MuchO Bueno URUGUAY!
Day 3 Wednesday January 30
Today we were picked up bright and early by Ro Barragan, I only knew her and her work a bit from instagram but I recognized her. It is so weird when you feel like you sorta know someone from social media and then you meet them in person, they are so much better in the flesh. We drove through Buenos Aires to another super-fly old school printshop called Imprenta Pampa run by Juan Carlos and his team. There was MORE WOODTYPE there then I had ever seen. At first it felt a little intimidating in the mere presence of these giant presses, then as I was watched Juan Carlos and Mario set the elegant poster type one right after another, then transfer the designs to the press bed, I knew they were just masters of their craft. We got to set up our own poster and Kim and I teamed up to make something cool. In this setting there is no time to agonize over what typeface to choose, what size, but only to grab it, lay it down and fill in the space. The two of us were almost totally in sync, as everything fit just right and each part added to the one before until we were done, hardly taking us 30 minutes. Then we handed it off to Juan Carlos to get it locked up right. Even though we did not speak each other’s language it did not matter, I knew he needed a certain size furniture and I would grab the reglets and be ready for him. Seriously, it was like a lead nurse in surgery with the best surgeon in the world, thrilling. I could hear all the old guys calling me “Blondie” —it was awesome. We then got to choose our paper, which was 26”X44” and was like candy with its perfect multi-color gradients created by Mario, the maser of offset! Getting to see the monster press kick out our posters on the massive sheets was breath taking. We hung out for a bit after we put everything away, took a bunch of pictures then paid them for their time and left. We were off to La Plata again and I needed coffee.
Back in La Plata was Ro’s studio, it was small but again, totally efficient with a wonderful collection of wood type. We all showed our work then exchanged our favorites all the while in total awe of each other.
We printed, (of course) talked and took photos, we shared our process and were totally inspired by each other. We made our way back to Ro’s apartment, she offered us beer and prepared a lovely meal on the patio of her 7 story apartment that over looked the entire city. We looked at books, talked, ate and bonded. I definitely found me a new best friend.
Day 4 Thursday January 31
We packed up our bags and tried to manage our already ridiculous plethora posters and prints from the printers we have already visited. We left the Airbnb to get to Uruguay which required a ferry then a bus and another stamp in my passport. Got to the station and were picked up by Gabriel Pasarisa of Caja Baja, a design professor and the guy that taught many of the Argentinian printers that we went to visit. We drove to our Airbnb and dropped off our stuff then headed over to his printshop. It was gorgeous and had everything we needed. We began to plan the days ahead which includes a workshop here on Saturday with 15 people attending. We decided to get poster ideas going so that it could be all figured out by the time they show up!
I said I would carve something and since I have become obsessed with Mate (MAHT-TAY) I found an image of the plant online, Kim decided to carve a cool saying-like logo, and Amos set out to do what Amos does, put wood type in a press and print it. We worked until about 9:30pm, I don’t think we stopped to eat, but we did drink some craft beer that our Airbnb host made, it was muy bueno!
Day 5 Friday February 1
I don’t know what day of the week it is, nor what time, and I’ve decided I’m okay with it. Today we woke up early and Gabriel picked us up at the Airbnb (which is adorable, Kim and I are in bunk beds!) at 8 am and we set off for a big walk along the beach. We walked in the pristine sand for miles, it was beautiful, we saw where the two rivers met up to the sea and all the cool fishing boats. We went back to the print shop and took out the trusty yellow suitcase and showed off all of our work to each other, which is all so different but we can all appreciate and love the similarities as well as the differences. Gabriel’s calendar was perfection and he really enjoyed mine, he kept asking: “all Lino?” To which I reply “Si, all Lino.” That is the ultimate compliment to me because people are just in disbelief of that shit and it makes me happy.
Now Kim and I are drinking water, because we are in a constant state of sweating, and are gunna head back down to the beach, cause us Midwesterners, we gotta take it all in before we head back.
AH! Aregentina!
DAY 1 Monday January 28
After about 18 hours of travel time, a nice to shower and a 4 hour nap Amos and I were ready to start the day. It was about 10am and we hopped in a cab and were off to meet Pablo and Vicky Sigwald (big time international paper makers). Their space was the most beautiful shop/living combo I had ever encountered. It used to be horse stables and they turned it into this magical little oasis of beauty. We talked and learned all about their paper world then they made us a tasty lunch as we chatted more. We then were off to visit Rodrigo (Talleres de Artes Graficas) and his fiancé Valeria at their tiny immaculate printshop. Rodrigo was quite but kind, with a constant smile on his face. He did not speak much English but it was clear that he was a passionate designer and had a great love for letterpress. The work this guy produced was quite innovative but so very beautiful. We drank loads of espresso and Amos and I set type and made prints. The six of us talked about politics, political correctness and all of the rap that come with it and I felt like I had known these people all my life.
