COLOR BLOCKS FOR "GARDEN"

Finished planning the color blocks for our latest big woodcut print in the works last week ~ "GARDEN" ~ and now we're onto the carving stage. Lots and lots of time spent pouring over all the little details in the 3 color blocks & how they will work together to layer just right into just the color we imagined for the print…boy-o-boy woodcut can be such a process! And girl-o-girl this "GARDEN" print has a whole lotta detail!

So, we've finished carving the yellow block (first 2 pics above) and work on the red is full tilt. Check out this CARVIN' VIDEO we posted to TUGBOAT'S YOUTUBE!

We are planning for the proof to be ready mid-April, with pre-orders shipping out by the end of the month. Ya-hoo! PRE-ORDER "GARDEN" is still available for a limited time ~ get a copy of this print-n-progress at the introductory rate HERE!

PRINTING MAMA BEAR!

(ABOVE) Printing the final colors on the "MAMA BEAR" woodcut with students at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC. More pics of the printing process can be found here.

Prints will be curated (titled, numbered into the edition, and signed) today & shipped out tomorrow! Want one? Order yours here!

Wanna see the blocks for this print? Check out this post and this post.

TUGBOAT AT EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY!

Tugboat Printshop was a visiting artist this past week at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Printmaking students lent a hand to edition our new "MAMA BEAR" woodcut print! More photos of the work in progress on our flickr.

"MAMA BEAR" COLOR BLOCKS

We have finished all of the color blocks for the "MAMA BEAR" woodcut (just a few ticks and tocks left on the red & detail lichen block)! All blocks above will print with this key block. And the finished 20" x 16" print will debut in our ONLINE SHOP tomorrow!!! Join up with our newsletter by entering your e-mail on our website today to be the 1st to see the finished print in your inbox Friday morn!

Also, if you missed it we've got a little free stuff SPRING CLEANING SPECIAL going right now...

SPRINGTIME!

Greatly enjoy Springtime in Pittsburgh! Tromping through the neighborhood watching the natural world reawaken, sitting outside drawing on blocks of wood each sunny afternoon ~ so wonderful! Above, see the drawing of the the lichen & moss patch (under the leaping bears) in new "MAMA BEAR" print? Like a delicate lace. And the "GARDEN" woodcut color blocks are almost drawn in, too! Soon, pictures!

Also, we've been doing some spring cleaning around the Tugboat ~ finding prints here and there from editions that we thought were totally sold out! Browse these rare finds listed in OUR ETSY SHOP!

COLORING GRASS HOUSE!

All the color blocks are now carved for our new "GRASS HOUSE" Woodcut Print! Proofing starts this afternoon! Part of the LIFE OF LEISURE Woodcut Series ~ prints size will probably be 8" x 10" when complete. Join our mailing list on our website to get the newsletter featuring the finished print for sale online later this week.

GRASSY HILL HOME

Since only one of us can work on the "GARDEN" print at a time, we've started on some other small color prints like this grassy little hill home! A fitting addition to our ongoing LIFE OF LEISURE Series. Wood scraps up top are from yesterday's carving blitz of this hill house block, the "GARDEN" block, and another block for a 4 print set in the works.

CARVING THE GARDEN

Carving is speeding along on the blue block for our new 18" x 24" color woodcut print, "GARDEN." We drew the image in in black, but all of the line work you see will print in dark blue. When this block is totally carved out, we'll start work on the 3-4 other color blocks. The finished blocks will all print together to complete the vibrant, full color final image! "GARDEN" is up on our website as part of our LIFE OF LEISURE Woodcut Series, currently available for pre-order at a reduced introductory rate.

GARDEN WOODCUT PROGRESS

Wrapping up the last of the drawing on the blue block for our new "GARDEN" woodcut print! Realizing that this is probably one of the most elaborate prints we've made to date ~ as you can see, a whole lotta lines on this block alone! When complete, the "GARDEN" will be a luminous color image, printed from 5 hand-drawn, hand-carved woodblocks.

To see more photos of this print, and pre-order a copy for a limited time at a special introductory rate, visit OUR WEBSITE! So much more to show you so very soon!

ROWHOUSE WOODCUT!

