Blog Carnival: Touching Art

Today I am guest-posting on Dirksen Dabbles, participating in her blog carnival. Here's how it works:

"A blog carnival is formed by putting together thoughts on one issue from several different bloggers in one blog post. Each blogger has individually made an entire post on the subject in their personal blogs. I have gathered together the best of each for some fantastic views and opinions. Please visit the participants blogs to read their full thoughts (photos have links to etsy shops as well)."

So here is my piece. The topic is Touching Art.

Screen printing is really a hands-on kind of art. A lot of my products are printed onto clothing, accessories, or homer decor, so they have to be able to stand up to repeated washing, wearing, and general use. People want to get a feel for how the ink will feel while they are wearing a t-shirt or sitting next to a pillow on the couch, so touching is completely encouraged for my particular art form.

I try to take close-up shots of my work so people can get a virtual feel for the different aspects of the pieces online. Many of my items are multi-dimensional, with different types of materials and processes all blended into one thing, so even close-up shots have a hard time depicting the intricacies of some of my work.

My Cherry Branch Messenger Bag, for instance, is actually a piece of fabric with the cherry branch design printed onto it and appliqued onto the bag, instead of a two-color print that it can look like in far-away shots. Also, I take photos at an angle to show off the textures a little bit better.

I use three different methods for printing:
1. My tabletop mini-printer, known as a Riso Gocco. These machines have been discontinued, and they will only print a small-sized project (about 4"x6"). I use this machine to print my Wooden Decor Blocks. These screens are made for repeated use.
2. I have a four-color single station screen printer that I use for printing my t-shirts, messenger bags, and pillows. I normally use a 20"x24" screen with this printer. Each color of each design requires its own screen, so these are usually general designs that I can use over and over again.
3. Cardstock stenciling. I have a digital craft cutter that I will soon be using to cut stencils for personalized shirts. This is a little bit different than my usual methods, but it is the only feasible way to do personalization.


I hope you enjoyed my piece. Visit Dirksen Dabbles to read the rest!