Strawberryluna

Some new strawberryluna releases!…?…!

Ok, I won’t lie. This summer and well, now early fall have been breakneck speed work, travel to several shows all over the country (Chicago Flatstock, Seattle Flatstock & Chicago Renegade, to name a few), packing orders (with many prints and posters now sold out) and more work for me here at strawberryluna World Wide HQ. So much so that I seem to have forgotten to update my ol’  bloggery here with a few “new” prints and posters. Whoopsie daisy Maisy!

So, without further chit chat, I bring you some “new” releases! Ooooohhhhh…

First up, POSTERS:

Hey, remember Joe Cocker? The man was and IS a rock’n’roll animal to the core. And, he’s been touring pretty much non-stop since the John Belushi SNL skit days, (too young to know what I’m talking about? Weren’t watching SNL as a little kid like I was? Learn here whippersnapper.) Anyway, I had the supreme honor of doing a poster for his show at the Delta Classic Chastain Park Ampitheater in Atlanta, GA.

Offset printed, 4-color, CMYK poster for the incomparable Joe Cocker.

Offset printed, 4-color, CMYK poster for the incomparable Joe Cocker. Click to purchase or for more info!

Next up, is my rainy day homage to one of my favorite US cities: Seattle! For one of the premier rock poster shows, Flatstock, designers & poster artists have free range to produce a poster for each Flatstock and it’s super fun to do. This year for Seattle’s Flatstock, which happens during the Bumbershoot Music Festival, I made a little play on Seattle & Pittsburgh’s similarity – rain. This poster is based on an illustration that I’ve had floating around for about a year and that I really wanted to use, so I added some musical notes and textures and a lil mod-city in the background to finish the layout. Hope that you dig.

Hand screenprinted, 3-color poster for Flatstock Seattle, 2009 & Bumbershoot Music Festival. Click to purchase or for more information!

Hand screenprinted, 3-color poster for Flatstock Seattle, 2009 & Bumbershoot Music Festival. Click to purchase or for more information!

And next, let’s get caught up with strawberryluna Art Prints:

And, just in time for autumn, I’d like to premier my Summer 2009 art print, the next new print in my Seasons series. Oh yeah! On time like a bus on a sleeting Christmas Sunday. And not a hair too soon before my Fall 2009 print is done and ready. Ho, ho ho. Loads of overprints dominate this hand screenprinted breezy summer lovin’ expression.

Hand screenprinted, 7-color art print, Summer 2009. Available at my website now. Click to purchase or for more information.

And lo & behold,  last but not least, my most recent art print, the newest colorway of my super popular Going To See My Baby print, this time is fall-ready orange.  Hence the name, Going To See My Baby Orange. Tricky! I know. Who doesn’t love love?

New colorway of my 5-color, hand screenprinted art print, Going To See My Baby Orange. Available on my website now. Click to purchase or for more information!

New colorway of my 5-color, hand screenprinted art print, Going To See My Baby Orange. Available on my website now. Click to purchase or for more information!

Ok then, I think that we’re all caught up. Bye summer!

“GIG!” – A new poster show at 52.5 Records in Charleston, SC


Hand printed poster for the GIG! poster show by Chuck Keppler

Hand printed poster for the GIG! poster show by Chuck Keppler

Alright! August is full of poster shows, ain’t it? Which is awesome.

I am super proud to be a part of a poster show at one of the coolest independent record stores around again, 52.5 Records in Charleston, South Carolina. The GIG! show is a rad collection of over 20 current poster artists with a incredibly wide range of work. The opening night is not only coming up on Friday August 28th, but it’s free! With music by DJ BirdFlu of the Bubbleguts Bros, drinks and a special donation event with 10% of opening night sales proceeds will be donated to the Lowcountry Aids Foundation as part of the “7 Stores, 7 Days” event.

All posters on view will be available for purchase at the show throughout the duration of the show, but they tend to go fast at the openings.

Artists in the GIG! show include: Alan Forbes, Leia Bell, Art Chantry, Matthew Foreman, strawberryluna, Johnny Pundt, Adam Turman, DWITT, Crosshair, Pete Cardoso, Matt Pfahlert/Get a Clue Design, Oliveargyle, Darren Grealish, Jessie Bowers, Jason Brachman, Chuck Keppler, Lil Tuffy, and Scott Campbell.

The essential details all nice & neat:

WHEN: Opening Night – August 28th from 7-9pm. (Show to hang through September 30th.)

WHERE: 52.5 Records at 561 King Street in Charleston, SC

More info is available at 52.5 Records’ website here and also at 52.5’s blog here. If you are in Charleston on Friday the 28th of August, go see some cool poster art and have a fun ol’ time supporting handmade and local.