Tugboat Printshop was asked by Pittsburgh's TABLE Magazine to contribute a design for a paper bag art project to be included their upcoming Spring Issue ~ and we made a woodcut of a rowhouse! Printing a handful gets you an entire little neighborhood! What fun!

GARDEN WOODCUT PROGRESS

We're back at work on the "GARDEN" print after a brief hiatus over the holidays to celebrate the birth of our newborn little girl (she's so sweet!). Pictured above is the lower left corner of the wood block (will be the lower right corner in the final printed image). Drawing first in pencil, then in marker pen…and we're almost ready to start carving on this one! "GARDEN" will be a full color 18" x 24" woodcut print! This is the dark blue block…see other photos of this work in progress on our website. "GARDEN" is now available for pre-order at a special introductory rate! More soon!

FREE U.S. SHIPPING SPECIAL!

NOW! through Monday, December 19th, 2011 all domestic print orders over $100 placed on our official website, www.tugboatprintshop.com, SHIP FOR FREE! Tugboat's FREE U.S. HOLIDAY SHIPPING offer expires midnight on the 19th, so take advantage of this deal while it lasts and give the gift of original art this holiday season!

PRETTY PICTURES!

Opening this Friday at Future Tenant Gallery, Downtown Pittsburgh!

PRETTY PICTURES: Woodcuts & Woodblocks by Tugboat Printshop ~ a showcase of 5 years of collaborative woodblock print making by husband and wife team Paul Roden and Valerie Lueth! See our full color woodblock prints, our blocks, and our pop-up street gallery in action!

Show opening December 9, 2011 from 6-9pm!

Available prints will be packaged up & available for sale ~ a great time to buy art gifts for the holidays! Hope to see you there!

PRINTSMAS SALE!

Merry Printsmas! It's newsletter dayat Tugboat Printshop! The latest? Now through Friday, December 2, 2011 use holiday discount code "PRINTSMAS" to receive 15% off orders places in our ETSY SHOP! Holler from the hilltops!

TUGBOAT IN UPPERCASE MAGAZINE!

It's here and it's REAL! Tugboat Printshop has a 6 page interview feature in the most recent issue of UPPERCASE MAGAZINE! We are so honored & excited to be a part of this awesome publication (particularly, the SHARP ISSUE, #11) highlighting the work of a such a super fine cast of talented makers. Want one? Get your hands on a copy, a handful of copies, or a full on yearly subscription at UPPERCASE MAGAZINE!

HANDMADE ARCADE HOLIDAY

Next weekend, Pittsburgh! Tugboat Printshop's woodblock print gallery will pop-up shop at the annual HOLIDAY HANDMADE ARCADE at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (Downtown, Pittsburgh) from 11am-7pm! Yee-haw!

PRINT SURPRISE!

Printing up a new block print to be released in our ONLINE SHOP on September 1st! Join our mailing list to receive Thursday's newsletter & pics of this newly finished print delivered straight to your morning inbox!

GARDEN WOODCUT IN PROGRESS

Finding much inspiration in DIY gardening this summer…not only in the fresh, flavorful, sun-ripened bounty but also in the design & layout of daintily orchestrated spaces. Just finished drawing in this handsome little plot…and now carving now begins! The final print will be larger than the key block featured above and in full, rockin' color. This print will be a part of our LIFE OF LEISURE Woodcut Series ~ imaging color like "FOREST" or "RV" or "LIVING ROOM" right now…

Will probably be doing a pre-order sometime soon, stay tuned!

RENEGADE CHICAGO!

Tugboat Printshop will soon be packing up the print cart and heading to Chicago, IL for the annual RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR on Division Street!!! Mark you calendars for September 10 + 11, 2011! You can find out all the rest you'll need to know about this fabulous DIY event on the RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR CHICAGO website ~ hope to see all of your happy faces there! (We should mention that we won't be making it to the winter show this year, so this will be our big in-person stop in Chicago for 2011!)

www.renegadecraft.com/chicago

TREEHOUSE LOOKOUT (Details)

A few detail shots of the latest new woodblock print in our online shop, "TREEHOUSE LOOKOUT!" Printed from 3 hand-carved woodblocks onto Ivory Somerset Paper. Print size is 12" x 9" and is part of our LIFE OF LEISURE Series. Read more about this new image in this post!