Last month a fellow grad school student and I put together this video on the process of making the illustrations for the "Wicked Bugs" book. The video was made as an accompanying component to a digital version of the book. I thought it would be fun to include it here so those of you who were not so familiar with the etching process could see one approach.
Hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Sign up for the 2011 Subscription Prints!
Despite our lack of blogging Twin Vixen Press is alive and well, having turned 3 this spring. The press has missed Briony terribly while she has been off working on her MFA degree in Wisconsin, but there is still a good chance that she will return to the beautiful, rolling hills of Vermont. In the meantime we are still offering studio space to other print artists, Helen makes paintings and prints in the studio and the space continues to be a wonderful and productive sanctuary.
In an effort to continue our tradition and raise a little money for the press, we are offering the opportunity for you to support our little venture though participating in our Annual Subscription Print fundraiser. This is how it works: We offer you two prints, one by Helen and one by Briony, for the price of $80 ($120 for a special edition print). The money we raise from the Subscription helps us pay our rent at the lovely Whetstone studios, purchase new equipment for the studio and buy supplies for our classes. This is a great way to buy original prints for a very low price and a great way to help support two young, hard working artists.
In an effort to continue our tradition and raise a little money for the press, we are offering the opportunity for you to support our little venture though participating in our Annual Subscription Print fundraiser. This is how it works: We offer you two prints, one by Helen and one by Briony, for the price of $80 ($120 for a special edition print). The money we raise from the Subscription helps us pay our rent at the lovely Whetstone studios, purchase new equipment for the studio and buy supplies for our classes. This is a great way to buy original prints for a very low price and a great way to help support two young, hard working artists.
News About the Twins…
Helen has had an exciting year, continuing to pursue her dual passions in printmaking and gardening. She has recently been hired as the new printmaking teacher at The Putney School where, for the past three years, she has both taught the evening arts program as well as coached the girl’s soccer team. Starting this fall, Helen will be teaching two academic printmaking classes, two evening activities in printmaking and figure drawing, sponsoring project week and senior exhibitions, and continuing to coach. In addition, Helen will be managing the studio, which is equipped with an etching press, a lithography press, as well as Letterpress! Helen is pleased to find herself in the extremely unique position of instructing high school printmaking with more equipment and techniques available than most colleges and universities! In preparation for her new job, she enrolled in both Monotype and Lithography classes at Two Rivers Print Studio in White River Junction, Vermont as well as a Letterpress class from Bob Metzler in Hannover, New Hampshire. Helen had two shows this year, a one-person show at Works on Paper in Bellows Falls, Vermont and a group show with ceramicist Rob Cartelli and musician Michael Roberts at Through the Music gallery in Brattleboro, Vermont.
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| Visit Anemone Times to see what Helen is up to in her gardens! |
Helen has also had some amazing opportunities in the gardening world. After working for three seasons in the garden of Gordon Hayward, a well-known writer and garden designer, Helen traveled to England and volunteered at Hidcote Manor gardens in the northern Cotswolds. It was a truly remarkable opportunity to live in the manor and work full time alongside a terrific gardening team. After visiting so many incredible gardens and meeting so many wonderful gardeners, Helen to document her experiences in a blog, which she continues to do rather religiously (Visit Helen's Blog! ). Coming home after such a great experience has been exciting and she has been pursuing more garden design and renovation work. She will return to England again for the month of March 2012 to volunteer at another garden called Great Dixter, which happily dovetails with Putney School's March break! Helen continues to live in her cozy barn apartment with wonderful Noah with their two cats in glorious Putney, Vermont.
In May Briony finished her second year as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison with her final year visible on the horizon. While the unanticipated addition of teaching to her schedule was a surprise, she managed to make it through the school year in one piece and found herself enjoying the job more than she anticipated. This last spring Briony showed in a variety of venues including the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Eureka Books in Northern California, Brackenwood Gallery on Whidbey Island, and a botanical show in Thüngersheim, Germany. As part of earning her degree, Briony also put together a three-person show titled, “Beastly Prints: Modern Interpretations of the Art of the Bestiary” that was held at the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin and featured several of Briony’s prints of odd creatures.