New poster released: The Decemberists

Hand screenprinted 3-color poster for The Decemberists show on 8/14/09 at The Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA

Hand screenprinted 3-color poster for The Decemberists show on 8/14/09 at The Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, PA

No surprise, I love, love The Decemberists, they work the lovely and dark into a thing of beauty and complexity so well, so deftly. We’re really pleased and excited to be working with them once again for this poster.

This poster is my all hand screenprinted ode to The Decemberists “The Rake Song”. It’s a 3-color print with bright & shiny metallic gold, midnight black and rusty pink inks. Edition of just 110. Size: 16w x 22h inches. Paper: acid-free & archival Cougar 100 lb White, cover weight. Available on my website here.

Their show in Pittsburgh last night was fantastic, exceeding even the rumors we’d heard and expectations set up from tales of previous nights’ shows on tour. Playing “The Hazards of Love” from start to brutal finish, kicking much ass with a killer rendition of Heart’s “Crazy”, and giving a magical reenactment of “The Battle Of Fort Pitt” by The Decemberists Family Players, we were spellbound. And now I’m even further in love. Thank you for the magic. And thanks again for signing a copy of your poster for us too!

The Decemberists take the stage at The Byham Theater

The Decemberists take the stage at The Byham Theater.

For more progress photographs of this poster being printed, check out more photos on my Flickr page here.

Finished poster & Carl Sagain. Yep.

Finished poster & Carl Sagan. Yep.

Gold ink, ready to go.

Gold ink, ready to go.

Gigposters.com is awesome, and needs your help!

Click on it! Go to Gigposters.com today!

Click on it! Go to Gigposters.com today!

Gigposters.com is just about the best website one the entire internets. I know, I’ve looked at almost every site out there. (No, really…) Not only is Gigposters.com my home away from home, the reason that I do what I do for a living as a rock poster artist, it’s also the most comprehensive and amazing resource for art, design, bands, artists, wise-acres, designers, and people who just love lively conversation and dig art. Straight up.

And, Gigposters.com needs your help. Desperately. With over 107,000 thousand posters currently (and literally growing every day) for over 98,000 bands this incredible website takes a good amount of time and maintenance to keep running smoothly. And that means money honey. So, this is my  personal drive for support and plea for anyone who is already familiar with this kickass site, or to anyone who is perhaps just becoming aware of it now, and sees how rad it it from this link to Gigposters.com here.

If you love posters, screenprinting, design, kittens, bacon, cheese, intelligent wit, music, bands, and love and/or are a currently working designer, artist, or illustrator, this site is for you. Help support one of the most innovative and cool websites that gave every single working poster artist today a chance to grow and shine. We could never have done it without Gigposters.com.

Ways to help include becoming a Premium Member (with rad benefits), buying the new and fantastic Gigposters Book Vol. 1 (complete with exclusive prints by the wonderful Jay Ryan), buying merch or making a donation, no matter how small.

Look! I made it easy for you!  

This might be the coolest book ever.

This might be the coolest book ever.

Jay Ryan exclusive Gig Posters Book print 1

Jay Ryan exclusive GP Book print 2

Jay Ryan exclusive Gig Posters Book print 2

Jay Ryan exclusive Gig Posters Book print 3

And tons of other really cool and fun stuff, like colorings book with illustrations by over 40 underground artists, (Vol. 2 pictured below) 3 delicious volumes of playing cards with a different gig poster designer doing art for each card (also pictured below), a pin up calendar (hubba hubba!), t-shirts, hats, hoodies,  mouse pads and more.

Gigposters.com Coloring book Vol. 2 (Vol. 1 is also still available.)

Gigposter.com exclusive Card Deck # 3, uncut sheet art.

Gigposters.com exclusive Card Deck # 3, uncut sheet art.

And so much more. Please visit Gigposters.com today and check out the super cool Merch section, and consider making a donation to this amazing, excellent and vibrant website that supports SO much of the art and design you love. Feel free to pass this information along or post to your own blog. Every bit helps!

New poster released: Magnolia Electric Co.

3-color, all hand screenprinted poster for Magnolia Electric Co.'s show on 7/15/09.

3-color, all hand screenprinted poster for Magnolia Electric Co.'s show on 7/15/09.