After all of that we met up with our pal Kim Ransdell made our way over to Prensa la Libertad and met our friend Federico, geez, this young guy has such a passion for changing the world. Being in his space and seeing his work and the way that he gets his work out to the people was very humbling. He is going to make a big difference in his community, I can see it already.
DAY 2 Tuesday, January 29th AM
started early again and we got picked up by our friend Javier Alba who was going to bring us over to Afiches Boqueron, a production printship on the other side of town. The drive seemed to go on forever then suddenly we were at a door, walked down a long narrow walkway and then into a dirty ol space that was incredible! The presses in this shop were the biggest I have ever seen in my life! The guy running them, Cristian, was a third generation printer with an incredible talent for making perfect rainbow rolls on giant parent sheets of paper then taking nothing but type, friggin huge type, and making gorgeous posters to be plastered up around the city!
Day 2 PM
Javier took us to La Plata where we went to visit his woodtype filled printshop called Magia Negra. We spent all afternoon talking and laughing and trying to understand each other. Of course we had to print there as well, so we set “Ah Clara” which was something that these folks are constantly saying. I am bringing it home by the by. We shared and traded prints and were deeply inspired by each other not to mention that we connected the way that printers often do. I have been working to figure out why this sort of thing fills my soul and I’ll be god damned if it is not this whole connecting, intentionally with people that love life and letterpress, good coffee, some Maté, good music, dogs, beer, and being a good human.
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Robyne Robinson)
For 20 years Robyne Robinson was a reporter and then news anchor/co-anchor for Fox affiliate KMSP in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. and worked at KMSP-TV since 1990, when KMSP was independent Minnesota 9. In 2005 she received an Upper Midwest Emmy for “Best Anchor”. Hers was a kind and warm face that I grew up with seeing on the news. Her demeanor and confident, professional poise was always something that inspired me to believe the ol’ “you can be whatever you wanna be, kid” sentiment that people always say. It is always different for girls, it just is, it’s the world we live in. To see Robyne paving the way for not only women but also for being the first African American female news anchor in the Twin Cities as well as the first African American inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame. She makes me proud to be a woman and a Minnesotan.
I think the things that impress me most about Robyne are her determination and constant evolution and reinvention. When she first spoke about leaving TV, it was thought to be about pursuing her growing line of jewelry, which is cool as hell. Then she threw everyone a loop in 2010 when she started talking about joining Minnesota DFL Rep. Matt Entenza to be his running mate for Governor. Though Entenza’s run was not successful, she was grateful for the opportunity.
Robinson has since moved on to working in the arts - first as Director of Arts @ MSP with the Metropolitan Airports Commission, now working as the airports Public Art Consultant through her new firm fiveXfive. She also serves and volunteers on many boards that are supportive of art spaces and women. That is incredible, that is a true leader and hero for the rest of us. She is unwavering in her determination and is the picture of grace and style.
Thanks for all you do for artists in Minnesota Robyne, we are lucky to have you.
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Mike Mills)
Meeting Mike Mills, a 21-year veteran, when he popped by my printshop was pretty damn incredible. I had read a few stories I could find on the internet about his deployment to Iraq that resulted in his life altering encounter with an improvised explosive device. I was sort of nervous to be in the presence of a person that has made the ultimate sacrifices to protect my freedom but Mike walked into my printshop with a big friendly grin and told me his story.
It humbles me in a profound way to listen to Mike talk about the suicide rate of our military veterans. Then I watch as he lights up and tells me about the work that he does to help his military “family” cope with PTSD and other things that a punk like me could never understand. He started a website called For The Veteran in which Mills shares his own thoughts and fears about the things he has been through, another amazing resource is Camp Bliss, which is a retreat center in Northern MN for veterans and their families.
Mike received the The Purple Heart and was also the first Minnesotan to receive the American Patriot Award. Clearly Mike has a full heart and is continuing his healing journey by helping others and sharing that love. What a hero. Thank you Mike for all you have done for this country, for the military community, and for your own Minnesota community.
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Winona LaDuke)
Environmentalist, economist, and writer Winona LaDuke graduated from Harvard with a BA in Economics in 1982 then moved back to her ancestral land on the the White Earth Indian Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. Since then she has been actively advocating for rural development and issues surrounding land, food sovereignty, and sustainable farming.
In 1989 she founded the White Earth Land Recovery Project which has secured the return of over 1,400 acres of land stolen from Native people. In 1993, together with the music duo Indigo Girls, LaDuke founded Honor The Earth, which aims to raise awareness of native environmental issues through the arts and media. For her work in activism she has received the Anne Bancroft Award for Women’s Leadership Fellowship and the Reebok Human Rights Award. (Information taken from The Heroine Collective Blog by Claudia Marinaro)
Winona possesses a fierce courage and stoic wisdom that I admire tremendously. She is a reminder to someone like me that the earth is a beautiful gift and that the decisions we make with regards to it will either demonstrate our gratitude or haunt our future. The most precious thing in the world is water, clean water, and it is slipping through our hands at a most alarming rate. Money will come and go but when clean water is gone nothing else will matter.