May also brought Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects to the bookstands around the country. A sequel-of-sorts to the Wicked Plants, Wicked Bugs was written by Amy Stewart and completely illustrated by Briony. In a very short time the book has proven its worth by making it onto the “New York Times Bestseller List” and into an article by Ann Raver in the “New York Times” Home & Garden section.
Briony’s plans for next year are to hunker down and spend her final year at school focusing on her own work. She plans to work large – or at least larger – and continue her work with the monstrous form and portraiture.
Apart from school and work, Briony is still blissfully in love with Ted and will be moving in with him in August. In addition, she has also taken up the new hobby of rollerblading and has many bruises to prove it.
Subscription Details
Prints: 4” x 6” images on 8” x 10” Rives BFK paper
Price: $80 for regular edition, $120 for special edition, hand-colored prints
Edition: 50 regular edition prints, 20 special edition prints
How to reserve your prints:
If you are interested in purchasing our prints at a great deal please notify us by email or phone by July 30th and we will reserve your prints. Write your check out to Twin Vixen Press and mail it to Helen O'Donnell, Seven Small Meadows Lane, Putney, VT 05346. The prints will be mailed out in the fall. Please make sure to tell us where to ship your prints!
We hope you are all enjoying summer after a long spring. Thank you for all the support.
Sincerely,
Helen O'Donnell & Briony Morrow-Cribbs
--
Briony Morrow-Cribbs • 802-236-7697
Helen O'Donnell • 802-282-8722
Twin Vixen Press
Located at:
28 Williams Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
Mailing Address:
7 Small Meadows Lane
Putney, VT 05346
Briony's Website: http://www.
Helen's Website: http://helenodonnell.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Hot Off the Press: 2010 Subscription Prints!
Helen and I have just had busy and productive (and yet totally enjoyable) month together. During my stay in Vermont we were able to spend some good time together in the studio and edition our Annual Twin Vixen Press Subscription prints. We both ended up creating images from Helen's lovely little garden in Putney, VT and we think they turned out pretty sweet. We pre-sold most of the set but for those of you who would missed the first chance and would like to grow your Twin Vixen Press print collection we still have 10 regular-edition prints available. And for those of you who already purchased a set, thank you! The funds we raise through our Annual Subscription help keep the press alive and well. Thank you.The price for the set is $60 (that's $60 for two prints!).If you would like to be signed up just email twinvixenpress@gmail.com and we'll put your name down. But remember time is of the essence...there are only 10 left!
Other news for print artists:
Helen and I are brainstorming some ideas for a class in November. We'll make sure to keep you all informed with what we come up with. We're also hashing out rates etc. for renting the studio space starting in the fall. If you are interested in renting our space let us know.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Shows and Openings! Oh My!!!
"Helen O'Donnell Etchings"at Works on Paper, Bellows Falls, VT
May 28th - July 31st
Briony Morrow-Cribbs
Buffy Cribbs
Bruce Morrow
"A Family Affair"
at the Brackenwood Gallery, Langley, WA
June 5th - June 30th
June 5th - June 30th
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Spring has Sprung!
Dear Twin Vixen Press supporters,
It’s been a year since our last posting and we decided it was about time we share what was happening with the Twin Vixens. This last year has brought many changes to the press but we’re sill going strong, printing and teaching and making art. For the past two years we have offered our families, friends and supporters the opportunity to support our little venture through participating in our Annual Subscription Print Fundraiser. This is how it works: We offer you two prints, one by Helen and one by Briony, for the price of $60 or $100 for two special edition, hand-colored prints. The funds we raise from the Subscription help keep the studio alive and will enable us to purchase new equipment for the studio and buy supplies for our classes. This is a great way to buy original prints for a very low price and a great way to help support two young, hardworking, artists.
