Napkin Art Studios

It’s been two years since my last solo show, so I’m...

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:47:51 -0500

It’s been two years since my last solo show, so I’m very happy to announce my upcoming exhibit, “Of Use & Circumstance”, opening Wednesday, May 22nd at The Magnolia Theater in Dallas, with Ro2 Art!

Of course, I haven’t been sitting idle the last two years. Taking a bit of a break from the gallery scene to focus on some other art media (such as printmaking) has definitely helped strengthen my art and design capabilities, and I hope this fresh batch of work reflects that. Will be nice to get back into the swing of the gallery world with this first show of the year.

Pictured: Jonathon Kimbrell, “Churchy,” Acrylic & Silk Screen on Wood, 12.5” x 17.75” (2012).

Probably didn’t do too great of a job promoting this, but...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:15:12 -0500

Probably didn’t do too great of a job promoting this, but if any of my Dallas area followers need something to do, we’ll be here today from 11a-7p, with gig posters, art prints, tees and some other choice goods.

The awesome surf/punk/pop group, Bleached, recently played...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:32:59 -0500

The awesome surf/punk/pop group, Bleached, recently played Dallas, and we were lucky enough to do the posters for the show. Napkin Art Studios only has a handful of these ‘test pressing’ posters available in our shop. Get ‘em before they are gone for good.

Always keep your work surface clean and organized.

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:08:20 -0500

Always keep your work surface clean and organized.

Two new gig posters hitting the presses this week, one for...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:37:53 -0500

Two new gig posters hitting the presses this week, one for Parade of Flesh’s Bleached/Hunters/The Atomic Tanlines show at Club Dada in Dallas on 4/13, and our design for Good Records’ 13th Birthday/6th Annual Record Store Day celebration on 4/20. Both hand silk screened with water-based inks. Will be available at the events, and later on the Napkin Art Studios web store.

Great work amigo!! ;D

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:53:45 -0500

Much appreciated!

Oh boy, what a crazy last couple of weeks, er…months it...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:33:29 -0500

Oh boy, what a crazy last couple of weeks, er…months it has been. We’ve been swamped with personal projects and contract work since January that there hasn’t been a lot of time to update everyone on what’s been going on.

We’ll sit down here soon and do a big recap on some of the things w’eve been working on, but first, we wanted to share one of our new music-inspired art prints that just came off the print tables today. If you know anything about our little studio, you know we’re HUGE vinyl record fans, and out tribute to the 45rpm adapter is going to go well with our collection and yours.

The print is a two color silk screen print on French’s Madero Beach Speckletone 100lb cover stock, measure 7” x 7” (appropriately), and is a signed, open edition. Since the custom mixed yellow really pops against the black, we are going to print a couple more versions in different colors. This print will hit our Etsy shop later this week, and will debut next week when we set up at White Rock Local Market in Dallas on April 13th, along with some of our brand new prints and gig posters.

We’re definitely blessed and really thankful to have so much work coming in, and to be able to share with everyone soon. Though Napkin Art Studios has been operating for nine years now, we feel as though we are finally coming into our own, and things are taking shape in a good and creative way.

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks at new work soon!

‘Vinyl Junkie’ says it all. This makes designer...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:32:43 -0500

‘Vinyl Junkie’ says it all. This makes designer sleeve no.3 in our series of custom printed 45 record sleeves. Because let’s face it, plain sleeves are just boring…

I’ve always been a sucker for cool, interesting and quirky...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:24:23 -0500

I’ve always been a sucker for cool, interesting and quirky promo items from companies, and so after nearly 10 years of operating Napkin Art Studios, I felt it was high time to have a fun little promo of my own. Introducing the studio’s new hand printed promo napkins, our ‘thank you’ to all who purchase goods from and support Napkin Art Studios.

Some companion pics from this week’s first attempt at...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:45:29 -0600

Shot film.

When in doubt, refer to the 'cheat sheet.'

'Ol Bessie.

The first attempt didn't work out so well...

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Some companion pics from this week’s first attempt at filming with the 16mm Bolex.

New Adventures in 16mm (Part 1)

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 21:34:00 -0600

Since Christmas a few months ago, there has been this nagging feeling in the back of my mind to dust off my ‘new’ 16mm movie camera and start making some movies. Nothing in particular, just maybe some footage of the studio, cars rolling by on the highway, flowers blowing in the breeze or some other amateur sort of scene. Maybe one day I’ll shoot something substantial, but in the meantime, I just getting acquainted with ‘Ol Bessie…

I’ve no formal training when it comes to cinematography. The only thing I really know about movies or motion picture film is based on my favorite movies growing up. But honestly, I’m not in this to become a Hollywood filmmaker, or a world-reknowned documentarian. What I’m really thinking is ‘how can I incorporate this medium in my current work?’ Well, first…you gotta get some schooling on how to use the camera, in the first place.