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Robert Bly)
Robert Bly (born in Madison, Minnesota) was one of the greatest poets of the Minnesota countryside. He won the National Book Award for Poetry, which is our nation’s highest award. He has done a lot to influence American poetry for several reasons, one being he translated many poetry greats like Neruda, Lorca and Vallejo, Rilke and Rumi. Bly brought the world into American writing at a time when it was very closed off, in the 50s, which also means he broadened the country’s politics. As Minnesota’s first Poet Laureate he pioneered a shift in how men’s roles could be seen, and challenged macho models. He has over 40 collections of poetry and amassed many awards in writing including the Robert Frost Medal, which was a lifetime achievement award from the Poetry Society of America.
A lovely way to summarize a great man’s legacy is from something that Marie How said to him about the famous conferences he held: “You brought men together and let them feel their feelings without holding a beer in their hands.”
This is especially moving to me in a time in which it seems like men are not allowed to embrace emotions at all, and toxic masculinity is deafening. Thank you for your contributions to the world from one rural Minnesotan creative to another.
An excerpt from his daughter Mary’s favorite poem:
I am driving; it is dusk; Minnesota.
The stubble field catches the last growth of sun.
The soybeans are breathing on all sides.
Old men are sitting before their houses on car seats
In the small towns. I am happy,
The moon rising above the turkey sheds.
II
The small world of the car
Plunges through the deep fields of the night,
On the road from Willmar to Milan.
This solitude covered with iron
Moves through the fields of night
Penetrated by the noise of crickets.
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Patty Wetterling)
Patty Wetterling- Mother/Wife/U.S. Advocate of Children's Safety/ Chair of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Geez, what can I say about Patty? I have always known of Patty but I had never really talked to her or got to know her until she so kindly agreed to be one of my MN Heroes. She came by the shop and sat with me and we talked for almost 2 hours. She is one of the most kind and sincere humans I have ever had the pleasure to meet. We talked about being part of a small town community where neither of us were born but we both put down roots. We talked about some of the things that Patty set into motion since the abduction of her son Jacob, over the 2 decades ago. She has turned her insurmountable pain into action and change for many children and families. She somehow through all of that still loves with her whole heart and does not look for scapegoats or blame. That is true inspiration and takes a real hero's heart, thank you Patty for all the work you have done to make the world a safer place. We will continue to honor Jacob with our thoughts and porch lights and remembering his number 11.
For more information about the Jacob Wetterling Foundation click HERE
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Gene Loxtercamp)
Gene Loxtercamp- Husband/Father/Century Farmer/Collector/Horseman
I have yet to meet Gene but I have a deep and profound respect for farmers, especially farmers that have always been farmers, and in Gene's case, this farm was started by his grandfather, George, in 1906. I think what fascinates me about Gene is not only that he is a farmer, which is rad as hell, but that he has a great love of collecting vintage horse-drawn implements and is dedicated to demonstrating and preserving this aspect of our rural farm history for future generations. I too know that love of history and doin' things the old school way so I can dig that. Gene also has a interesting past of working with Shire horses that are not too common in the states. His first Shires were imported from England 30 years ago, and they are big, tall horses, built to work - Gene uses them during Northern Minnesota Draft Horse Association field demonstration events of antique horse-drawn farm equipment. I know that our current world is not easy on farmers nor has it ever been, so farmers are real heroes to me.
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Mike Schultz)
Mike Schultz- Husband/Father/Extreme Athlete/Paralymic Snowboarder/Founder of Biodapt
Though I do not know Mike personally, I have heard nothing but great things about him. One of the reasons that I chose Monster Mike to be on my list is due in part to the fact that life took a helluva turn for him following a major snowmobiling accident in 2008 in which he lost his leg above the knee. After engineering his own prosthetic knee, Mike realized the need for advancements in high impact adaptive sports prosthetics and founded BioDapt, Inc. in July 2010. Currently more than 400 wounded soldiers, extreme athletes and amputees wanting to return to an active lifestyle are using Mike’s prosthetics. Are you freakin' kiddin' me?!? Mike went on to take a gold and silver medal in the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Snowboarding.
Whatta guy, keep after it yo, we will be watching for more wins to come!
For more information on whats happening with Mike click HERE
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heros" (Louie Anderson)
Louie Anderson- Comedian/Actor
I have loved Louie Anderson since I first saw his stand up comedy, the way he described his dad made me think of my own dad. Louie's self deprecating humor was not only freakin side-splittingly hilarious, but came from such a true and honest place. There was nothing like watching a Minnesota native continue to rock the celeb life with such grace and sincerity.