What we’ve been up to…
In September Briony embarked on an adventure to pursue her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full fellowship. In her absence, Helen has picked up the slack and done an amazing job at teaching workshops and maintaining the studio on her own. In November, Helen taught a Beginning Etching class and in March Helen began a new 6-week course teaching more advanced etching techniques to Continuing printmaking students, as well as started an afterschool class for high school students. She is also continuing to teach an etching class every Tuesday at the Putney School. This summer Briony will temporarily move back to Vermont to help with the studio.
Helen has had a busy year working to strike a balance between all the things she loves. As the seasons change so does her focus. In the spring of ’09 Helen moved to the country to live in Putney, VT with her boyfriend, Noah. Having access to a little land, she began building her own gardens for the first time. Throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons she continued working for clients in their gardens. In the autumn Helen coached the girls soccer team at The Putney School for the second year in a row. Once the cold of November hit and all the outside work was finished, she moved into her studio and created five new prints for her December show at Amy’s Bakery and Arts Café. These large format, black and white prints represent a new phase for Helen and reflect her connection with her new life in the country.
In January, Helen and Noah traveled to the West Coast to spend some time adventuring and visiting friends and family. They had a very inspiring trip, spending the entirety of their five weeks along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Presently, Helen is working on a collection of paintings and prints inspired by her west coast trip. This year she has shown at the Lucia Douglas Gallery in Bellingham, WA, the Catherine Dianich Gallery as well as Amy’s Bakery and Arts Café in Brattleboro, VT and Gatto Nero Press in St. Johnsbury, VT. This June, Helen will show a collection of new prints at Works on Paper in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
Briony has settled in nicely to the Madison scene and has begun to understand the intricacies of being a graduate student in a research-based university. Although she often yearns for Vermont, the studio and Helen’s company, she has had an amazing experience at school. The program has given her the chance to focus on her own work and to experiment with working larger and bolder. Simultaneously, she has also taken on the task of working on 50 new illustrations for the upcoming book “Wicked Bugs” by Amy Stewart, the second book in the “Wicked” series. This book will be released in the spring of 2011. Briony has also found a true Wisconsin man, Ted Lott, with whom she has fallen deeply in love.
Although devoting a large amount of her time towards her degree, Briony has also made efforts to show her work in a number of shows across the country. With the publication of “Wicked Plants”, she was invited to show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden last spring and will have her botanical work showcased at the Bone Room in Berkley this April. In September Briony was invited to participate in a print show in Titan, WA and in January, she participated in “Forward,” a show in Chicago that featured the work of current UW-Madison graduate students. This summer Briony will be showing her more recent work in a family show (Buffy, Bruce and Briony) at the new Brackenwood Gallery in Langley, WA as well as the Froggwell Binnalle at the Froggwell Gardens on Whidbey Island.
Thank you…
These last two years the studio has evolved to become an amazing place for not only Helen and Briony to make art and play but has become an encouraging environment for others – whether they be accomplished artists or a high school student with a craving to work creatively. We’ve enjoyed every aspect of starting this studio up and want to thank you again for all your love and support.
If you would like to reserve your prints and view photographs of Noah and Ted please send a check, payable to Twin Vixen Press, to our NEW MAILING ADDRESS:
Twin Vixen press
7 Small Meadows Lane
Putney, VT 05346
$60 for black & white
$100 for hand-tinted, color images
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!
Helen and Briony
It’s been a year since our last posting and we decided it was about time we share what was happening with the Twin Vixens. This last year has brought many changes to the press but we’re sill going strong, printing and teaching and making art. For the past two years we have offered our families, friends and supporters the opportunity to support our little venture through participating in our Annual Subscription Print Fundraiser. This is how it works: We offer you two prints, one by Helen and one by Briony, for the price of $60 or $100 for two special edition, hand-colored prints. The funds we raise from the Subscription help keep the studio alive and will enable us to purchase new equipment for the studio and buy supplies for our classes. This is a great way to buy original prints for a very low price and a great way to help support two young, hardworking, artists.
