Holiday Cards and Paper Goods

Holiday cards are a sweet and inexpensive way to let your family know that you are thinking about them every holiday season.  Leaving a special message dedicated to them is always priceless. It may be too late to make the whole family unique handmade cards, but it is not too late to pick up printed holiday gems from Oil and Cotton!

Oil and Cotton is proud to welcome the fun and quirky holiday cards made by 

Squeeze My Hand Letterpress & Custom Design. These wonderfully printed cards are our new favorite gifts around. They are so perfect for saying "Merry Christmas!" to all your loved ones and have a humorous yet classic sensibility. So come and visit us and find the perfect collection of holiday cards for your special people.

Oil and Cotton also carries holiday gift tags made by Lilco Letterpress. Lilly is a design, printmaker, and all around creator. Her projects are created by hand carving linoleum blocks and are hand powered from start to finish.  

Her gift tags would make a great accompaniment to a Lilco Letterpress's prickly pear or agave linocut poster!

Get Some Relief (Prininting) at Oil and Cotton

Wood Cut Weekender with Brian Scott
June 8, Friday, 6:30-8:30pm - June 9, Saturday, 11-3pm (open studio 3-6pm)

A relief print is an image created by inking a raised surface (recessed areas are ink free) and bringing it in firm contact with paper. A printing-press is not required, as the back of the paper can be rubbed or pressed by hand with a simple tool such as a brayer or roller.

The printing surface or matrix in relief printing is classically created by starting with a flat original surface (wood block, linoleum, rubber, stone, metal) and then removing (e.g., by carving) away areas intended to print white. The remaining areas of the original surface receive the ink. The relief family of techniques includes woodcut, metalcut, wood engraving, relief etching, and linocut.

Explore the art of relief printing with artist Brian Scott during Oil and Cotton's Woodcut Weekender June 8-9.  Learn to conceive, carve, and print an image on on a Linoleum block. Participate in a satisfying and direct art-making process and learn how to powerfully communicate graphically using a “primitive” medium.

Class Objectives

• choosing suitable themes and designing a strong graphic image
• block and image preparation
• discussion of use and care of carving tools
• cutting a single linoleum block, establishing registration and execution of printing
• choosing inks and color combinations, edition protocols, and related topics

Each artist will come a away with a finished image and the ability to run an edition (at least 3impressions will be made during class).

Schedule
Friday, 6:30-8:30pm
Demonstration of cutting techniques and discuss and design images. Also we will transfer our images to the blocks and begin cutting.

Saturday, 11-3pm (open studio 3-6pm)
Work Day! We will have a proofing and printing demonstration. Also finish cutting our linoleum block and proof image. We will print our blocks. Have a demonstration of how to expand the image to a multiple color print. Review and discuss our prints.
*On Saturday, students are welcome to stay until 6pm for open studio to continue printing.

Screen Printing at Oil and Cotton

Screen printing, also known as silkscreen printing or serigraphy is a most simply put, a stenciling process. An image is transferred onto a screen of polyester or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced into the mesh openings of the mesh by the fill blade and onto the printing surface. Screen printing first appeared in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). The silk meshed used during that time has now been replace by synthetic materials. Screen printing is one most versatile and accessible of all printing processes, and can be used to print on just about anything.

Join us for our five week DIY Screen Printing Class, June 2 - 30, 3-6pm. This workshop will provide an in depth understanding of the screen printing process. Students will build a press and learn everything they need to know to silkscreen within their own home/studio. During class, students will complete at least two silkscreen projects. Each student will receive an 18 page workbook filled with information and tips for continued printing after class! This is the last week for registration. Visit our website to sign up today. We are also offering a five week Saturday Screen Printing Camp for Kids June 2-30, 1-2:30.

The above screen print, titled Three Deer, was originally printed by American Indian artist Woody Crumbo in the 1950's. To learn more about his work visit the National Museum of the American Indian.

Happy Easter from Oil and Cotton

Oil and Cotton has sweet Easter basket gifts for sale TODAY! Fill your baskets with art supplies and one of a kind gifts. Above is a Rainbow Easter Egg card and limited edition print all in one made by our screen printing teacher Jessica Trevizo. The shop will be open until 9pm tonight and closed over the weekend. Happy Spring!!!

Mylan Nguyen at the Public Trust Gallery

If you missed the opening reception this weekend, be sure to visit the Public Trust Gallery to see Mylan Nguyen’s first solo show. Mylan is a talented young artist that teaches our popular DIY Silk Screen Printing and will be teaching our Installation Art Camp and Manga Art Camps this summer.

Les Grandes Personnes Ne Comprennent (The Big People Do Not Understand) invites visitors to revisit childhood forts and secret hideaways. The center of Mylan's site specific installation is a dreamy "playhouse" full of her sweet drawings that are sometimes tinged with a subtle dark humor. In addition to her drawings, she has included sculptures, ephemera and found objects such as an old record player and an early video game system. The exhibition pays homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s, Le Petit Prince and whimsically explores the themes of love, loneliness, friendship, and death.

Printmaking at Oil and Cotton

 

Oil and Cotton is offering a variety of printmaking classes this spring and summer. This Monday is the start of an eight-week course that teaches the essentials of printmaking from copper plates, a medium rooted in five hundred years of history. Use Kyle's beautiful press and explore the art of etching into copper.

