Monday, September 2, 2013

wearing minouette prints

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I love how my customers sometimes tell me their really interesting reasons for purchasing my prints. I've had people tell me about how all their grandparents worked on the Manhattan project, or how they consult for NASA, are scientists, are beekeepers, or have an arts background and find my prints a great gift for the budding scientists in their lives. Recently, a customer told me that she thought my Raccoon Greetings would be just the thing for her urban environmental history class; I love that a more whimsical print could be used to inspire students, rather than say, a history of science or strictly natural history print. Anyway, she wrote back to say she'd placed the print at the front of the class and they're adopting it as a mascot, which is awesome. She wanted to know if there was a way students could get the image printed on tee shirts.

I've been asked before about clothing. I'm really pleased to be working with a company to license some artwork for them to print on tees, but I've shied away from printing my own tee shirts; I feel that's a whole other business, and it isn't easy to screenprint in your home. I don't think my water pressure is up for cleaning screens! I can use a group printmaking studio, like Open Studio, but right now, I'm avoiding exposure to any unnecessary chemicals (think photochemicals, VOCs in some inks and the solvents used to clean them). So, the idea was the impetus I needed to open a minouette shop on society6. They make quality reproduction Giclée prints, tee shirts, hoodies and other things like laptop skins on demand. They handle the printing and shipping, and pay the artists directly. The artists retain the rights to the artwork. I like their model and have been impressed with the products.

Previously, I only let my friend Fuzz (the raccoon whisperer) get a raccoon tee printed, cause he asked nicely. But, now you can have one too in a variety of colours- or a hoodie, tote, or Giclée print. I'll list some other prints too; let me know if you've always wanted to wear a certain work!

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