What we’ve been up to…
In September Briony embarked on an adventure to pursue her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full fellowship. In her absence, Helen has picked up the slack and done an amazing job at teaching workshops and maintaining the studio on her own. In November, Helen taught a Beginning Etching class and in March Helen began a new 6-week course teaching more advanced etching techniques to Continuing printmaking students, as well as started an afterschool class for high school students. She is also continuing to teach an etching class every Tuesday at the Putney School. This summer Briony will temporarily move back to Vermont to help with the studio.
Helen has had a busy year working to strike a balance between all the things she loves. As the seasons change so does her focus. In the spring of ’09 Helen moved to the country to live in Putney, VT with her boyfriend, Noah. Having access to a little land, she began building her own gardens for the first time. Throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons she continued working for clients in their gardens. In the autumn Helen coached the girls soccer team at The Putney School for the second year in a row. Once the cold of November hit and all the outside work was finished, she moved into her studio and created five new prints for her December show at Amy’s Bakery and Arts Café. These large format, black and white prints represent a new phase for Helen and reflect her connection with her new life in the country.In January, Helen and Noah traveled to the West Coast to spend some time adventuring and visiting friends and family. They had a very inspiring trip, spending the entirety of their five weeks along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Presently, Helen is working on a collection of paintings and prints inspired by her west coast trip. This year she has shown at the Lucia Douglas Gallery in Bellingham, WA, the Catherine Dianich Gallery as well as Amy’s Bakery and Arts Café in Brattleboro, VT and Gatto Nero Press in St. Johnsbury, VT. This June, Helen will show a collection of new prints at Works on Paper in Bellows Falls, Vermont.
Briony has settled in nicely to the Madison scene and has begun to understand the intricacies of being a graduate student in a research-based university. Although she often yearns for Vermont, the studio and Helen’s company, she has had an amazing experience at school. The program has given her the chance to focus on her own work and to experiment with working larger and bolder. Simultaneously, she has also taken on the task of working on 50 new illustrations for the upcoming book “Wicked Bugs” by Amy Stewart, the second book in the “Wicked” series. This book will be released in the spring of 2011. Briony has also found a true Wisconsin man, Ted Lott, with whom she has fallen deeply in love.Although devoting a large amount of her time towards her degree, Briony has also made efforts to show her work in a number of shows across the country. With the publication of “Wicked Plants”, she was invited to show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden last spring and will have her botanical work showcased at the Bone Room in Berkley this April. In September Briony was invited to participate in a print show in Titan, WA and in January, she participated in “Forward,” a show in Chicago that featured the work of current UW-Madison graduate students. This summer Briony will be showing her more recent work in a family show (Buffy, Bruce and Briony) at the new Brackenwood Gallery in Langley, WA as well as the Froggwell Binnalle at the Froggwell Gardens on Whidbey Island.
Thank you…
These last two years the studio has evolved to become an amazing place for not only Helen and Briony to make art and play but has become an encouraging environment for others – whether they be accomplished artists or a high school student with a craving to work creatively. We’ve enjoyed every aspect of starting this studio up and want to thank you again for all your love and support.
If you would like to reserve your prints and view photographs of Noah and Ted please send a check, payable to Twin Vixen Press, to our NEW MAILING ADDRESS:
Twin Vixen press
7 Small Meadows Lane
Putney, VT 05346
$60 for black & white
$100 for hand-tinted, color images
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!
Helen and Briony
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Summer Schedule, Subscription Prints and Shows!
Subscription Prints: It's been a while since our last post and our only excuse is that things have gotten a little busy for the both of us. Helen has been out in the wild gardens of Vermont digging her little heart out and I have been plugging away at various projects in the studio and finding myself on mini adventures. On the 5th of June we opened up our studio for the June Brattleboro Gallery Walk. Several people came by and it turned out to be one of the busiest Gallery Walks we have had yet (it helped that the next day was Brattleboro's awesome Strolling of the Heifers parade). We also had a chance to show off this year's Subscription Print set.