If you are interested in a one day DIY printmaking class you will enjoy Allison Vieger's "Stamped with Love" workshop on May 1, 6:30-8:30. Learn the art of relief printing using the simplest of materials, like potatoes and rubber erasers. You will also learn how to make your own unique stamp for creating pattern on stationery, wrapping paper, gift cards and more. Experiment with carving larger format rubber blocks to create your own icon and pattern. Class will include creating 3 piece stationery sets, calling cards, custom gift tags, wrapping paper, and art to take home and frame.

For a more in-depth exploration of relief printing join us for our Woodcut Weekender, May 4-5th with Brian Scott. Learn to conceive, carve, and print an image on on a Linoleum block. Class objectives include choosing suitable themes, designing a strong graphic image, block and image preparation, using and care of carving tools, cutting a linoleum block, registration and printing, ink and color options, edition protocols, and related topics.

And last but not least, DIY Silk Screen Printing with Mylan and Jessica. This six week workshop will provide an in depth understanding of the silk screen printing process. Students learn everything they need to create a press and silkscreen within their own home and complete at least two silkscreen projects in class.

Each student receives an 18 page workbook filled with information and tips for continued printing after class. Visit our website to register for these classes and more...

Oil and Cotton hosts the Amazing Hancock Brothers this Thursday

Oil and Cotton hosts the Amazing Hancock Brothers, Thursday Feb. 9th, 6:30-8:00pm for a print making showdown. The Hancock Brothers will demonstrate "low tech" printing techniques that blend silk screen printing, stamping, acrylic paint and more. Try your hand at printing and learn secrets of the Amazing Hancock Brothers. This a FREE EVENT! All are welcome.

Silkscreen Printing (6 week series) at Oil and Cotton

Register now for our awesome DIY SILKSCREEN PRINTING CLASS! This is a six week series, class take place on Saturdays, beginning February 4 through March 10 from 3-6pm. Payment plan available in two parts, first part due to register, second part due by third class.

This six week workshop will provide an in depth understanding of the silk screening process. Students will build their own press and learn everything they need to know to silkscreen within their own home. Students will complete two silkscreen projects and work with multiple colors. Each student will receive an 18 page workbook filled with information and tips for continued printing after class! Our talented and fun teachers explore aspects of both commercial printing and studio art practice. See more images from our last class on our Facebook page.

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. the Attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink through the mesh as a image onto a substrate. Instructors: Mylan Nguyen and Jessica Trevizo

 Don't miss this awesome opportunity to learn, have fun and PRINT!

Movable Type Truck and Print Happening - Today 6-9pm

Please join us TODAY and give a warm Texas welcome to letterpress printer Kyle Durrie and her Movable Type Truck! Kyle and other local printers will be at Oil and Cotton this evening from 6-9pm demonstrating letterpress, silk screen printing, and potato printing. Try your hand at printing and meet new friends!

Prints, zines, and cards made by local printers will be on view and available for purchase.  This is a FREE event and all ages are welcome.

Participating Printers include:
Kyle Durrie
Kyle Hobratschk
Peter Ligon
Lily Smith Kirkley
Dowdy Studio
Mylan and Jessica
Allison Vieger

Silkscreen Printing at Oil and Cotton

Oak Cliff was buzzing with activity this past Saturday. The Blues, Bandits and BBQ Festival, Indie Genius Street Bazaar and Cyclesomatic brought people from near and far to our parks and streets. At Oil and Cotton we held the last class of our six week silkscreen series taught by the sweet and talented Mylan and Jessica.

But fear not! The ladies are already on the schedule for another six week silkscreen workshop series beginning February 4, 2012 . Students build their own presses, learn everything needed to know to print at home, receive an 18 page textbook and complete three silkscreen projects in class. Visit our website to register for this SUPER WORKSHOP. Enrollment is limited to 8 students.

DIY SCREEN PRINTING - 6 Week Series

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. the Attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink through the mesh as a image onto a substrate.

Oil and Cotton is offering a six week DIY screen Printing series beginning this Saturday, Sept 17 through Oct 22 from 3-6pm. The workshop will provide an in depth understanding of the silk screening process. Students will learn everything they need to create a press and silkscreen within their own home and complete two silkscreen projects. Each student will receive an 18 page workbook filled with information and tips for continued printing after class!

Payment plans are available based on financial need.
Instructors: Mylan Nguyen and Jessica Trevizo
Price: $300

This Saturday - Clay and Cyanotypes...

In part one of this two session class students use their hands to build artwork out of earth clay. The clay will be fired to prepare for part two of the class where students learn to glaze. This Saturday from 10-11:30.

This class will introduce students to the history of the Cyanotype process. Students will learn how to mix chemicals to make sensitizing solutions and application techniques for coating various papers, fabric. Photograms may be created with botanical specimens, feathers, lace, stencils, and other objects (no film, camera, or negatives needed for photograms). Most of the class will take place outside, as sunlight will be used to expose the Cyanotypes.

This workshop is adaptable for participants of all ages and levels of experience.
Teacher: Shannon Driscoll
October 2nd, 1-3pm
$85.00