Artist's Survival Kit

Keri Smith offers a humorous survival kit for artists to help us cope with those days when we find ourselves wondering, "Why the hell did I ever think I wanted to be an artist?"

The kit is made available as a series of 5 downloadable and printable PDF files (she suggests using cardstock) that we can then pull out and consult when having "one of those days" or need to share with an artist friend in need of a "pick me up". For example, the "I QUIT" card gives the following instructions: 1) Go get a newspaper; 2) Read the classified section; 3) Look for jobs that would fulfill you; 4) Circle them; 5) Count the circles.

http://www.kerismith.com/ask.html

UPDATE - Print Your Own Fabric Companies

Only a month ago, I did a post about companies that offer the service of printing yardage of your fabric design. I've just learned about another company for you to consider, as well as have come across a blog posting that provides not only information about things you need to consider, but also provides a lot of comparison nformation about the different services each company offers.

Original Post

Eyecandey - the newest company to enter the field (along with Fabric on Demand, Karma Kraft, and Spoonflower)
http://www.candeystore.com/

My Big Digital Fabric Printing Experiment - Kim Kight- She had a single design printed by each of the four services. Discusses the results in detail.

http://www.trueup.net/?p=5364

Digital Fabric Printing Guide - Kim Kight's side-by-side comparisons of the 4 companies on 21 different indices (ranging from price to color matching information)
http://www.trueup.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trueup-dtpguide1.pdf

20 Ideas for Digital Fabric Printing - Kim Kight provides a lot of great ideas for taking advantage of digital fabric printing services
http://www.trueup.net/?p=5309

Textile Artists' Dream Come True?

What if there was available to you a non-toxic invisible "liquid glass" spray that protected fabric surfaces from dirt, heat, acids, and UV radiation while remaining breathable yet remains invisible to the naked eye?

Spray-on Miracle Could Revolutionise Manufacturing - This has got to be too good to be true, but just in case it isn't, I want some - I want it NOW!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/sprayon-miracle-could-revolutionise-manufacturing-1885158.html

The only question that remains is when it will become available commercially...

Master Quilter Hystercine Rankin Dies

Hystercine Rankin, recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship in 1997, has died at the age of 80. She is best known for the extremely powerful stories told through her quilts about her family's history and about growing up in the segregated rural south - one in particular about the murder of her father. She is one of the quilters featured in Roland Freeman's book, A Communion of the Spirits. Her work has also been featured in many other books, documentaries and magazines.

Mrs. Rankin was a wonderful artist who will be missed not only by her family, but by the art community at-large.

To read the online article about her in today's Clarion-Ledger Newspaper:
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100216/NEWS/2160331/1001/newsfrnt/Nationally-known-Lorman-quilt-artist-honored-by-NEA-in-1997-dies-at-age-80
 
National Endowment for the Arts – 1997 National Heritage Fellowship
http://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1997_10

Mississippi Quilting: Hystercine Rankin – includes video of her talking about how she began quilting
http://www.arts.state.ms.us/crossroads/quilting/quilting1.html

Craft in America – includes a video of Patty Crosby, the director of Mississippi Cultural Crossroads talking about Mrs. Rankin
http://www.craftinamerica.org/artists_fiber/story_168.php? 

The Alliance for American Quilts Presents: Hystercine Rankin – includes links to an interview, photo gallery, timeline, biography & bibliography
http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/treasures/main.php?id=11

All You Need to Know to Screen Print Fabric

Michelle Saintonge breaks down the mechanics of screen printing into a series of easy to understand tutorials that advanced screen printers as well as those new to the process will find extremely useful.

Preparing Your Fabric for Printing or Dyeing *Big Tip Alert*
http://www.printcutsew.com/1461/preparing-your-fabric-for-printing-or-dyeing-big-tip-alert/

The Beginner’s Guide to Sounding Like a Screen Pro – Silkscreen printing terms
http://www.printcutsew.com/259/the-beginners-guide-to-sounding-like-a-screen-print-pro/

Can You Explain That Again? – More terms
http://www.printcutsew.com/376/can-you-explain-that-again/

Screen Print Table to Go - build a print table that is specifically made to print fabric
http://www.printcutsew.com/392/screen-print-table-to-go/

Printed Lace? It’s Easy and Quick. Here’s How
http://www.printcutsew.com/203/printed-lace-its-easy-and-quick-heres-how/

Squeegee Pressure. What’s Important to Know!
http://www.printcutsew.com/824/squeegee-pressure-whats-important-to-know/