Show in Barre, Vermont
This Friday, June 19th, Helen and I will have an opening at SPA (Studio Place Arts) in Barre, VT. The show will be open June 16th to July 25th. If you find yourself in Northern Vermont this Friday and would like to join us for the opening it will start at 5:30 and end at 8:30. (To the Left: "The beautiful old Studio Place Arts building in Barre, VT")Show in Brooklyn, NY
On the 31st I had my show opening at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The show was beautifully hung in the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery and the event was extremely well coordinated. In addition to showing 30 hand-tinted versions of the images that were used in "Wicked Plants," the gallery agreed to show the accompanying Wicked Plants Portfolio in the display case. Thank you to those of you who made the effort to show up to the opening. The show will be up until September 9th so please take a peek if you are in town.
A few photos from the opening:
Wicked Plants Portfolio in the display case in the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery.
Briony Morrow-Cribbs and Amy Stewart, the author of "Wicked Plants".
The "Desert" pavilion of the Botanic Garden. I just wanted to draw all the cacti.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
"Wicked Plants" is in a bookstore near you!
So, it’s finally out. The book I've been tirelessly working on this last year is now available! The hardcover book titled, “Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities,” written by Amy Stewart and published by Algonquin Books, contains 40 of my slightly menacing botanical illustrations and is now at local bookstores (and online).
The book turned out better than I had imagined. The acid-green cover is compelling and sickly to say the least, the writing is amusing and informative and the illustrations seem to suit the subject and style of the book. Accompanying the release of the book will be a show at the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery in NY and another at Eureka Books in CA that will feature hand-tinted versions of the illustrations. In July I will also be hosting an etching workshop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. With the release of the book I decided to produce a limited edition set of the prints as a portfolio. The “Wicked Plants Portfolio” will contain all 40 of the hand-pulled prints (plus two hand-tinted prints) and will be contained in a clamshell box made by Claudia Cohen. The portfolio will contain letter-pressed introductions by Amy Stewart and myself and will be printed by Rollin Milroy of Heavenly Monkey Press in Vancouver.
The other big bit of news is that after being offered an amazing fellowship I will be attending the University of Madison, Wisconsin for graduate work in printmaking in the fall. The decision to go was easy but the thought of leaving Vermont for three years has been hard. Helen and I have decided to do what we can to keep Twin Vixen Press alive and I will return to Vermont during breaks and summers to spend some time in the studio and help teach classes. (Thank you to all that signed up for our annual subscription this year – this will help keep the press alive through the next year. Your prints will be arriving shortly!)
Vermont is absolutely gorgeous right now. In the past week the landscape turned from various shades of brown to every imaginable color of green. I’ll be ready to test the swimming holes and biking in a week or two.
Thank you to everyone for all your help and support in these various projects that I have taken on in the last year. I have learned so, so much and I really thank all of you that have helped me along the way in some way or another.
Be well and happy spring!
Briony
Where to buy the Book:
Of course you can buy the book from Amazon.com but if you can, please support our local booksellers! Here’s a list of a few in Washington and a few in Brattleboro, Vermont that will be carrying the book. Barnes & Noble and Borders will also carry the book.
Washington:
Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers, 1st ave. Seattle, WA
Moonraker Bookstore: 1st St, Langley • 360-221-6962
Bookbay: Main St, Freeland
The Elliott Book Bay Company: South Main Street, Seattle
Vermont:
The Book Cellar: Main St, Brattleboro, VT
Everyone’s Books: Elliot St, Brattleboro, VT
Upcoming Shows for the Vixens:
May:
Eureka Books, Eureka CA
May 2nd – May 31st
A show of Briony's hand-tinted Wicked Plants
Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY
May 31st – September 6th
Briony's big debut in NYC! The opening at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be on the 31st of May. There will also be a joint book signing with Amy Stewart and Briony on this day.