I have been a fan since he had that cartoon Louie & Me, and now he is absolutely killing it in the new series called "Baskets" on fx. Anderson won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Christine Baskets in 2016. Man, I cannot get enough of the show and watching him playing the "role of a lifetime" has been so exciting. As a self proclaimed funny person myself, I have a soft spot for genuinely funny, talented people that do what they do with all they've got. Way to freakin go Louie, Minnesota loves you.
For more information and to follow Louie click HERE
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Dave & Amy Freeman)
Dave and Amy Freemen- Activists/Adventurers/Save the BWCA Advocates/Authors
People that step up to lead, to give back, and to educate, will always have my heart. Dave and Amy Freeman continue to stand up to protect that which cannot protect itself, like nature, water, and wildlife.
One of the ways in which they have advocated for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area was a 366 day trip to raise awareness from the threat of Sulfide-ore copper mining. As I watched a video of a handful of the days spent in deep winter with their dogsled team dragging a canoe across the frozen tundra I felt very moved at the mega-determination of these two. They are clearly committed to doing their part in making big change and bringing real awareness. As they embark on the next adventure it is clear that they have found a profound joy and love for what they do. Makes me wanna be a better Minnesotan too, thanks for takin' the lead you guys.
For more information or to donate to the cause click HERE
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Dessa)
Dessa- Singer/Rapper/Writer
There are a lot of impressive women out in the world doin' impressive things. However, few of them actually, without a doubt, take my breath away with their powerful presence. This gal, she does that to me. Dessa, an incredible singer/songwriter and now a published author not only blows my mind with her performances but I cannot fathom where all the boundless greatness keeps coming from.
Turns out she is educated, funny, powerful, beautiful, and beyond ambitious. She is part of Doomtree, a Minnesota based band that is hard to categorize because it is unlike any other music. It stands alone. Dessa is like nothing you have heard whether listening to her talk about her life or hearing the blending of her fierce rapping coupled with her angelic singing- it is mesmerizing.
The cool thing is that she is a Minnesotan, which means she is salt-of-the-earth and isn't afraid of being a badass in going after what she wants to achieve.
For more information about Dessa and Doomtree click HERE
2019 BP Calendar "Minnesota Heroes" (Bud Grant)
Bud Grant - Retired Vikings Coach/Outdoorsman/Garage sale Enthusiast
Bud Grant, this guy is so iconic Minnesota, it ain't even funny. Known for his stoic sideline demeanor, Coach Grant is the winningest coach in the history of the Vikings. I read that Coach Grant made required outdoor practice in the winter and would not allow heaters on the sidelines of the games. Straight up, thats some grit, that is the making of good players through high expectations and badassery.
Bud is a big outdoorsmen as well as an advocate for Minnesota Wildlife and Natural Resources. He has enjoyed fishing and hunting most of his life and he gets that the best place to be in mid August is out on the pontoon boat fishin' for bass. It don't get much more Minnesota than that yo!
Nowadays he enjoys hosting a big garage sale every year at his home where he peddles everything from memorabilia to fishing gear. What a guy; what an incredible life he has led; and what an incredible legacy he has built.
For more information about the Bud Grant garage sale click HERE
2019 Bruno Press Calendar: "Minnesota Heroes" (Ilhan Omar)
Ilhan Omar- Wife/Mother/Minnesota House of Representatives
I have already been carving for months, but this calendar is so fucking solid I can hardly stand it.
Andy (of A to Z Letterpress) and I have been talking about doing a people portrait calendar for a while, I am not great at portraits so I figured nothin' like kickin out 12+ portraits under the gun to get right good at sumthin' right quick.
As I started to compile my list of heros, and opened up the conversation to the interwebs, I got plenty of ideas from y'all, like Prince, Dylan, Wellstone... the list goes on and on, but ever since the Lil Jon debacle (if you don't know this story, ask me about it) I swore to never do another person's likeness without their permission. This meant that I needed living people, people I might actually contact personally.
It was sort of magical finding the connections and then getting 12 total freakin' rockstars to say YES.
I shall talk a bit about why I chose these twelve people to highlight.
The first is someone that I thought was impressive, intelligent, articulate, and inspiring. She is the first Somali-American Muslim Legislator, Ilhan Omar. She began in politics when she was 14 years old, interpreting for her grandfather. "Watching neighbors come together to advocate for change at the grassroots level made Ilhan fall in love with the democratic process." Now that's some shit I can get behind! Seeing Ilhan lead with integrity and grit is a welcome change in the current climate of anger and disrespect. I am proud to be a Minnesotan, and Representative Omar gives me hope for a brighter future.