Heartbreakers. In a great way. That’s what Jason Molina’s band,  Magnolia Electric Co. are, and they’re amazing. I’m pleased as puch to be a part of the summer 2009 Magnolia Electric Co. tour series of posters, (a different limited edition, hand screenprinted poster was produced by artists from all over the country, one poster for each night of the tour) and had such a fun time at the show last night at The Andy Warhol Museum seeing MEC and the super cool Sand Diego band, The Donkeys. Thanks so much again!

Sometimes something beautiful goes wrong, in a beautiful way. KABOOM! This is my all hand screenprinted poster for the heartbreakingly lovely Magnolia Electric Co. It’s a 3-color, print with heart red, alarm-orange and midnight black inks. The orange ink is swirled into the red throughout the bombs and the text so that each print is unique and different. (Just like you Butterfly.) Edition of just 85, so they’ll go quick. Size: 16w x 22h inches. Paper: acid-free & archival Cougar 100 lb White, cover weight.

* This poster is now available on my website here, and also on tour with Magnolia Electric Co. this summer! *

New poster released: Wilco!

3-color

3-color hand screenprinted poster for Wilco at The Fox Theater in Pomona, CA on June 26th, 2009.

I’m super thrilled to be working with Wilco, one of the most supportive and pro-screenprinted poster bands around. This poster is for Wilco’s SOLD OUT show on Saturday, June 26th at The Fox Theater in Pomona, CA.

It’s a 3-color, all hand screenprinted poster with fire-truck red, sky-blue and midnight black inks. Edition of 200, with 180 copies going to the band on tour. NOTE: I only have 20 copies of this limited edition Wilco poster available, so they will be going fast. Size: 16x 22 inches (40.6 cm x 55.9 cm). Paper: acid-free & archival Cougar, 100lb White, cover weight.

For more info, or to purchase, visit my website here!

I also took a few photos of the printing process, with a few below and more are on my Flickr page too. Enjoy!

This is what 4 inches of posters looks like on press.

This is what 4 inches of posters looks like on press.

2nd color (red) flooded in the screen and ready to print.

2nd color (red) flooded in the screen and ready to print.

5 posters to a shelf, whew! 200+ Wilco posters printed and drying on the rack.

5 posters to a shelf, whew! 200+ Wilco posters printed and drying on the rack.

WYEP Summer Music Festival!

4-color, hand screenprinted poster for WYEP's Summer Music Festival

4-color, hand screenprinted poster for WYEP's Summer Music Festival

It’s full on summer time friends! And Pittsburgh’s fantastic independent radio station, WYEP 91.3 FM is hosting their 12th annual, amazing Summer Music Festival to help celebrate summer with 4 great bands. Kind of made a natural fit then for hand screenprinted posters right? When Brian of WYEP asked me if I would be interested, I was definitely excited to design and print a poster for them.

Show information:

What: The WYEP Summer Music Festival with Sam Roberts Band. Also appearing are Dar Williams, The Duhks, and Meeting of Important People.

Where: Schenely Plaza, in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. Grab a blanket and enjoy live music on the lawn at Schenley Plaza as WYEP kicks off the summer.

When: June 26, 2009 from 6pm-11pm

Cost: FREE! And open to the public.

Line-Up

6pm – Meeting of Important People
7:15pm – The Duhks
8:30pm – Dar Williams
9:40pm – Sam Roberts Band

The poster above will be available for purchase as a hand screenprinted, 4-color poster in an limited edition of only 100 posters. Proceeds to benefit WYEP. I will be there selling posters and chatting with fellow-summer-loving Pittsburghers and enjoying the line up of great bands on a pretty Friday night. Come say hi!

Below are a few process shots of me printing this poster at AIR print studios here in Pittsburgh, with more on my Flickr page too.

First color printed for WYEPs Summer Music Festival poster

First color printed for WYEP's Summer Music Festival poster

4th & final color printed, all done!

4th & final color printed, all done!

New poster released: The Detroit Cobras!

Don’t mess with these badass ladies. Just, effin’ don’t.

2-color, hand screenprinted poster for The Detroit Cobras.

2-color, hand screenprinted poster for The Detroit Cobras.

Yeah! Kitty kitty. This is my all hand screenprinted poster for the awesome, kickass band The Detroit Cobras‘ show with Dex Romweber Duo on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at Mr. Small’s Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA. I got to catch the show last night and they were fantastic! Even with singer Rachel Nagy admitting to feeling under the weather, the band was hot and ON. We loved it. Thank you Detroit Cobras! They are still on tour, so do catch a set if they are in your town.

So excited to once again do a poster for some of the most kickass ladies of ROCK, the awesome Detroit Cobras. This feline of a poster is a 2-color, multi-layered print with blood red and midnight black inks. The black is slightly transparent, allowing repetition of awesomeness to show through. See it? Yeah, that’s right pal. Edition of just 80. Size: 16w x 22h inches. Paper: acid-free & archival Cougar 100 lb White, cover weight.