So, this is ‘Ol Bessie (christened that after the Bob Dylan and The Band song) and she is my 1946 Bolex H-16 film camera. Thanks to Youtube, I found a couple of videos on how to load film correctly, which was a big first step. The cool thing is that all I currently have on hand is bunch of old school Kodak Kodachrome film, which if you know your history, is no longer being produced or processed. Total sad days. However, after doing some research, Kodachrome can be processed like b/w film, but there is only a 75% to 80% chance of getting any kind of results from your film. Processing Kodachrome is expensive as hell, too.

In addition to learning about how to load film into the camera, I also learned that double 8mm film will also run through a 16mm camera. (Double 8mm film, which is produced in 25’ spools, was designed to expose one half of the roll, then run back through the camera to expose the other half. When cut down the middle and spliced you have 50 feet of film, hence the term ‘double 8mm’.) Filming a roll of double 8mm in a 16mm camera is almost kind of pointless, since you only get the original 25’ of film. Oh well, at least this first roll of film shot this week will serve as a test reel, just to see if the camera is in full working condition.

My first attempt at shooting film was a total bust. I loaded the film on the wrong take-up spool, and when I tried running the camera back through onto a smaller spool, it didn’t really work out so well. So, the film ended up all on the floor, and not back into the film canister. You have to learn somewhere.

Attempt number two worked out much better. The film loaded correctly, I used the correct take-up spool, and hopefully, once the film is processed I’ll have some footage of the studio to see.

If researching how to load film into the camera was the easy part, finding a company somewhere in the US that sells new film and process film is another story all together. The couple of promising places to process this old Kodachrome is Film Rescue International and Rocky Mountain Film Laboratory. Granted, pricing is expensive and turnaround time varies with each company. It’s probably worthwhile if you have several rolls of film to develop at once, but it still won’t be cheap. Kodak, believe it or not, still produces movie film, but they don’t make it easy to find or purchase. And if you search the net for companies to process new movie film, you’re bound to find a few. Some will even transfer your footage to DVD (for an additional fee.)

It’s gonna take some time (and money, obviously) for me to see some of this week’s filming results, but I think it’ll be worth the wait. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for film editing equipment, a decent projector, and possibly some vintage home movies and other films for a special project I’m looking to undertake later on in the year. You can read about it in future “New Adventures in 16mm” postings.

We’ve got a new round of art prints that we are currently...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:09:57 -0600

We’ve got a new round of art prints that we are currently finishing up, designs that have been in the works for some time, now. We’re vinyl junkies, and since our studio typically produces stuff we really like, why not print up some 45s with fictitious record labels to simply geek out over?

This is just a peek at one of the prints from the set. The other prints will include a Jazz, a Rock n’ Roll and a Blues theme, so as to cover the four basic food groups of music. The best part is each print will be housed in its own custom printed record sleeve, too, because we’re suckers for good, all-around gimmicks and packaging.

Each print will be a signed and numbered edition of 45, available in sets and individually, and available exclusively from Napkin Art Studios. Our followers will have a chance to win a set before you can buy it soon, so keep your eyes peeled here for updates!

I’ve begun work on a new print portfolio featuring ten old...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:57:00 -0600

I’ve begun work on a new print portfolio featuring ten old and random mug shots from around the country, most from the 1950s and 60s. These aren’t famous criminals or celebrities with run-ins with the law, or anything like that. They are just your average criminals booked on various charges. I’m still working on the title of the series right now, but the working title is “Uncommon Criminals.” Not sure if it’s quite fitting, yet.

I did some test prints yesterday of the first mug shot. Just a single color on French Madero Beach Speckletone 100lb cover. I really like the simplicity of them. They measure 19” x 25”, and are limited to five (5) test pressings (which is how I now mark my artist proofs and/or sample prints.) The final prints from the portfolio series will have splashes of color in them, making them more visually appealing (I think. We’ll see how it goes…)

Each set of mug shots in the portfolio will be an edition of ten, bringing the entire print run to 200 prints. Both shots will be paired with its corresponding number in the print series, consisting of 20 prints in each portfolio edition. No word yet on when the portfolio will be available, or what the final price will be. I’m hoping soon, but I’m still in the middle of hunting down original mug shots, so I don’t want to rush things. More process pics coming soon.