To learn more about her run for Congress click HERE
Corporate Retreat with Adventure
So I have officially begun something that I truly enjoy, having various workshops in my magical printshop in St. Joe. I think this ball got rolling because of my good pal Gina who works at Adventure Advertising (Brainerd • St. Cloud • Minneapolis). She is a big dog over there and is sweeter than sugar with all the things she is happy to help me out with. This was something that she pitched to the gang as a fun, team-building event for the whole office to dive into. Her boss was super into it and they reached out to work out the fine print (ha ha). Gina and I are all kinds of art smart but when it comes to math we are dumb. We laughed for 24 straight minutes trying to figure out what a guy would charge for something of this magnitude; we even tried to keep the numbers real easy and still I was like, wait, like 10 large? That seems high yo. Eventually we went back and forth and came to something that seemed like it was a winner for all parties involved.
I coordinated with Annette and Meg as they asked about bringing food and libations, "Well, of course," I said, it's Bruno Press, it's only logical to partake. They worked out all of that while I secured the logo of the business and designed a beautiful poster that would take 3 passes through the press to complete. I took out all the variables for decision making, cause let's be real, a room of 17 designers and only 4 hours to complete? No thank you. That was good for them and even if the group was a bunch of chiropractors, it would've worked the same.
The group from Adventure showed up at noon on a Thursday as did my trusty intern Ashley to assist me and my best Bro Mike Thienis to make a killer promo video of our lovely afternoon project. It was nothing short of amazing, I got the show rolling with a quick run down of what we were going to do for the next 3.5 hours, I already had ink on the press and we jumped in feet first!
People were shy at first but after a few cranks on the Vandercook Proof Press and a beer, everyone was stoked to make something with their hands! After the eye-popping rainbow roll backgrounds, we then moved to the second run: some sexy wood type + Adventure logo + new copper ink. After that I taught the group how to set type and asked that they pick their own font from the hundreds of drawers of type and set their name. It was so fun to watch them discover leading and spacing, and how to make it all fit. I told a bunch of funny stories about cease & desist letters from aging rappers, shit that is trending (who effin cares), and how I got started in all this old school goodness.
Seventeen names in hand set lead type locked up in the Vandercook press.
The last step was to print the final color and put away the type. Everyone was super helpful and excited about the final product. Timing was perfect and it just felt effortless, like I am doing pretty much exactly what I am supposed to be doing, ya know what I mean? It's just cool, we were all hugs and some people made some BP purchases and laughed about the hilarious cards and shit.
Limited edition, signed posters for Adventure Advertising. (estimated worth: 100 million bucks)
Thanks Adventure, you are awesome and welcome anytime, you were an absolute pleasure, and I hope you had half the blast that I did!
Video credit: Mike Thienis www.rubinskiworks.com
testimonial(s)
"Spending an afternoon in Mary’s shop was like being invited to the cool kid lunch table. We learned shit, we printed shit and we talked some shit, all fueled by Mary’s special formula of her signature badassery + design brilliance. Best of all, it was a chance for our team to collaborate on a really awesome project and spend time outside our natural habitat, while still being in the artistic space we favor. There’s no doubt we’ll be back for more."
ANNETTE KMITCH | ADVENTURE™ | Director of Operations & Resources
Me and God.
I feel like I get pigeon holed often times by people that hardly know me. I have grappled with it all my life and sometimes it bothers me and and sometimes it does not. It's interesting though, the things that resurface time and time again and I want to dig in to try to understand why. (This could be a 47 piece series of why I feel like a misfit, but I just wanna start with God.)
Contrary to what people may think, I am an extremely private person. When it comes to my personal life, I do not post, tweet or shout about the things that go on in my life very often. If you are one of my very few but fiercely close friends, then you will know what is going on but the rest of the world will not. I have worked tirelessly at perfecting the art of deflection. As a bartender for over 15 years I was a master at keeping the conversation from ever turning back on me and most often people had no idea. They thought they were getting to know me, when in reality they were just going on about themselves. It's not a bad thing, I love to listen to people, and am truly fascinated by the things that bring others joy and pain, I just am very intentional about the people that I invite in close.
When it comes to religion and politics, people assume they know what I am all about, however almost no one ever asks, therefore I have to believe that almost no one really knows. I am complex with my beliefs but they are rooted deeply in my optimistic view of the world. I do not live in fear of very much, I believe when it is my time it's my time. Meanwhile, I want to be proud of the person that I am both publicly and privately.
I was raised catholic and went to a catholic grade school, it was a beautiful thing and I have wonderful memories of both. I was also a super strong personality right out of the gate so I provoked authority at every turn and that was the beginning of being branded "a handful" to put it nicely. I questioned everything and understood facts and rational reasons way before blind faith. I am not sure where that came from, my parents were nothing like that, although I think my father bucked the system in his own ways. It is amazing how things follow a person for their whole life, I have been called confrontational many times, I do not enjoy a fight but I will have one if need be.