June & July:
Lucia Douglas Gallery, Bellingham, WA
June 13th – July 25th
Helen and Briony will have a few pieces at the Lucia Douglas Gallery Print Invitational this year.
Studio Place Arts, Barre, VT
June 16th – July 25th
Work by Helen O’Donnell and Briony will be on exhibit at this awesome historic Vermont building in Barre, VT. Please come join the Twin Vixens for the reception on the 16th of June.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Etching Workshop
July 25th
There will also be a joint book signing with Amy Stewart and myself on the 25th of July.
July & August:
The Froggwell Gardens Forgery Show
Froggwell Gardens, Freeland, WA
July 31st – Aug 2nd
Briony will make an attempt to forge a great print master...shh
The book turned out better than I had imagined. The acid-green cover is compelling and sickly to say the least, the writing is amusing and informative and the illustrations seem to suit the subject and style of the book. Accompanying the release of the book will be a show at the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery in NY and another at Eureka Books in CA that will feature hand-tinted versions of the illustrations. In July I will also be hosting an etching workshop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. With the release of the book I decided to produce a limited edition set of the prints as a portfolio. The “Wicked Plants Portfolio” will contain all 40 of the hand-pulled prints (plus two hand-tinted prints) and will be contained in a clamshell box made by Claudia Cohen. The portfolio will contain letter-pressed introductions by Amy Stewart and myself and will be printed by Rollin Milroy of Heavenly Monkey Press in Vancouver.
The other big bit of news is that after being offered an amazing fellowship I will be attending the University of Madison, Wisconsin for graduate work in printmaking in the fall. The decision to go was easy but the thought of leaving Vermont for three years has been hard. Helen and I have decided to do what we can to keep Twin Vixen Press alive and I will return to Vermont during breaks and summers to spend some time in the studio and help teach classes. (Thank you to all that signed up for our annual subscription this year – this will help keep the press alive through the next year. Your prints will be arriving shortly!)
Vermont is absolutely gorgeous right now. In the past week the landscape turned from various shades of brown to every imaginable color of green. I’ll be ready to test the swimming holes and biking in a week or two.
Thank you to everyone for all your help and support in these various projects that I have taken on in the last year. I have learned so, so much and I really thank all of you that have helped me along the way in some way or another.
Be well and happy spring!
Briony
Where to buy the Book:
Of course you can buy the book from Amazon.com but if you can, please support our local booksellers! Here’s a list of a few in Washington and a few in Brattleboro, Vermont that will be carrying the book. Barnes & Noble and Borders will also carry the book.
Washington:
Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers, 1st ave. Seattle, WA
Moonraker Bookstore: 1st St, Langley • 360-221-6962
Bookbay: Main St, Freeland
The Elliott Book Bay Company: South Main Street, Seattle
Vermont:
The Book Cellar: Main St, Brattleboro, VT
Everyone’s Books: Elliot St, Brattleboro, VT
Upcoming Shows for the Vixens:
May:
Eureka Books, Eureka CA
May 2nd – May 31st
A show of Briony's hand-tinted Wicked Plants
Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY
May 31st – September 6th
Briony's big debut in NYC! The opening at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be on the 31st of May. There will also be a joint book signing with Amy Stewart and Briony on this day.
June & July:
Lucia Douglas Gallery, Bellingham, WA
June 13th – July 25th
Helen and Briony will have a few pieces at the Lucia Douglas Gallery Print Invitational this year.
Studio Place Arts, Barre, VT
June 16th – July 25th
Work by Helen O’Donnell and Briony will be on exhibit at this awesome historic Vermont building in Barre, VT. Please come join the Twin Vixens for the reception on the 16th of June.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Etching Workshop
July 25th
There will also be a joint book signing with Amy Stewart and myself on the 25th of July.
July & August:
The Froggwell Gardens Forgery Show
Froggwell Gardens, Freeland, WA
July 31st – Aug 2nd
Briony will make an attempt to forge a great print master...shh
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