Artist Residencies.

I have been looking into the possibility of applying for an artists residency for my next step towards a career in printmaking/ illustration. The most suitable I have found so far was for the East London Printmakers studio in hackney:

http://www.eastlondonprintmakers.co.uk/residency.htm

I may have to delay application till 2011 due to accomodation commitments in bournemouth but this should allow me time to develop a stronger portfolio and create work geared specifically for application to such a residency.

I would also at some point in the near future like to apply for a MA in printmaking, I feel that i still have a lot to learn in terms of organizing my thoughts, keeping effective sketchbooks and new practical techniques; but having learned from friends application experience as well as the experience of visiting lecturers it seems it is often advantageous to get a few years of practical experience outside of education before entering into an MA programme.

Font

As part of developing my own visual identity I decided to try and develop my own font from my handwriting for using in Photoshop and Illustrator. I felt like this would help to make any promotional materials I send out or my website feel a little more personal while saving me the time of having to write things out by hand and scan them in. I Chose to use a piece of software called fontlab studio and since using this once can now see the benefits of learning what I have learned, especially as far as creating and selling fonts is concerned.

Print Gocco

One of my main aims post graduation was firstly to think of a way to make my work realistically profitable and also to try and continue making prints. Having found it difficult to get access to print studios in the past and knowing how expensive it can be to book time in open studios I felt that it would be prudent to try and be as self sufficient as possible, at least to start off with. Although I can make woodcuts at home in a limited run using the tools I already have, I thought it would be worth looking into another home print solution which would offer a higher quality finished product as well as an option which saves time and labor. I was told about 'print Gocco' machines by a friend, and essentially they are compact self-contained screen printers which enable you to expose/ register/ and print all using the same unit. Having explored the various options offered by the company I chose to order one of these machines from e-bay and will have it in my possession by the 8th may. I also chose to source a quantity of self adhesive vinyl which hopefully i will be able to print on and hand out as promotional stickers at the free range exhibition.

I just read an article about a new Illustrator in the guardian - "...promoted himself by sending postcards of his work to various companies, received the commission from an art director for the Guardian Weekend magazine". Seeing as the size of my Gocco printer is B6 (the same as standard postcard) I would like to make and distribute some personalized printed postcards with my contact details.

One ambition I have for my website after graduation is to set up an online shop where I can sell my prints.