A year ago I joined the Pele Prints family, and it has been a wild year: we moved the studio into its forever home, we participated in two art fairs and two exhibits, and we printed multiple collaborative projects. It has been a year of organizing, adjusting routines, and staying flexible.
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| Moving day |
It was exciting to move the Pele studio. I personally learned much about construction skills, which may come in handy when I find my forever living space. We prepared the studio for the move and thankfully had industrial movers to relocate the presses, flat files, and exposure unit. The actual moving day was a family affair, with help from friends and family making the transition smooth. The celebration came later with an open house, after the unpacking and organizing.
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| Pele Prints open house |
Working with artists in the studio is a unique experience. By the time the artists get to the studio, we have talked and have a flexible plan for what will happen during the week they are in the studio. Most of the time I am a set of “spare hands,” anticipating the needs of the artists, so that printing is not interrupted. Some of my tasks include mixing inks, switching out printing plates, newsprint management, and lots of cleaning. No matter how much pre-planning occurs there is always trouble-shooting and brainstorming to keep everything on task.
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| Laura Berman working in the Pele studio |
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| Maria and Roxanne cleaning plates |
Most weeks, I’m in charge of and do quite a bit of contract printing for SKIF International. This consists of creating fine art prints on clothing. Each piece is individually printed on an “as need” basis. Printing for SKIF keeps the time flying. I’m constantly changing colors and switching designs. Before I know it, an entire day has flown by.
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| Printing Skif sweaters |
Traveling with Pele is motivating. Seeing and hearing the public interaction, thoughts, and opinions on the art that is displayed keeps me wanting to make more art. When a piece finds its home, it is inspirational. Knowing that an individual or business wants to look at art every day in their space that I’ve helped to create makes me proud to be part of Pele Prints.
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| Pele Prints booth at the Texas Contemporary art fair |
It's been a busy year!
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