I started swearing in grade school if you can believe it, and I wasn't the only one, I don't think we could blame TV or MTV or Atari, it was just a thing we all did and that was us asserting our elementary school aged power. Sometimes I think it was just a way of fighting the status quo, of trying to be a loud voice when we were always told to be quiet. Maybe because religion was forced upon us or the fact that some things just made no sense, just seemed repressed and silenced. Since I have diagnosed myself with being oppositional defiant, I have always challenged things, especially if it is black and white (my poor father), I find comfort in the grey areas.
As an adult I do have a relationship with God, it is quiet and private and is no one else's business. I have grown leery of people that need every good deed they do to be seen, witnessed, and videoed whether on social media or in church, and to me it lessens the beauty of it. I feel it is those same people that have to bring God into every conversation, which is fine, if your actions align with those words. Often times the same people that talk God to (or at) me are the same ones who believe that God,s love is only for a select few. I do not believe that nor do I believe that God teaches that. Only I need to know about the good deeds I have done, it brings me peace to know that I would help people less fortunate than myself. It makes me feel closer to God and helps me to sleep at night in a world with a shit ton of horrible people doing and saying horrible things.
It interests me to no end though, when I meet someone and talk to them momentarily and then they "gift" me a bible. That seems beyond presumptuous and I never really understand what it is about. This fascinates me even more when I tell you this has happened like 6 times in my life and these are from practical strangers. I want to start a little shelf of bibles given to me by strangers. The most recent was a gift left for me in my print shop from a very nice man I went on a blind date date with. A friend told me he knew this guy... I knew within seconds of meeting him that there was no connection, however he was kind and friendly so I decided I would go along for a beer and a burger with him anyways. He was a bit older than me and we talked and laughed then he told me quite a bit of personal information (I did not ask) and while I awkwardly slammed my beer I listened, again, the conversation barely came back to me so I said I need to get going. I shook his hand when we got back to the shop and told him it was "nice meeting you" and see ya round.
I thought that exit seemed pretty clear, but I'm no good at this so perhaps not. A few days later I got a message from him that he was going to be in town and would be stopping by with "something for me". SHIT! I knew I should not have told him where my shop is, rookie mistake. Well I went to the shop the next day and there on the table was a wrapped gift. Oh Hell YEAH, I thought as I walked over and took it out of the bag. I could feel the weight of the gift and like a sixth sense I know what it was. This feels like a bible. I mean that is how many bibles I have been given, I can actually guesstimate the weight in my hand! Meanwhile I look at the card, and there it is, his name, this guy I spent exactly an hour with.
Does everyone think I need saving? Why would people assume that I do not already have a bible? Would someone give me this in the hopes that I would read it? Do people of other religions do this? Does it all come back to the fact that I swear? Do words really speak louder than actions? This cannot be, I am a good person, I take care of people, look out for the underdog, I feel deeply and stand up for what I believe. I think It is so interesting because I do not know anyone else who gets bibles from strangers on the regular. I guess I may never really need to understand this, I will continue to ponder it and try not to make it about me and my guilt complex. I am vexed to say the least but it makes for a pretty funny story, and it's classic Bruno, please do not go out and buy me a bible, I have plenty and I'm a minimalist anyways.
European Tour (Part 2)(7/7/13)
So, here I am, in far distant lands, leaving one wonderful destination about to embark on another printers dream. I packed my bag, my really, really, really, large bag that I borrowed from my mom. I took that really large bag because I brought a ton of stuff that I wanted to give, sell, leave behind, share, and explain. I left about half of it in Sweden and I had some left to bring to my new friends in France.
I got off the flight from Stockholm to Paris and I was standing in this ginormous airport, alone, with the biggest bag known to mankind and not speaking the native tongue. I also really had to go to the bathroom. I started to look around and by god if there was not pictograms left there for me, Jonny Q American, to use to figure things out like, "where the hell is the bathroom, where do I catch the train outta town, can I get WIFI anywhere around here, and where can I charge my iPhone?" These became essential questions for me wherever I was. The point is, I got to the bathroom, charged my phone, sent some texts, and got me and my giant bag on the right train- destination Nimes, France. I was proud of myself.
I was off to spend a week at the home of Robert Lobet, a printer that lived in Nimes and had a friend in common with me. Sort of like how the story of how I came to print with Gota, was the story of how I came to print with Robert. When I made the decision to go and print in Sweden I could not possibly pass up the opportunity to go and meet this wonderfully talented and kind printer, so it was set.
I got off the high speed train in Nimes and realized I did not really know who I was looking for, but then I saw them walking towards me and I knew it was them, Robert and Helene, my friends.
The first thing was they showed me to my accommodations. Just like at Tryckkamaren, I was instantly welcomed into the family space and treated like they had been waiting for me to arrive for a long while. It was a small, perfect little apartment that had everything a person would need to stay here and print or write for as long as it would take. The only thing that took some getting used to was the bathroom. Without giving a ton of detail, there are not really pipes and all the new fan-dangled plumbing that young countries like ours are born with, so I had a sweet little bucket partnered with another bucket of sawdust. Huh. I can do this. I grew up camping in the Boundary Waters fer chrissakes!