Here are a few process photos of this poster as I printed, with more over on my Flickr page too.

1st color, red, flooded and ready to go.

1st color, red, flooded and ready to go.

First color red, bloody red, flooded in the screen and ready to print (pull). “Flooding” is a lighter pressure pass of ink with a squeegee across the stencil and is the way to get enough ink across the screen to fill the stencil and allow for one perfect print pull with the squeegee.

1st color, red red red, printed, down and done.

1st color, red red red, printed, down and done.

Below is a close up of a freshly printed Detroit Cobras poster showing the red underprinting a slightly transparent black, allowing the red to show through.

Close up and angular to show underprinting.

Close up and angular to show underprinting.

This limited edition Detroit Cobras poster is trimmed, editioned, signed and ready to go. Look for these (and many other awesome posters for the band) on the rest of their tour this summer, and also at my website here.

“Naïve: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design”, aka I can’t believe I’m in this book (!)

This year is rich with books celebrating and exploring current graphic design, screenprinting and the vibrant hands-on design processes. The newest book that I’m beyond in love with is Naive:  Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design. And I am thrilled and honored to have a selection of my posters in this book with an amazing collection of ridiculously talented artists from around the globe.

Published by the German art & design publishing & curration house Gestalten, they describe this beautiful book best:

“Naïve documents the extraordinary renaissance of Classic Modernism, from the 1940s to 1960s, in contemporary graphic design. This compilation introduces a new wave of young designers who are rediscovering the stylistic elements reminiscent of classic graphic design such as silkscreen printing, classical typography, hand lettering, woodcutting and folk art and integrating them into their work. Inspired by 20th Century American legends such as Saul Bass, Charley Harper and Alexander Girard, the burgeoning designers and their work showcased this in this book are inspiring, ranging from illustrations, poster art, editorials, book covers and record sleeves to stationary and textiles.”

Naïve is a seriously stunning book filled with jaw-dropping illustration and design work at every turn of the page. No foolin’. Naïve is available at Gestalten’s website, or Amazon, and book sellers near you.

Huge letterpress wood type collection for sale

I adore, love, and go weak at the knees for letterpress prints. It’s just a lovely printmaking process and produces gorgeous results. This massive set of wood type for sale caught my eye. This is an outstanding collection of antique and modern letterpress wood type, and to the best of my knowledge, still available. The below is copied and reposted from Steven Heller’s blog The Daily Heller.

Malcolm Dean spent many years assembling his incredible wood type collection, and it’s still a work in progress–or it can be, for some appreciative soul or institution.  “What I learned is that a collection, like any work of art, is alive, and grows and changes according to the attention you give it,” he says. “If I had the time, I’d cull some sections of the collection, and build others up, especially the strong simple faces I like best–the antiques, the gothics, the early Page fonts, and especially those of Vanderburgh & Wells. I’d gradually move the collection toward the goal I once had in mind: a thousand fonts that represent the designs I most love.” But he no longer has the time. Now, he’d like to find a good home for the collection with someone “who will appreciate it, and care for it, and carry it forward.”

He is looking for a buyer.

The collection as it stands now is about one third historic and fancy fonts, one third modern 20th century fonts, and one third gothics. It fills eleven cabinets, including three large Hamilton wood type cabinets, seven regular Hamilton cabinets, and one roll-top cabinet. Also included are two smaller collections, one of borders, catchwords, and ornaments, and one of sorts, as well as several wood type catalogs and books and a 36-inch wood type composing stick from the old print shop at St. Meinrad’s Abbey Press.

To obtain a PDF prospectus offering of his massive and impressive holdings contact Mr. Dean at malcolmdean@mac.com

Some friends  and cool places whose contemporary letterpress work & contributions that we adore here at strawberryluna:

Dirk Fowler

Anne Benjamin

Hatch Show Print

Hamilton Wood Type Printing Museum

Hand Job, it’s a BOOK.

Silly. And it is super rad. I might be a little late to the party, but who cares? This book Hand Job, A Catalog of Type is fantastic. 

Author Mike Perry’s enthusiasm in presenting a stunning array of working designers’ hand-drawn type and brief overviews of those same folks work is absolutely contagious. I am obsessed with this book right now and it inspired me to spend an afternoon drawing, doodling and brainstorming at a coffee shop like the dork I am. Happily I had over ten drawings and a big set of fresh ideas for new prints and design solutions.

Chock full of awesome.