CMYK for Photorealistic Screen Printing - This guide will help you produce a four colour CMYK halftone separation of your image to capture the look of a photorealistic image.
http://www.printcutsew.com/454/cmyk-for-photorealistic-screen-printing/

A Full Size Guide to Printing Halftones - This is a guide to silkscreen printing of halftones and the correct mesh count for your dot size.
http://www.printcutsew.com/274/a-full-size-guide-to-printing-halftones/

The How-to of Screen Coating - This how-to shows you step-by-step the proper way to coat your silkscreen frame.
http://www.printcutsew.com/288/the-how-to-of-screen-coating/

Screen Printing 101

Part 1 – Getting Started - This tutorial is the first in a series of three turtorials that teach you everything you need to know about silkscreen printing whether it is on fabric, t-shirts or onto paper.
http://www.printcutsew.com/549/screen-printing-101-part-1-getting-started/

Part 2 – Creating the Stencil - This tutorial shows how you will expose and wash your newly made stencil on your silk screen frame.
http://www.printcutsew.com/649/creating-your-screen-print-stencil/

Part 3 – The Good Stuff - This tutorial focuses on printing onto fabric and paper with a screen print frame.
http://www.printcutsew.com/660/screen-printing-101-part-3-the-good-stuff/

Feeling Exposed? - Here’s a quick guide to exposure times for silkscreens whether you use a pro lamp, task lamp or the sun!
http://www.printcutsew.com/613/feeling-exposed/

Building a Silkscreen Frame from Scratch - Make your Own Screen Print Frame for $10.00.
http://www.printcutsew.com/579/building-a-silkscreen-frame-from-scratch/

What is Screen Printing Registration?

Part 1 - Learning how to register your prints is a very important skill and helps you jump from craft hobbiest to serious printer.
http://www.printcutsew.com/663/what-is-screen-printing-registration-part-1/

Part 2 – How to make sure that each colour in your design exposes on the same location for each of your screens.
http://www.printcutsew.com/1314/screen-printing-registration-part-2/

Part 3 – How to set up your fabric on your print table so you can print repeating patterns over and over again.
http://www.printcutsew.com/1338/screen-printing-registration-part-3-fabric-registration/

Wash and Learn! “Big Tip Alert” – Print colours not lining up? Troubleshooting bad registration.
http://www.printcutsew.com/1469/wash-and-learn-big-tip-alert/

Using Strippers and Banishing Ghosts
http://www.printcutsew.com/1438/using-strippers-and-banishing-ghosts/

Quick and Easy! Build a Screen Print Frame From an Old Picture Frame
http://www.printcutsew.com/81/quick-and-easy-build-your-own-silkscreen-frame/

The Darker Side of Screen Printing – This tutorial will show you how to set up your dark room, or dark corner if that’s all you have
http://www.printcutsew.com/284/the-darker-side-of-screen-printing/

TLC for Your Silk Screen Frames
http://www.printcutsew.com/279/tlc-for-our-silk-screen-frames/

Rip Your Screen? Here’s How to Fix it Fast
http://www.printcutsew.com/276/rip-your-screen-heres-how-to-fix-it-fast/

A Mesh Count for Everything! Well, almost.
http://www.printcutsew.com/272/a-mesh-count-for-everything-well-almost/

Are You Listening? - Haiti Relief Song

The horrific loss of  life and tremendous physical destruction of Port-au-Prince are mind boggling. The video below attests to it with emotion and passion. No one with a soul can listen to or view it without being tremendously moved.

"Are You Listening: A Love Song for Haiti" - Kirk Fanklin & Friends

But there is also another unimaginable price that not only Haitians but the entire world of art will now have to pay...

A Cultural Agony in a Nation Where Art is Life
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/24/world/la-fg-haiti-artists24-2010jan24

Vibrant Haitian Art Vanishes in the Dust
http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/1443999.html

Quakes Toll on Haitian Art, Heritage and Income
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/29/haitian.art.lost/index.html

Unesco Urges Ban on Trade of Haitian Art
http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/33793/unesco-urges-ban-on-trade-of-haitian-art/

EXAMPLES of HAITIAN TEXTILE ART (sequined vodou flags are the best known examples):

Drapo Vodou: Haitian Vodou Flags (scroll down for many examples - click on pictures for close-up views)
http://www.indigoarts.com/news_drapovodou2008.html

Haitian Art - Voodoo Flags - click on pictures for close-up views
http://www.nigerbend.com/catalog.php?cat=42

The Power of Haitian Art - click on pictures for close-up views
http://rosalindcummingsyeates.blogspot.com/2010/01/power-of-haitian-art.html