As I walked up to the shop, which was off of the house in his garage, I smelled that smell that I smell everytime I walk into my printshop. The same smell, I was home again. How freakin weird.
Just like in Sweden, we were up and working everyday after our coffee. It was how it went, and it was good, so was the coffee. We worked hard and talked about what they were doing and what I was doing and what was the same and what was different. We always stopped for lunch and more coffee, everyone needs coffee.
As we were talking and laughing and getting to know each other, they shared with me that they enjoyed reading my blog and they would laugh until they would cry at the style in which I talk. You know that style, the style that makes me me but also cannot be changed. It is both an endearing quality as well as a repellant to some people. I have come to mostly accept that I am what I am and the folks that cannot stand my style of communication have no business communicating with me anyways. The point is, they really liked the slang that I employ, and they wanted to hear MORE. There is nothing like the day a misfit finds its island of misfit toys.
We came up with the idea to produce a book of popular english slang along side the most closely related version in french. It was freakin brilliant and I was guessing I was going to be pretty good at this. We began by writing down a bunch of options, this was always followed by gales and I mean streaming tears of laughter. I don't care who you are this shit is funny. I carved with fury and I carved with hilarity, Robert printed like a rockstar and together we pulled this book together, like it was something we were born to do. Setting type, carving, printing, laughing and crying and drinking coffee and making wonderful, quality things that would impact our lives forever. I think I got as much of a charge out of Robert as he did of me, he would write down the things I would say, he was mystified at how I could shove swear words inside words. He would write them down and walk around saying them and laughing hysterically. Oh, but to be appreciated I tell ya.
Thank you my friends, (for some reason when I would talk to these french people I would use some sort of mexican/australian accent), thank you for being proud printers that want to share and learn. Thank you for your patience with me when you did not understand me, thank you for the gifts, the time, the laughter, the acceptance and generosity.
Thank you, from the bottom of my inky heart.
European Tour 2013 (Part 1)(7/2/13)
Travel has always been a burning passion of mine. Before I knew I was a printer or a designer, I knew that I was a traveller. Being transplants in Minnesota from the East Coast, I used to love taking the family road trip back to Pennsylvania. It was cool when I got to sit in the front seat with my dad and he would teach me all this cool stuff, like stuff about the truckers, stuff he just knew. Stuff about taking the less populated roads, visiting the places that few knew about, seeing the sights that many overlooked, the real important stuff, the stuff that made me the traveller I am today.
I am not even sure why this time I decided to follow through with applying for a grant but I really wanted this to happen so I applied through the Central Minnesota Arts Board, I think I got in it hours before the deadline, with the help of my intern, Katherine, since at the time I was visiting a friend in Florida. A month went by and I prepared myself for the reality that it very well may not come through. The night when I got a call from Heather Allen, of CMAB, I was expecting a "nice try kiddo, but maybe next time", so when she said you got it, I about shit my pants. I received the Established Artist Award, which was a pretty awesome chunk of money that I could use towards my artistic endeavor. When I got the check the first thing I did was Skype my friend Gota in Sweden and told her I was coming, picked the dates, and booked the ticket! As soon as I was entering the numbers from my credit card I knew there was no turning back and I better make this fucking epic.
My first stop was Tallasen, Sweden, to a small printshop called Tryckkammaren ran by a woman named Gota. I met Gota a year ago when I curated a kick-ass broadside exchange called "End of Times". She was invited in by another printer, who also has inspired and impacted my life in many ways (APKj). We got to know each other through the very social media that sometimes makes me want to bash my head against a wall, yes, Facebook. We became friends via the interwebs and I knew there was something about this woman, there was something that already connected us, you know those poeple, they are instantly family. Gota is a extraordinary printer and began telling me that I simply had to get myself to her printshop to co-teach a workshop with her. "Sure" I said, "I'll get right on that" I said, thinking the whole time, when in the hell am I going to have the kind of money to get over there?? Cue the grant money.
Right out of the gate it was hugs and warmth, love and wine, generosity and excitement. We were like toddlers at Toys R Us, we could not stop talking about our presses, what we loved about what the other had been working on and what the hell were we going to do in this workshop? Everyday began with a nice pot of coffee and soft boiled eggs, then we made our way to the printshop and just started, whatever it was, and everyone was so focused.
Besides the whirlwind of printing and learning and teaching, one of my favorite things was heading to the sauna. Holy shitballs. I am tellin ya USA, this simply is the key to longevity. We would walk to the community sauna, heat that mofo to about 1,000,000 degrees and get naked then when we were just about to lose consciousness we would run and jump into a freezing cold spring fed lake. You heard me, I got naked. With strange Swedes. I knew you wouldn't believe me so I asked my pal Gota to take a few naked pictures! Yeah, I know, I am a titch nuts but i'm jis sayin, when in Rome, er Sweden, ya gots to DO.
