Michael Krueger (that's me), Jenny Schmid, John Lysak and Bill Fick descended on Vermillion Editions in Amarillo, Texas (Feb. 5 - 7) to make as many giant lithographs as possible in 3 days. Billed as the 'Inkslingers' we were invited to the newly relocated Vermillion Editions Ltd. specifically to make prints on the German-made Maylander offset press. Master printers John Lysak, Scott Frish & Michael Raburn were on hand to assist with printing and platemaking. Fully equipped, stocked and ripe for inkslinging, Texas ain't messing around, this 10,000 square foot printshop is the motherload boondoggle of all printshops!
The shop was full stocked with vintage inks including 1970's era French made Charbonnel inks and a glorious sampling of 1980's day-glow inks!
Michael Krueger mixing ink for a run on the Mylander. It takes a full pound of ink just to get the rollers greased up on this monster press.
Jenny Schmid finishing off some drawings. Each artist hand drew all the color layers for the prints on frosted mylar and then exposed the images on photo-lithography plates. This is a beautiful old school process for creating color separations.
Artist & Master printer John Lysak flew in from Olympia, Washington to lend his expertise and wicked print skills to the mix. Here is he processing a plate for Bill Fick's print.
Day 1, Scott Frish & Michael Raburn got the press fired up to print Michael Krueger's first run.
Michael Krueger and Michael Raburn rolling run number one. The color is ‘river foam white' on white paper. The Maylander press is s semi-automated press that inks the plate and then transfers the ink to a rubber roller blanket and then on to the paper, hence the term offset. Here we see the image transferred on the roller.
Michael (Krueger) takes a turn at ‘throwing paper'. You have to get the right amount of loft under the paper to get it to float over the press, and better move quickly because that big ass roller head keeps moving.
Krueger's first four-color print in an edition of 50 was printed before lunch! Here Master printer Michael Raburn shows off the 46" x 36" finished print.
Here is a detail of my waterfall print.
Day-glow ooze.
Bill Fick is working away on his color layers for the big skull!
Big Skull awaits printing!
John Lysak working hard to get Jenny Schmid's color separations worked out.
Jenny Schmid basking in the glow of the lonesome light table, working on more separations for her two four color prints.
Meanwhile, I am getting more runs down on print number two! And busting out the dayglows!
Three colors down on the second print.
Michael Raburn finishes up the final run on my second print.
Here is a detail of my second print with day-glow undertones.
Bill and I decided to start a side project to commentate the event. We wanted to make a collaborative print celebrating the event. We got the ball rolling and invited everyone contribute.
I'd rather be drawing.
Bill Fick fires up the character machine.
It didn't take long to generate lots of imagery and layers. I can't wait to see this printed!
The ink is still flowing!
Jenny's drawings are almost done and she is burning to get on the press.
Jenny Schmid's first print two runs in.
Jenny's third run and an audience are starting to form.
Scott Frish lays paper on Jenny's print. This thing is coming together. Jenny is a master of layering and color!
Scott's knocking ‘em down under Raburn's watchful eye.
Jenny seems pleased.
Many, many helpful volunteers shuttled paper, plates, mylars and popped-up at the most opportune moments. We were all very grateful for all of the incredible artists and printers that we met in Texas.
Bill Fick's inkslinging grinning bone-gut skull! Up next!
Bill lays the groundwork for a poppin' skull print. He also made some nice day-glow color choices!
Off the press and into the drying rack they go.
Big prints! Big editions!
Mr. Fick, John Lysak and Matt O'Neal Bridges oversee some printing action. Matt is a super cool student from West Texas A&M University who helped us out with some rad drawings of hotrods. Check out his fb page for his hotrod build.
Bill holding up his completed print!
John Lysak takes a break from printing to sign his own prints. He and Scott completed four editions before we got there!
Here is one of John Lysaks' prints. The images are taken from screen captures of WWII documentaries and printed exquisitely with CMYK printing.
Goofin'
Master printers: Michael Raburn, Scott Frish and John Lysak rally to trouble shoot printing problems on Jenny's prints before our panel.
Bill and Jenny rest for a moment before the panel.
The panel ensues lead by the incomparable and inquisitive Amy Von Lintel. Amy teaches art history at West Texas A&M University in Amarillo.
Me signing a big stack of prints in the wee wee hours of our last night at Vermillion. All and all we collectively made five prints in three days!
Michael Krueger – "Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)", lithograph, 2012
Michael Krueger – "Changing of the Guards", lithograph, 2012 Michael Krueger's prints created at Vermillion Editions are currently on view at the Kala Institute (Berkeley, CA) in an exhibition titled- "Myth of Progress".
Jenny Schmid - "Gourmandiacs", lithograph, 2012
Jenny Schmid - "Bibliophiliacs", lithograph, 2012
Bill Fick - "Amarillo Skull", lithograph, 2012
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