So long since i've blogged but need to get as much buzz for ShirtStock as possible.
I just got written confirmation that

-       The Shirtstock grand prize winner will be offered a Little Help Project colab print to be sold in our NZ retail stores.  The colab arrangement is a royalty payment of $5 per shirt sold, the average print run is 100 shirts with the option for re-printing if the design sells well  (note that this colab may not be able to be actioned until March 2016

Amazeballs. #ShirtStock

ShirtStock - The Art of Tee

i haven't blogged in ages because I have been busy setting up Wellington's hottest new event ShirtStock - The Art of Tee.

This event is possibly going to be a whole new level of Tee Shirt appreciation in our nation's capital.

the most exciting thing is the Design awards, With five separate categories and the AS Colour Best in Show award there is kudos and prizes up the wazoo.

The Museum Hotel has donated an accommodation package to the supreme winner and AS Colour is giving shirt credit to all category winners and a top up of shirt credit to the best in show.

there are going to be a plethora of the finest tee shirt labels offering their wares for sale, you could conceivably do your entire christams shop in one go. Let's face it everyone tee shirts and noone wants to kick it at the beach in a hellenststeins tee. And people in clothes from the warehouse have a scientifically proven lack of social life.

There will also be live screenprinting demonstartions with shirts to be bought hoyt from the belt and possibly other shirt adornment styles. Not screenprinting but arty and fantastic none the less.

Let's face it if you aren't at the Riley High at Wellington High School on December 15th you have very little chance of someone coming up to you and saying"where did you get that awesome tee shirt?"Tell you friends

Is it a comic?...is it a tee shirt?...

...it's IAN THE HORSE

Ian is the most kick ass pony you are ever goona come across.
With an amazing  image on the front and a full story on the back this is next level stuff people.
Ian has a gang of mules and horses in the old west and boy do they get up to some shenanigans.
What sort of shenanigans? I hear you ask;
 well you need to head on down to Vanishing Point at 251 Cuba St and read yourself the tee shirt.

Still listening to wax, not using the iPod

My first ever vinyl sleeve.
Pretty cool.
AS is the record, soundscapey post-grindocre I would describe it if I were a prentitious wanker
Which I am

We've been having open studio days out the the Shelly Bay ArtBAse for the last weekend and I held a little screenprint demonstration today which was fun

Cool to see kids appreciating the magic of screen printing.

They all had prints on their clothes and had never thought where they came from

Squeegee wielders that's where

2pm sat & sun until July 1

I print more shirts than I got grey hairs...

...and that's a lot because I got my share

I put that photo in x-lareg in honour of the beastie boys label.
I was wearing this shirt about 7 hours after i heard the sad news.
I was amazed at the number of people that commented on it in the days following.
It seems a very wide range of people were touched by Adam Yauch.
Even if very few of them could pronounce it. I heard the other boys give him shout outs in many many song and never rhymed it with Ouch. Unlike the Radio Active Dj who claimed to be such a long time fan.
I had that Cookie Puss record when you were in nappies son.
I have had the sounds of science in the car stereo all week and am so gutted that there will be no additions to the beastie canon.
What a shame.
Personally I think the reason the BEastie Boys resonate so widely is because so many people grew up with them, and I mean GREW.
Listening to Licensed you wouldn't think that 15 years later these guys, MCA especially, would be at the spearhead of a human rights movement.
anyway I already miss Adam Yauch and I never even met him. ALthough he almost landed on me stage diving at the marquee show in '92.

Download this

you can't because it's vinyl.

to be exact a lemonade coloured copy of Orange Goblin's new album A Eulogy for the Damned
Why it's not an eulogy for the damned I'll have to ask Jo but the anticipation involved with this record made me really consider why sticking with vinyl all these years when I have the musical universe at my fingertips has been the best decision.

I preordered this album as soon as I heard of is imminentrelease so I am obviously a saddo and have spent the last month listening to my old OG and looking forward to this arriving.

I got a second set of anticipation when it arrived between moving from Berhampore and the redirection notice kicking in at the post office so I knew it was in the area but not in hot sweaties.

I foolishly picked it up on my way out to the workshop not the way home so I had all day to look at the gatefold sleeve and read the liner notes and lyrics before i got home to play it.
I could have probably got a torrent of the album weeks ago and added to my itunes and enjoyed the songs when they came up on shuffle but the whole ritual of buying and playing the record adds a whole different level to my enjoyment that i feel sorry for the kids that will never experience it.

Sure they may have the entire catalogue of all their favourite artists but have they never heard this

and just try and make a camberwell carrot on a MP3

Newtown - It's a bit fantastic

Despite the fact that the day started cold and wet the Newtown Fair kicked off about lunch time and was the usual great time.

Lots of friends stopped by the Workshy tent to shoot the proverbial and the punters opened their wallets. Which was nice.

Sold out of this design

Also sold lots of the We want beer design. And spent the proceeds on delicious Bookbinder.

After which we went to the Wilson Street stage to see Mountaineater play an epic set. SO glad someone put something with balls on stage and not some slack jawed cod reggae welly sound snore fest.
Typically today is a perfect Wellington day, sunny and not a breath of wind but can't ask too much

Leaping ahead

I have been too busy printing to blog which is a good sign I guess.

I did a really nice CMYK print for Crooked Cider

and also have a new Workshy print on the racks

also did a shirt for Get a Grip that I didn't take a photo of and some other stuff i forgot.
WHich is why i bought a big year planner diary today, as I walked in the stationary shop a nice lady put up a 75% off all 2012 diarys sign.
Score one for the procratsinators.

Mr Welder has my flat bed in the welding shop getting it pimped out for a 9 colour print i am about to do for Matt Moriarty That should be a nice little challenge

Also moving house this week which is always a drag, and am obsessively checking the long range forecast for the newtown fair on SUnday. Not looking good at the moment.

Damn you Jim Hickey

Ingenous or parsimonious?

Either way it's a result...a vacuum table for exposing screens up to A0 in size with double lamp action for under $250.
I got the massive window from a demolition reseller, some upholstory vinyl, a vacuum cleaner with no attachments from a junk shop and the lamps from a retired indoor horticulturalist.
Actually took a month of sourcing the bits and pieces but saved a fortune and the scots side of me is so very proud.

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