I made some serious friends on this trip, I got out of my comfort zone, I went on the path less travelled and I am a better person for it. I was inspired by people that, even though they are on the other side of the earth, are not so different from me. I found my people, I sorta thought they might be hiding in Sweden.
Sunny with No Chance of Children (2/4/15)
So, as the second part of my ongoing aggressive proactive attack on the cancer that has attacked me, I got my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. First of all, it has been like my fourth surgery and it really does not bother me other than it takes a lot of time and I have to repeat my birthday and name like 487 times to various doctors and nurses which is a giant test of strength. It went well, I got full color photos of all of my inner organs which were all pretty in pink, and I returned home that day with nothing more than 3 bandages on 3 spots on my abdomen. Holy shit, technology is really something. I mean if I would've went through this like even 5 years ago I think I would have been splayed open, all "Game of Thrones" style from belly down. I had some cramping and bloating and I went home with a new prescription of Percocet.
It was kind of weird though, I never really seriously considered having kids of my own. I mean I did but I didn't. I thought I would make a kickass mom but I had yet to find that special sperm donor that I could jive with. I spend a lot of time with kids and I have a thing with them. I cannot explain it but if you saw it in action you would be impressed. It does not happen immediately with all kids and with some it takes a minute but then it happens, and they are hooked.
After having this surgery, besides the fact that I am 41 and have no prospect of love even on the far reaches of the horizon, I was sad. It is so definite. I don't like absolutes, I like wiggle room and grey areas. This was harder than I thought it was going to be. I am the crazy aunt, the funny friend, and the awesome teacher. Was I honestly ever considering pushing an actual baby out of my body? I don't know and I guess I will never know. At this point it is just the afterthought of not having a choice and wondering about it.
It is interesting though as now I am tits deep in menopause (I don't feel any different), I am acutely aware of my friends with their kids; their interactions, relationships, the love and frustration, all of it. I think of the relationship I had with my dad, and the one I have with my mom. I talk to my girlfriends on the phone about their kids. I think it is amazing how insightful I can be about kids and motherhood, and all that crap even though these are things I dare not have an opinion on. Afterall, I only have a dog. I consider her my kid, but I would never say that to my parent friends.
Me and my Callie Bear
The standards that "we" or "society" put on moms is almost as fucked up as the standards we put on women in general. Gotta look perfect, gotta act perfect, gotta talk perfect. Moms? I think they might actually have it worse right now. Everyone is telling them what their child is supposed to act like, at what level they are supposed to function at and that it is all something that is wonderful all the time and will come naturally to any "real" mother. We are shown extreme cases of "bad moms" like that chubby little girl on the reality series, what is her name again? The mom that serves her kids cheese puffs and soda pop for breakfast? Oh yeah, Honey Boo Boo. Jesus, help us all, that woman is a mother and her kids will inevitably be mothers too, probably as teenagers.
I think when moms in reality see shit like that they over compensate and think that anything even close to junk food will ruin their kids. They get bombarded by what is absolutely WRONG and HORRIBLE to do to your kids, they hear that any sort of discipline is mean and will wreck their kids. I mean it goes on and on. I talk to these lovely, smart, sensible, kind, generous, nurturing, and wonderful women telling me how hard it is. How thankless and exhausting, and how after all of it, they still wonder if they are doing a good job.
Wow, I think. I wonder if any of them have watched that documentary about babies where the mom in Mongolia leaves her baby tethered in the house while she goes out and gets the work done. The baby lives, and thrives, I think they may have left the dog in charge. I understand that in our world people would go to jail for that sort of thing but the bottom line is is that kids are hard to ruin, they really just need a good daily dose of love and all the rest is survival. Is everything they eat organic? How about some of it. Is everything they put in their mouth sanitized, c'mon! Is every emotion shown in their presence in control and laid out according to Dr. Spock? Nah, screw that.
Ladies, breathe. Then cut yourselves some fucking slack. Take it from a gal that missed that boat, you are doing an amazing job, you are strong and resilient and impressive and amazing to watch. Give them cheese balls every once in a while, get a babysitter and go get drunk and dance yer face off. Your standards are too damn high, your kids are going to be fine and if anything they should eat more dirt, fall down more and talk to a few strangers, chill out. If your kid is fed and sorta dressed and decently clean the rest is extra expectations of being a "perfect mom" and it will really truly kill you. You know that if you did suck at it I would be the first to tell you, I got opinions for days.
Everything happens for a reason and I am a happy person, I do not regret any of my decisions, well a few but mostly involving too many shots after midnight. I am going to be that cool adult that yer kids love and that is going to be enough.