As Ice Cube said...

Today was a good day...

Black Caps rolled the saggy greens...michael Clarke chumped big time

phoenix get 3 points and we all asked Smeltzy smeltzy what's the score?
Good day at the gallery, cash money...
Car Pies design is well and truly in the back of the net.
Party up at HorrorKiwi to round out the night.

Life is good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CPlF-IEkXQ

Biodegradable Sneakers!

What next I ask you?
My new shoes can be buried in the garden once they wear out and they will disappear completely in 20 years.
Crazy.
Seeing as this is a screen printing blog I will also mention that I am out of white ink.
Which incidentally is eco friendly too.

tattoos ahead

I don't have much to say I just like this photo.
A neat tattoo design for Hades tattoo, made more powerful by repetition
Am presently praying for good weather for the Thorndon Fair on Sunday
.
I have a stall up on Hill st,
Come by for the purchasing of Workshy Shirts

Collaboration - Now it's a good thing!

http://www.grabone.co.nz/wellington/swell-gallery-and-studios
I have taken part in a group Christmas Card production scheme that is up for grabs as above.

There is a screen print, a woodcut, a lino cut, stencil art and more.

You know how nice ,and rare, to get some actual mail and this is art as well.
All designed and created by Wellington locals there are 2 of each card in the pack, you could send one and keep one even.
They will be available at Swell gallery in an ongoing manner but not at this bargain price

Your Mum knew best, so send her a card!

Beyond the Valley of the City Babies

Iconic Wellington fashion label is taking over the Gallery On Saturday December 3 to showcase their summer collection.
Formerly the house label at Cuba St boutique Miss Demeanour their new garments are guaranteed to blow your tiny little minds.
On top of the fashin fun there will be Tequila.
Muy peligroso!
Luckily there is a shuttle van leaving Garrett St at 7, 8 & 9 pm so you can leave the car at home.
The van will be driving back to town too obviously.
Tell your ladies!

Learning: then Earning

i have just finished a 2 week small business course at the Capital Development Agency.

I am now armed with a business plan that sees Artisan Screen Prints become a behemoth of enterprise

Once in black and white it all makes perfect sense.

That and a bit of fortuitous timing and all things are looking good.

Not too much exciting on the print front except a cool print for a fella from Chile who lives in Auckland and is exhibiting in Portland

that right there is you global economy at work

Off to see the mighty beastwars tomorrow.

Obey the riff

Open says a me

An opening present in the same colours as my logo. from the lovely Tanja

It seemed fitting that the first day of spring was the official opening of the Artisan Screen Prints Gallery.

New beginnings and all that jazz.

Was a great night, lots of old friends there and a smattering of new ones.

i love 'em all.

Especially Dane.
But not in a biblical sense.

Unless the bible had stories about people that just love t-shirts.

Am still dotting the Ts and crossing the Is but am getting closer and closer to the perfect set up.
A glorious spring day in our nation's capital today just made things that much nicer out there.
So nice that I took pity on a couple of munters that had run out of gas and drove them to the garage and back to get some.

Never trust someone that has never run out of gas

Green really is the new Black.

As you may or may not know I am a huge fan of recycling and reusing.
So much so that I have turned the carpentry workshop at the Shelly Bay Air Force base into a screen printing studio and gallery.

I have turned an old work bench into my washout station.  An old knackered tunnel dryer has been transformed into a flash cure, with the help of Fusebox. I have been printing today using a fifty year old vacuum cleaner.

Even all my signs were screen printed on the back of old caltex signs I found lying about when i moved in.

This being the case I am super pleased to announce the Gallery launch is being sponsored by Rochdale Cider.

Those of you unfamiliar with NZ's brewing history (for shame) might like to know that the Rochdale Cidery dates from the 1930s and was purchased by the McCashin family in the early 1980s to be recycled as a brewery.  Thus began the delicious Macs range of beers.

Not being the type to waste anything the McCashins have kept the Rochdale name alive and still make delicious cider from the same address.

If that wasn't fantastic enough the ciders are all made without preservatives!

What a great dovetail with my love of organic cottons and eco-friendly printing techniques.

