures, stories, etc on paper. Even though I recycle like a fiend, I gotta have my paper and am not a fan of digital books and I don’t keep my diary on-line. There will always be something special about the tactile experience of books and written letters, and making your own paper makes it even more unique.