Reception at Rabbit Brush Gallery Tomorrow Night

Please join me tomorrow night at the reception of my exhibition at Rabbit Brush Gallery in Hygiene

The "Hang and Level"

Every once in a great while I get sucked in to buying products displayed on the end caps of stores.  I really try to ignore these displays, but recently I got sucked in to a table at Home Depot for the Hang and Level, a bright yellow plastic gadget for hanging pictures that I was previously pondering about inventing for myself, but someone beat me to it.

Anyone that hangs a lot of pictures knows how challenging it is to align several frames at once.  One way is to hang pictures with a measuring tape and a pencil, measuring the hanging point on the wire from the top of the frame, and how that lines up on the wall.  Lots of little pencil marks are made and some head scratching too as the math can get complicated when considering hanging at 57" from the center point (the average height from the floor for optimal viewing of pictures).  Apartment Therapy has a post on that subject. Sometimes I have had to make several little holes in a line to finally get the picture hanging in the right place.  The "hang and level" (h & l) doesn't eliminate all of that, but makes hanging frames so much easier.  On the bottom is one or two hooks to hang the picture from depending on the weight of the frame.  

Hold the "h & l" with one hand against the wall with the picture hanging on the hooks.  When it is in place, remove the frame and set it aside (a helper can be good for this, but not necessary)  keeping the "h & l" on the wall.  The hook, which has a point on the back of it, is pushed down to make a slight indentation in the wall where the nail should be placed.  Put the frame down, and nail in to the spot marked on the wall.

The point on the back to indicate the nail hole

After the frame is hung, the "h & l" also has a level on it to level out your picture.  When I moved into my new studio, I used this gadget to hang several frames.  It went very quickly, with little or no measuring, and the frames were lined up perfectly. I think I will be using the hang and level from now on to hang my work in my studio and in exhibitions. (BTW- this is a completely unsolicited endorsement of this product)

Buy local- art supplies?

My friend Melissa and I went to the Wayzegoose letterpress sale on Saturday morning to see what kind of goodies we could find.

Melissa bought a case of fonts to play with.  It was really heavy for her to carry it back to the car!

I saw Ray Tomasso at the sale with sheets of his hand made paper in bins for sale. He had been by my studio during Open Studios several times, and was always trying to get me to try his paper to print with.

 I was in need of some paper, so I bought forty sheets of a brown hand made paper.

It wasn't until I got home that I thought a little deeper about my paper purchase.  The buy local movement has been around for a few years now, encouraging people to support their local farmer's or small hometown stores over big box or warehouse retailers.  I shop this way as much as I can, but haven't considered buying local for art supplies.  Buying Ray's paper has so many benefits.  Not only does it support him, and his art of hand made paper but also encourages his recycling of materials that are incorporated into the paper.  Among the list of materials in the paper are grey pants, and a poncho.  How great is that?  After trying this paper in a new project, I may reconsider mail ordering my usual Rives BFK that comes all the way from France. 

I wonder how many other local materials could be used for art supplies- beeswax for encaustic artists is one.  My friend Laura Tyler is one artist I know that uses local beeswax.  Kristin Fitzgerrell uses recycled scrap wood in her work.  Can you think of other artists that use local materials or art materials that can be sourced locally?

A Wayzgoose this weekend

Interested in learning more about letterpress printing or want to buy your own press?  Then go to the WAYZGOOSE!!!! Printers’ Fair open to the public

The Rocky Mountain Letterpress Society and the Book Arts League are pleased to host a Letterpress/Book Arts Sale and Wayzgoose on July 9, 2011 at Ewing Farm.

This is an opportunity for local letterpress printers to buy and sell equipment, for the public to experience an old-time printers fair, and for everyone to see a vintage letterpress studio, exchange information and socialize with old friends and new.

DATE/TIME: Sat, July 9, 9:00am-12:00pm
WHERE: Ewing Farm, 1915 N 95th Street, Lafayette. Everyone, including sellers, please park on Prairie Ridge Drive across from the playground and take the gravel path to Ewing. See the map on the BAL website athttp://www.facebook.com/l/FAQBRnUtUAQCzL0C5FS8BTaNpt35Pxy4GsV_TBAn_H-UDFA/www.bookartsleague.org

Note that parking is prohibited on Larkspur Court, per our lease. Do not park on 95th St. either. (Important – the police have come by when people parked in these spots.)

COST: Event is free for public and buyers. $5 fee for sellers, who will bring small items only that can be put on tables; if larger items for sale, bring photos. Sales are strictly between sellers and buyer; BAL charges no commission and does not take responsibility.

The Book Arts League www.bookartsleague.org The Book Arts League exists to further the traditional and contemporary arts and crafts of printing,