Anyway please come by the Gallery Launch next Friday The 23rd to check out how I have recycled an almost abandoned building into Wellington's newest Gallery and see how delicious the reused Rochdale recipe is.

A hint for those that read to the end: While Mac beers may be brewed by lion now the McCashin touch is evident in the delightful Stoke range of beers and there may well be a chance to sample that range at the launch. See you there

Step by step

Slowly but surely the ASP fiefdom is taking shape

Have been doing some fantastic prints for Adam Wheatley which is pretty exciting.
Very technically challenging but that is fun.
Version #1 was a right dog but #2 even had the digital printers down the road impressed.

Like we care what digital printers think.

Control + P.

That's "art"

my "arse"

The arctic conditions were not the most pleasant as there is a slight wind tunnel effect out there and an uninsulated wooden building is not the best place to spend the day in zero temps

Will have the behemoth dryer up and running soon so the cold will be the last of my worries, way down the list from my 'leccy bill.

Have pretty much decided to have a launch on the frst day of spring.

Only a month away so not that long but does give me a bit of breathing space to get Gallery sorted

Is anything more fun than a mix tape...

No

of course not.

having a fantastic new workshop in one of Wellington's coolest spots is pretty nifty but making a mix tape rules.

in keeping with my keeping with my pre digital art form I ma having an iPod free workshop so I need plenty of tapes.

I made a beauty last night, however halfway through I thought i could stop drinking beer and the tape would run smoothly

wrong!

I had 4 mis tapes, wrong choices, forgot to press source, change the speed, clean the needle, it was a disaster. Stoke dark fixed all that though

I am only one man though if anyone else out there is still with it enough to be making mix tapes send 'em to me

Artisan Screen Prints
100 Shelly Bay Road
Wellington

You know i'll make it worth your while

End of an era...

...and start of a new one!

Have just finished the last ever poster to be printed in the workshop in at Phil's Grills.

For the Beastwars show at Mighty Mighty on August 13.

Designed by Joolz Oblivion and featuring an ambigram version of their logo it can be presented both wars up!
beastwars poster @ Mighty Mighty

How fancy is that.

Now i just have a few days enjoying the massive snow up at Turoa then all hands to the pump for the move to Shelly BAy.

Apart from a mini meltdown on monday I am super exciting, I mean excited

That's the view from here

This is literally the scene from the front door of my new workshop.
West facing so i predict a summer of print shop bbqs.
oh. anyone got a spare bbq?
i think the term for my new venture is undercapitalized so I won't have  dosh for such luxuries.
If there is a donor they would be repaid mightily in snarlers.
and possibly all the t shirts they can eat.
I have also sourced a sweet tape deck for printshop sounds so mixtapes please!
Discounts on prints for mixtapes.
Moving in August 1.

The action is go

Well I haven't blogged for a while because I didn't want to throw a jinx on me but it's official enough to shout about now

Artisan Screen Print is going to be moving into a fantastic oceanside space at Shelley Bay on august 1.
Right next to Chocolate Fish cafe and in the shadow of Massey Memorial.

Of the twenty five print shops i have worked in it is easily the nicest location.

Well Cattle creek Colorado was pretty sweet too tbh.

Gonna have a retail space as well as print workshop.

I will put photos of my view up soon and will also be posting progress of transformation of the space into Wellington's most awesome screen printing space.

Gulp!

Have just put in a formal offer to lease a workshop space.
Exciting and bit nerve wracking.
Have a very good feeling about it though.
Cross whatever you have for me please.

Hey Mr Dj...

...turn the music up!

And preferably while wearing one of my new Pirate Radio tees

 

Things are coming along quite nicely for Artisan, got a job for Colenso this week which is pretty exciting and I have been struggling to get a result with my poster for The Adults but sadly what I have done so far is, in the words of the supernanny, not asseptable.
I will have a 4th crack this weekend.

Lots on in our nations capital this weekend too. Ma'a's last game, Steve Ignorant of Crass on Saturday night and Helmet on Sunday. Not sure what if any of these I will attend but nice to have options.

