Sadly, since there was no Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash this year, Napkin Art Studios will be at the Good Local Market on Saturday, Dec. 1st, hocking all the hand printed cards, art prints, gig posters and more. 10a-4p. Free and open to the public, with live music!

Shop local and buy hand made for the holidays!

Printed up design no.2 in the series of designer record sleeves today. Will be printing a teal version this week, as well. Both sets of limited edition, hand printed sleeves will be in the online store within the next few days. Thinking about re-sleeving my entire 45 collection with these, now.

Sporting new Rigor Mortis Printing logo tees. 

Picking up (more) steam in the studio this week. Shirt orders being filled on the Rigor Mortis Printing side of things, as well as churning out a few more screen print designs, like this one. This is another colorway of my ‘Astute Fashion’ print I did back in April. This version is teal and black water based ink on some kraft paper-like cover stock (paper was in a stack of sample sheets I had laying around, thought it would be a good choice to print on.) Though, I only printed 5 signed and numbered copies of this version. Gives me an idea on the calendar I plan to print later this summer…

Will have this extremely limited edition print available in the Etsy shop this week.

My PLAY LOUD mini screen print now available to the masses.

I love screen printing. I really do…but sometimes, working on posters exclusively gets to be a drag. You kinda feel like you are always working for someone else, and for someone who quit the day job circus to work for myself, I sometimes feel like I’m back to a place in my professional life I don’t want to be.

Should you ever want to take up screen printing, here is some wisdom I learned the hard way this week:

1) If you start a print/poster run, be sure to complete it that day you start it, if possible. Obviously, large print runs are difficult to complete the same day.

2) When coating your screens with photo emulsion, be sure it’s consistent and even. Slight inconsistencies in the thickness of the emulsion can really mess you up during the exposing/burning stage.

3) NEVER run out of emulsion.

4) Do your best.

5) Even screen printing by hand has its limitations, so don’t feel horrible if your layers don’t line up perfectly.

6) you are only human, and there are only so many hours in the day.

7) Sleep is sometimes overrated, but essential in maintaing fresh starts and fresh ideas.

8) If you can swing it, assistants and/or interns to help with even meager tasks are helpful to get you to the end of a print job.

9) Be careful not to break important printmaking stuff when frustrated. Could hinder you in finishing your job.

10) If your printing isn’t working out that day, come back to it tomorrow.

11) Give yourself PLENTY of time to work on a job/project.

12) Avoid doing most, if not all, print jobs at the last minute. TRUST ME.

New ‘thank you’ card set ready to hit the studio’s shop this week. Set of 5 A1 sized cards printed on Starch White French Speckletone 100lb Cover w/ 5 French Poptone Wild Cherry envelopes. Completely hand printed (including packaging label, printed on Finch 98 Bright White 100lb Cover.) Cards come blank on the inside for your own personal inscription.

What a fun project to work on! More printed goodies, such as this one, coming soon.

A sneak peek at this year’s hand printed holiday cards sent to friends and family. This marks the third year I’ve been doing this. Hope those who have or will receive one enjoys them as much as I did printing them. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, everybody!

Here is a better image of the Carolina Chocolate Drops poster from the Granada Theater on Sept. 16, 2011. Three color silk screen on bright white Finch 100lb cover stock / 20.5” x 14” / 2011. S/N Edition of 40. The image is from an old discarded photograph I found at an antique shop. I’m always curious to know the story behind such photos… Check out more of my work here.

Another silk screened poster for The Texas Theatre: “A Fistful of Dollars” / Four color silk screen on bright white Finch 100lb cover stock / 20.5” x 14” / (2011). Part of their “Italian Summer” 35MM Print Screening Festival.