Started updating the blog last night, after a rotten day at Designer Mart (well?! it's true, it was) ; was trying to notch it down as a bad day at the office. Waking up on a day like today, all the negativity is gone. All we can push for is fairer placements for next week, and that we can all relax a bit. Moan over!
Exhibition preparation is well under way. Prints are with our fantastic framer, and we may decide to include a few more small prints, but the focus over the next few weeks will be making new work for Designer Mart and our website. We'll be printing up some new minis, and will include a range of framed mini-minis (might have to re-think that title!), so hoping for lots of interests and lots of sales!
Watch this space... or rather, keep watching this space. Will be posting a brief update tomorrow on our bounty of treasures!
April 10, 2011
April 3, 2011
EXHIBITION PREPARATION
We're moving ever closer to the opening of the exhibition on 5th May, 'Lino I Know', so we thought we'd give you a brief update on the work that's been keeping us so busy.
When Fán was asked to give a solo exhibition by Temple Bar Cultural Trust she agreed to it despite the tight timescales (asked at end of February, which isn't a huge amount of time to prepare, given that framing normally take upwards of 3-4 weeks).
She began working on several new pieces immediately, and without wanting to give too much away, here are the drawn plates for the first piece completed.
The planning stage took over a week for this piece, the cutting another 10 days, and the printing seemed to go on forever. In total this took just over a month. We've included a picture to show you just some of the prints made in any give day - tired just looking!
The next prints to made (yet to be printed) are the A3's, The Printing Rooms biggest prints so far. They have taken time, patience, some tears/tantrums, quite a bit of feet-stamping, and just a little bit of avoidance and a find-other-things-to-do-that-are-really-important... like washing-up, always loved washing up. In all, just to prepare to draw, these have taken 3 weeks - there are 3 in total. Here's part of the planning stage, just mapping out where each piece and part of the finished print should go.
Once the research and drawing stage was complete, was time transfer onto the lino plates, ready for cutting. A few days tweaking later, the drawings were on the plate, in reverse and ready for cutting. Cutting stage 1, about 3 days; re-drawing areas and cutting again, another 2. Several neurofen later, the plates are (almost) ready to print. And, ah, the printing part if another difficulty, as new inks had to be ordered, as well as some beautiful Velin d'Arches (a gorgeous rough 200gsm paper) for the actual printing, which has taken time to source and order and delivery.
So, wish her luck, printing starts tomorrow and we'll keep you all updated with progress and with exhibition imformation.
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| Drawn plates |
When Fán was asked to give a solo exhibition by Temple Bar Cultural Trust she agreed to it despite the tight timescales (asked at end of February, which isn't a huge amount of time to prepare, given that framing normally take upwards of 3-4 weeks).
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| Printing-lots of it |
She began working on several new pieces immediately, and without wanting to give too much away, here are the drawn plates for the first piece completed.
The planning stage took over a week for this piece, the cutting another 10 days, and the printing seemed to go on forever. In total this took just over a month. We've included a picture to show you just some of the prints made in any give day - tired just looking!
 |
| Preparing the image |
The next prints to made (yet to be printed) are the A3's, The Printing Rooms biggest prints so far. They have taken time, patience, some tears/tantrums, quite a bit of feet-stamping, and just a little bit of avoidance and a find-other-things-to-do-that-are-really-important... like washing-up, always loved washing up. In all, just to prepare to draw, these have taken 3 weeks - there are 3 in total. Here's part of the planning stage, just mapping out where each piece and part of the finished print should go.
 |
| cutting of plates, stage 1 |
Once the research and drawing stage was complete, was time transfer onto the lino plates, ready for cutting. A few days tweaking later, the drawings were on the plate, in reverse and ready for cutting. Cutting stage 1, about 3 days; re-drawing areas and cutting again, another 2. Several neurofen later, the plates are (almost) ready to print. And, ah, the printing part if another difficulty, as new inks had to be ordered, as well as some beautiful Velin d'Arches (a gorgeous rough 200gsm paper) for the actual printing, which has taken time to source and order and delivery.
So, wish her luck, printing starts tomorrow and we'll keep you all updated with progress and with exhibition imformation.
March 27, 2011
STALL RE-DESIGN PENDING!
Designer Mart week 3 was a cold afair.. I suspect we were all waiting for the glorious sunshiiiine that we had all week, but alas, it never shone in our direction.
Now that we're relative pros at the ol' market selling, (I need to put 'not' in here somewhere. We used to say that a lot when I was about 14, " I really like your new jeans/jumper/boyfriend.... NOTTT".. that kinda thing) we need to think about re-designing our stall and getting more customers in our direction. A few ideas have cropped up, but mainly we've been doing a little research and web trawling to find some inspirational ideas, so we thought we'd share those with you! Apologies for the weeny images, I'll link each image to the actual page where I can!
