Notes from the press bed
Guides, essays and Bisbee dispatches, from the studio blog's first posts in 2009 to today.
All journal posts
How to Hang Art at the Right Height
Hang art like a gallery: the 57-inch center rule, how to measure for the nail, spacing for gallery walls and art above sofas, plus an interactive hanging-height calculator.
Life Is a Process, as Is Art
Simplify, purge, transition: a practical framework for artists juggling family, teaching and a studio, and for making room to build a real body of work.
Mail Art: How to Start a Mail Art Exchange
A practical guide to mail art: what it is, how to run an open call or swap, postal rules for decorated envelopes and postcards, and how to exhibit the work you receive.
Wall Musings: The Eight-Hour Wall Drawing
Why make a drawing directly on a gallery wall in a single day? Notes on wall drawing as performance, materials that work on drywall, and how to plan a durational drawing.
Stitches and Folds: Sewing on Paper
How to sew on paper by machine and by hand: choosing paper and thread, stitch length, folding paper garments and dress forms, and ideas for sketchbook projects.
Anniversary Art Gifts by Year
Traditional anniversary materials as art prompts: paper prints and books for the first year, cotton for the second, leather for the third, and handmade gift ideas for each.
How to Print a Linoleum Block
A step-by-step guide to printing a linocut: inking with a brayer, registering paper, burnishing by hand or pulling on a proof press, plus fixes for common problems.
Paper Quilts: Collagraph Texture
Collagraph printmaking explained: build a printing plate from cardboard, fabric and gel medium, ink it intaglio or relief, and piece prints together like a quilt.
Making Artists' Books
An introduction to artists' books: simple structures like the pamphlet stitch, accordion and Japanese stab binding, the tools you need, and how to think about a book as an artwork.
The Dos and Don'ts of Collecting Artists' Prints
How to buy original prints with confidence: what edition numbers mean, original prints vs. reproductions, how to check paper and signatures, and how to care for prints at home.
Date Night in Bisbee: The Art Walk
How to spend an evening on Bisbee's gallery walk: where to start in Old Bisbee, how to pace Main Street, Subway Street and Brewery Gulch, and tips for an art-filled date night.
Original Art for a Little Scratch
How to own original art on a modest budget: small works, open studios, print editions and when a giclée is the right choice, with an honest look at pigments and paper.
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