*I realize it’s bad form to include feet in a photo, but this at least gives you an idea on actual print size.

So, these were probably some of my better shots from...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:42:00 -0600

So, these were probably some of my better shots from today’s PolaWalk with the Instant Film Society in Dallas, TX. I shot with both Fuji FP-100C (color) and FP-3000B (b/w) film, and was pretty happy with the results. I shot everything with a vintage Polaroid Automatic 250 Land Camera with a built-in range finder (which is a bitchin’ feature.) It’s a fun little camera to play around with.

I did have a little mishap with my b/w film halfway through the film pack. The paper tab tore off before I could eject the print, and after having to open the camera back to readjust, I lost the shot and the remainder of my exposures. I was a little bummed, needless to say, but hey, it happens. At least I got a few shots I was happy with.

I can’t really complain too much, as it has been a long time since getting to shoot with any of my Polaroid cameras. Practice makes perfect, as they say. I’m more than prepared to have another semi-expensive hobby, next to collecting vinyl, travel, and being an artist.

I’m certainly looking forward to more PolaWalks and other Instant Film Society events in the near future. This is a rad bunch of people to geek out over instant film with, and I’m excited to see how big it becomes over the next few months and years. Check ‘em out online, and if you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and love instant photography, join us! If you happen to live outside of DFW and love instant photography, join your local instant film club or start one up!

Had a blast today during my first Instant Film Society PolaWalk,...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:41:00 -0600

Had a blast today during my first Instant Film Society PolaWalk, shooting some color and b/w Fuji film in and around Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, TX. The weather was perfect, there was a large group of instant film enthusiasts, and learned some cool new Polaroid tricks during today’s jaunt. It doesn’t take much to get bit by the Polaroid bug, and since instant film is readily available again, I have another some-what expensive hobby to dive into. Here is one of the photos from today’s walk. Loving the rich color of the blue and red in Fuji’s instant pack film.

Had the pleasure of having photographer and instant film fanatic...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:28:00 -0600

Had the pleasure of having photographer and instant film fanatic Justin Goode stop by the studio today, as I printed up some swell business cards for his Instant Film Society group. He loved the cards and was kind enough to shoot my portrait on some Impossible Project film. I typically don’t have my portrait taken, as I’m on the other side of the camera, but this may be the one and only time there is photographic evidence of me with a full-on beard.

The Instant Film Society is having a PolaWalk this Sunday, February 24th in Dallas, beginning at Klyde Warren Park and continuing thru Uptown, where it will give instant film aficionados alike a chance to take and share their instant film treasures with each other. Napkin Art Studios will be posting some of their shots from the weekend early next week.

So, you know how sometimes when your spark plugs aren’t...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:55:57 -0600

So, you know how sometimes when your spark plugs aren’t gapped properly, and their misfirings cause your car to run not-so-good? Yeah…well, that is how it has felt in the studio as of late. Lots of misfirings in the creative process, but slowly getting there.

Anyhow, continuing work on the latest painting series, tentatively titled, “Uncommon Criminals.” This diptych is currently in the works, but is taking shape nicely. Hope to have the new series ready to debut by April 2013…

Hot off the presses today: ‘Mini Bug (Blue)’, two color silk...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:42:07 -0600

Hot off the presses today: ‘Mini Bug (Blue)’, two color silk screen on French Madero Beach Speckletone 100lb cover, 5” x 7”, S/N edition of 30.

This particular version is marked as a test pressing, which is how we now mark and catalog all of our artist proof and registration copy prints. Our love of vinyl knows no bounds…

Print will hit our Etsy shop within the next few days or so, along with a red version.

Next up in the Warhol-inspired “Oil Can” print...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:52:32 -0600

Next up in the Warhol-inspired “Oil Can” print series… “STP Oil Treatment.” We like to joke that Warhol had soup, we have oil. Using the same basic can design as Warhol’s soup can, who used the design directly from a Campbell’s Soup graphic. Bringing it full circle…

Will be a limited edition print of 20 on some sort of lovely French Paper, and will be signed and numbered. We’ve got some other fun oil can prints in the queue, so keep your eyes peeled.

Finishing up the last batch of commission work for a...

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 13:45:43 -0600

Finishing up the last batch of commission work for a client/collector in Chicago. Here’s a sneak peek at an Edie Sedgwick “Poor Little Rich Girl” portrait, prior to being stretched on its frame.