And in Brainiac news the lovely and talented TW finished the first semester of her course with a solid A+ average.

Nerd.

Trust me i have puuled her pigtails AND tossed her school bag in a tree.
I had to choose a small tree cos that bag is heavy!

Just like the No 18 bus...

There have been no new Workshy designs for some time but today I can unveil not one but three fantastic bits of t-shirt fantasticishness!

First up is the MYOB. Great for everyone that knows a nosey parker. ANd don't we all. Available in blackest black on snuggly organic cotton and printed in the latest water colour inks. After just one wash the print feels as silky smooth as a Geoff Howarth cover drive.

Next is something that will more than familiar to those that have done the State Highway 1 drive up the north island. From a photo i took of the billboard near mangaweka.
Peach Teats - not just for calves now; the well dressed can show their teat appreciation on unbleached organic cotton shirts. Naturally with super soft water based ink

and finally if there is one thing I've learned from my boy Lionel Ritchie it's that sometimes you gotta think about the ladies and nothin but the ladies.
With that in mind I present the seahorseheart shirt.
2 seahorses kissing makes a love heart.
That's fucking adorable.
I only made 20 of these and once they are gone they are gone so if you want to get one of these NZ made organic cotton baby blue beauties you better hit me up at www.artisanscreenprints.co.nz or you'll be crying yourself to sleep. Again.

In action

Here is the finishing touchs being applied to Tony Rush's Latest poster.
Also just finished my first print for Grame Offord http://www.graemeofford.com/
Hopefully we will be working together more in the future.
Also got a project in the pipeline that remains hush hush for now.

Back to Back Kyuss

I have been mentally busy the last couple fof weeks, not only finished 150 7 colour prints for tony rush  Girl on a blanket Finished but sampled a 2 colour for Graeme Offord (out of NYC don't ya know), been doing a set of 3 2 colours for Mel60 and worked on making my A3 table more user friendly.
This is all well and good but I have also found time to attend the Beastwars record release show and go to 2 kyuss shows. In different cities. On consecutive nights.
Also managed to Attend Sarah-Kate at the Auckland Writers festival and and hold top secret discussions with what can only be described as New Zealand rock royalty re an upcoming project.
No wonder my library books are overdue.

That's what I call a monday...

in the last 24 hours there has been a fire in our house, i drove the van through the welcome to Mary Potter sign and i turned the oven off when AJ had a apple pie in there baking.

If my dog ran away to prison with momma i could write the world's best country and western song

Look ma, no mask!

Finally i have found an ink that is user friendly!

No toxic stench

no drying in screen

nice vibrant colour

water based
so stoked

did the first in my series of poatcards yesterday

pretty ropey actually but that is down to not matching the design to capabilities of my A3 press

now i have the ink sorted nothing can stop me.

next stop flatstock sxsw

No ball punching today, mine or anyone elses

I have just trouble shot something in my website.
In code view.
Truly becoming a nerd.
I actually have a few print jobs already but am having trouble making screens.
what a drag collabaration is.

strictly for the french.
am going to start on my limited edition launch postcards tomorrow

they will be cool and once most have been lost they will be rare as
anyone that e-mails me a street address will get a piece of this art in the mail
how's that for an offer?

Self inflicted ball-punch

I have just punched myself in the balls.

I pulled my punch but still pretty painful.

I spent 36 hours pretty much non stop trying to upload the first version of my website.

I wiped my images file in the process. I have rebuilt and reloaded my website numerous times.
I have read many blogs and watched many tutorials.

I should have learnt the difference between I and i

when i realised that my index file was called Index i said "if that's all it is i am going to punch myself in the balls"


it was and i did

Can you hear the drums fernando?

Actually it's me beating my head against the table.

While trying to upload the first version of my Artisan Screen Prints website last night i would appear to have deleted my image folder.
Deleted.
Boy do i wish i'd set up the time machine function on my macbook.
cos then i could retrieve it.
instead of starting from scratch.
what an arse.
actual numbskull.
how many times have i been told to back my work up?
This is a definite blow.
and if anyone mentions "learning curve" i'll give them a dick punch.
something in an extra hard.

