Via Penland

Mr. Shane Darwent, bookbinding by Kathy Steinsberger

If you're in North Carolina, there's a great show up in Raleigh at Rebus Works Gallery featuring photographer Shane Darwent. The show's name is Via Penland. Every year, the gallery features one artist connected to Penland School of Crafts. This year, they featured Shane and his collaborations with five book artists, including myself.

Via Penland

This show represents over a year of travels and residencies, which are beautifully documented on Shane's blog. Shane also put together a great slide show of the opening, which you can see here.

My collaboration with Shane, a portfolio of five collages/drawings on his photographs housed in a box.

Some of Shane's hand-colored photographs

It looks like it was a great opening, I wish I could have been there! I'd love to hear your thoughts if you were there. I'm so glad I got a chance to do this collaboration with my fellow former core student, Shane. Thank you Shane!

So.

There are time tested hallowed traditions one must follow while a Core Fellow. As per these traditions, I have moved out of my studio and bedroom at Penland to make way for a new group of Core Fellows, and left huge piles of crap in my wake.

I don't really like saying goodbye. It's hard and yucky and awkward and sometimes you have to do it twice or three times which is even worse. But it has to be done. So.

Goodbye studio.

Goodbye witty light switch.

And goodbye dearest, sweetest nerds. I will miss you all so much.

A show, a press, and a giant floating stone head

It's been a little while, hasn't it? I've been busy, getting ready for the Core Show and so have all my dear colleagues. There's still framing to be done, but yesterday I finished my new deluxe business cards, so things are moving along. It's getting there.

There's also big news on the horizon...

Saturday, I'm picking up my new press, a 10 x 15 Chandler & Price. I'll post pictures after the move. A real bargain basement find. Literally. It's in a basement and yes, it's really a bargain. So this week, I'm gathering my wits and resources for the move. Any advice?

I know the press will need some work, but I'm beginning to feel like things are coming together. I have a hard time moving forward when I don't know what's coming next. Getting this press is making the future more concrete. A thousand pounds more concrete.

Oh, and I'm looking forward to watching Zardoz.

Say Hello To The Core Fellows

It's hot near the core...

Well, as you may have noticed, I haven't been taking many new pictures lately. I lent my camera out to my roommate, Wes, who's taking a digital photography class here at Penland. So I thought I'd take this time to introduce you to the nine people I live with, the core fellowship students.

From left to right:

Leah Frost - Leah makes whimsical kinetic sculptures. She has the cutest dog in the world, Boo. Boo will eat out of your mouth and wears sweaters sometimes.

Jessica Heikes - Jessica is from Kansas. She just got a haircut. She's also very funny and has lived in Alaska. That's impressive. She makes conceptual mixed media sculptures.

Jason Bige Burnett aka Cakeboy aka Cupcake - Fu... Jason does everything. Screenprinting, clay, sewing. We are planning to take over the world someday with our team screenprinting/letterpress posters.

Wes Stitt - has my camera. Wes is a video artist and sculptor. He has excellent taste in music and the same tonal range as Ian Curtis. His interests also include Dracula, the J. Peterman catalogue, and American history.

Beth Schaible - Beth makes books and letterpress and is going to the survive the apocalypse when all the rest of us are wondering when to plant our tomatoes.

Tina Boy - is German. You can make her laugh by saying things in German. She gets really red when she laughs. She makes excellent furniture out of wood and metal and also gives excellent hugs.

Mark Warren - Mark is the resident anemographer and dinosaur expert here. He enjoys vitamin B-12, cut-offs, and laser pointers. He says he can beat me in Nintendo RBI

Baseball but I don't believe him.

That's Me

Joshua Kuensting (not pictured) - was not at the party. He makes beautiful ceramics and built is own bed. He has a lot of Vietnam movies. We share a bathroom. He is probably also going to survive the apocalypse.