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| LINK: http://goo.gl/FpsSp |
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| LINK: http://goo.gl/mB2Br |
This was the first one I came across, and like it because it's something that we can use for the display of our prints. We've been struggling for weeks to figure out how we can get some height onto our stand, and with thanks to this image, we (think) we (may) have cracked it - watch this space!
Finally, Operation bunting will be taking place very soon. We figure bunting goes a long way to separate out your stall, so we're hoping to get sewing happy (with the help of a borrowed sewing machine and a borrowed friend). So most of these stands are very cutesy, which is fine, but we will certainly borrowing ideas and inspiration from all sources and using our printing gene to, quite lid'erally (excuse the pun) stamp on it!
March 20, 2011
Designer Mart - Day TWOOO
OK, so last week we might have fibbed a little. It wasn't intentional, but we did say (with determination) that we would be updating our blog more often... we haven't, and here we are a week later. We are doing a lot of hand-wringing, and foot-shuffling by way of apology and promise to try harder; but what with the daily printing, the Designer Mart at Cow's Lane EVERY SATURDAY (am I shouting?), and the exhibition to prepare for (did we mention the exhibition... several times.. one more won't hurt: 5th May, Culture Box, Temple Bar)...
Excuses, excuses. So great second day at Designer Mart. Busy, and all Irish sales, so pleased with that, and great feedback too, so here's hoping for great things to come for The Printing Rooms. Speaking of great things, check out our mention, albeit brief in The Irish Times, Magazine section.
Right, no rest for the self-employed. Off to print up colour no.1 of newest 'Mini' Series. Haven't decided yet on final colours, so will just enjoy the sunshine, the studio and the sometimes noxious odours of my (I could have said anything here) inks.
oh, and a pic to sign off with! a teaser for exhibition (5th May, Temple Bar, you know the rest!).
Excuses, excuses. So great second day at Designer Mart. Busy, and all Irish sales, so pleased with that, and great feedback too, so here's hoping for great things to come for The Printing Rooms. Speaking of great things, check out our mention, albeit brief in The Irish Times, Magazine section.
Right, no rest for the self-employed. Off to print up colour no.1 of newest 'Mini' Series. Haven't decided yet on final colours, so will just enjoy the sunshine, the studio and the sometimes noxious odours of my (I could have said anything here) inks.
oh, and a pic to sign off with! a teaser for exhibition (5th May, Temple Bar, you know the rest!).
March 13, 2011
Designer Mart Day 1
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| Designer Mart set-up |
Rightio, we've decided to clean up our act and start updating our blog regularly... at least more then we have anyway.. it won't be every day, or even every few days. I mean, let's face it some days we just wanna bury ourselves in the studio. Here you will find all our most up to date news, newsletter links, info on offers, all that kinda thang so keep reading!
Firstly, Designer Mart update. Twas our first week and was very lucky to be sharing with some great people - check out Laura Cassidy's work. Despite the rain it was a good day, busy enough down in Ye Old City, lots of foot traffic (and a dog in a rain jacket... seriously) and lots of interest. It was nice to be out & about with The Printing Rooms and we were pleased with our first table set-up (pic above).
Already looking forward to getting back there next, although the knees are arguing the case very well.
If you missed this week's market, never fear, it's running every Saturday, 10am - 5pm, and get yo-self on our newsletter list as we'll be doing some great offers soon.
February 16, 2011
TG4, Leaving Cert & Díospóireacht na gCeannairí
In ainneoin Gaeilge atá beagáinín rusty agus briste, beidh an blog (blag?) iomlán seo as Gaeilge in onóir díospóireacht TG ceathar anocht.
Táimse thar a bheith bródúil go bhfuil triúr cheannairí againn, a leabhairin dothain Ghaeilge le go bfheidfidís an díospóireacht seo a eagrú (i ndáirire, níl morán grá againn don triúr... Micheál ach ga h-áirithe... agus Enda... bias, moi?).
Tá súil agam go mbeidh seans acú labhairt faoina bpolasaí, agus nach mbeidh diaspóiracht again cosúil leis an gceann a bhí ar RTÉ... twitter debate, abair cibé rud is féidir i 45 soicind. Nach fíor gur na polatóirí fein a shocraigh go mbeadh 45 soicind an duine acú.. ná h'abair go bhfuil faitíos orthú go mbeadh an pobal ag iarradh a bpolasaí a scruidiú??!
Cé chomh íoranta (Béarlachas, I know!) atá sé go bhfuil Enda agus Fine Gael ag iarraidh breathnú ar an Ghaeilge mar teanga gan feidhm, is go raibh síod ag iarriadh í a bhaint den leaving cert, agus Enda le Gaeilge den scoth aige. Ta súil agam, i ndiadh an clár stairiúla seo, nach mbeidh siad ag iarriadh.
So, na deanagaí dearmad, VÓTA 2011, ar TG4 ag a 7 a chlog (Beidh mise ag breathnú ar 'Garraí Glas' ina dhiaidh).
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