Especially after i spent all morning tidying up my files and renaming them and gathering them in one nice tidy folder.
In other news our hot water heater has been playing up and doubled our power bill for the last 2 months.
That's a result too.

Just call me Mario C...

...and i'll build you a cabinet

Check my triple drill action!

This is my new screen box.

Not only did I build this cabinet i also bought a 1500mm guillotine and designed the Vanishing point business cards.

I did more in one saturday than i normally do in a week.

Made up for it on sunday tho, almost got down to dairy to get a paper but not quite.

ASP is moving along, got 2 small print jobs before i have even started advertising and have secured the rights to import some Organic Cotton hoodies and possibly other clothing/bags.

They are coming from europe but I can't see anyone else selling similar items in NZ and while shipping is high they will still end up being much cheaper than my locally made ones were and they will be organic to boot.

Yay.

Natural Born Printer

I was going to write about how another cricket season was slipping into the past today, because today should have been the last day of Wellington's Plunket Shield campaign.

I didn't figure Waggy into the equation though did I.
The angry little left hander tore us apart taking an unprecedented 5 wickets in one over!
If you aren't a cricket fan it's like a footballer scoring a hattrick in stoppage time.
Or the all blacks not choking in the world cup.
It just doesn't happen!
He must have been whipping those tentacles over at lightning pace.
He is naturalised next year but i think the prawn jokes will continue.

In other news from yesterday i got stung in the eye by a wasp and then watched NAtural Born Killers.

What a movie...

I watched it many many times at the aspen movie theatre when it was released in many different states and hadn't seen it since.

SO much fun

bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad

Artisan Screen Prints

Has been a frustrating week because I found that after consulting with my IP lawyer i couldn't safely use the name Wellington Screen Print.
i have been faced with the work i have done on branding as WSP is now been proved futile

whatevs, better now than later i suppose.

am pretty keen on Artisan Screen Print now

It has as ancronym at least.
Which is a snake
which gives lots of cheesy design avenues to explore

and there's one kind of design avenue i am keen on exploring C'est fromage!

as our cheese eating surrender monkey friends would say.

I was going to blog about how stoked i am to have a brand new second hand macBook pro but my mum has a better computer than me and i am too jealous and/or sulking to dwell on it

at least we are on the same OS (ice gerbil i think) so i can at least be seeing the same layout as she is when i am doing her tech support.

Just a hint, if a mutt and jeff septuganerian asks you if you can help her with her computer hoist her on her own petard by pretending you never heard the question.

Go you big Jessie

Am just about recovered from staying up to watch the Black caps sticking it to the prawns on friday.
What a game. What a lot of beer.

Kyle Mills is a first class dick tho.

Water boys should not be giving it all that.

Curly haired buffoon.

today we take on Sri lanka in the semi and as a portent the new motorhead vinyl arrived in the mail today.

The world is yours...

oooh ooo ooo oooh dream weaver

Gary wright never knew what he was starting..

Have been battling this "easy" to use software all week. Have almost laid out my home page but it's not gonna be quite the doodle I thought it would be. When i am not doing that i am trying to turn a sow's ear of a photo in to a silk purse of a tee design. I should just go take a new photo but the lighting i need is available at dawn and who wants to get up at that time of the day.

We didn't go to our weekly movie night and i am missing out on my cinematic fix. Don't have any recommendations at the minute so will just have to wait and see what we watch next. I want to resee Scent of Green Papaya. The beautiful thing being i can't remember anything about it except luscious colours.

Anyhoo enough procastination ; back into it


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPWNsGFXCZk&feature=fvwrel

He's a Brick...House

Worked on Lionel richie last night and it was surprisingly top notch.

He had two original commodores, Tommy McCleary and Ron la Pred, backing him up for the first time in years and they blew the roof off the shed. Well as much of a crowd of old, white, can't even clap in time punters can blow the roof off.

And those boys can party all night long too.
Ended in a basement bar with Lionel holding court while some uber drunk local bluesman and his fiddling side kick played ozark tunes and the commodores beat time on the table.

They would all be on the free bus pass but they were still looking good when they got back to the intercontinental at 5am.
Maybe good is an exagerration but hotel lighting is never that flattering at that hour.

Another bonus was during the dya the dragon boat racing was on right outside the venue and the whanau came down to cheer Leichelle and the Upper Hutt College Force win the petit final.
Well done that girl.

Didn't do much to advance the print empire but a bloody good day, and night. With the epigee moon glistening on the harbour wellington has never seemed a better place to be.

biotech is godzilla

Pretty freaky waiting for the meltdown to happen in Japan.
ANd of course Ken Ring's big earthquake for Sunday.
Interesting times.
But I am still in this little office stuggling with dreamweaver and trying to source eco friendly inks.
One has to carry on.

I watched "WHo killed the electric car" last night, pretty depressing stuff.

If acts of god don't get ya the super corporations will

You still have to plug away though, doing what you can to prove the bastards wrong

Finished the design on the first of my series of Postcards that will be part of the launch and have good ideas for the next few, one of which is probably worth doing as a shirt.

In other good news Beastwars The band new record is available on gatefold vinyl

Planet Terror

Watched the grindhouse classic last night.
AGAIN
How awesome would a machine gun leg be?
and some good old texas bAr B Q.
Tarantino is such a ham as an actor, no wonder his movies get worse and worse.


STarted at the Bowerman school yesterday
Sketching out tthe website layout and making to do lists


very long to do lists


will make 2 today


to be sure to be sure


happy ST paddy's day

Wellington Screen Print

Wellington Screen Print is an artisan workshop melding an ancient process with 21st century tools and a planet friendly ethos. We use our own Workshy range of shirts to show what can be done when ethical and artistic realities are given as much emphasis as financial ones.

Recommended Web Hosting?

Can anyone recommend good web hosting.

Ideally NZ based but not the end of the world if it's not.

I used to use kiwi web host who were pretty good but their e-mail system was a bit rubbish.

Any pointers appreciated

Dolci de Love

Attending the launch of my genius sister's new book last night at Caffe L'affare here in Wellington. Sounds like another winner.
Had a lovely dinner after at Floriditas too.
mmmmmmmpork chop.

Can't wait to read the book, which i will be allowed to do as soon as AJ is finished.

Have almost got the WSP mission statement nailed down and start building the website on Wednesday.

Can't wait.
hopefully the reactors don't blow and turn the weevils 50 foot high.

g g g godzilla

workshy 2.0

After a typical Wellington weekend of azure skies and barmy temperatures which including roofing, socializingn with friends old and new and celebrity cricket for Christchurch this is the week Workshy 2.0 starts gestating.
AM only working on a mission statement at the moment but have a fair idea of where i am going.
am going to be using the term umbrella company even!
and as any wellingtonian knows actual umbrellas are a lesson in futility.

But first I have to call the IRD and get my cheque sent out.
With the way the pacific rim has been behaving lately it could seem pointless making a long term plan but one must carry on.
Maybe the Mayans were wrong.
Although actual Mayans say the crystal waving new age bozos have got it all wrong and there is merely a phase of their calender ending on the solstice next year that will usher in the time of the 5th sun. Or something.
But a few acid casualties from Taos and a blockbuster from hollywood are obviously a better source of information.

Score one for the little guy

After 5 years of tenaciously battling the bastards the IRD have gone from asking for 21 grand to admitting they owe me. Yahoo.

why bother

I wonder if having a blog leads many to ponder their insignificance. I really think it should.

Like The South Workshy Will Rise Again

In a move that no one could possibly have forseen, especially me, the dormant Workshy has been woken from it's slumber.
 Who was i kidding to think i could put down my squeegee
The gods of ink have left me no choice
There will be more shirts
there will be more prints
there will be more
I fully intend to record this new incarnation of the workshy beast via this blog
and am already on the road to hell so can't wait to get paving that sucker
it seems I have acquired access to a textile workshop for 6 months, strategically placed around 2 corners from my flatstock shop i shall use the 2 spaces to create one mighty print entity.
with many facets.
a king diamond octopus of squeegee greatness if you will

Blogging is for the underemployed

And thankfully that is me.