Ana Ventura: I'm Fertile

I'm Fertile, by Ana Ventura.
15% of the sale of this print goes to RestoreNYC.

Ana Ventura describes herself as a lucky girl, who is full of energy and in a permanent creative brainstorm...

From a very early age, Ana decided that she wanted to spend her entire life doing creative things. She has always been amazed by children's illustrations and fine arts, reasons that she decided to pursue a painting degree. Ana studied at the Fine Arts Faculty of Lisbon University. She has been involved in solo and collective shows in since 1996.

About the print:
I'm Fertile is about the different kinds of love that we can have for the people around us, and especially about how big the space for love inside of us can be.

This is a two-color letterpress print on 100 gsm Crane's Lettra paper. The artist's name has been letterpressed into the prints, and each print was numbered by The Working Proof. It was printed by Pistachio Press of Ladies of Letterpress, a collective of women letterpress printers.

PURCHASE $45!

What is the typical process behind your work?
I love collecting objects from nature and then creating and illustrating stories from them. Usually I start by drawing the natural element and then I add a character, a personality. The final work is done on the computer using drawing and imaging software.

What has inspired you recently?
Everything around me is an inspiration. I love paper and natural forms. I'm always looking around with an artistic perspective, taking pictures and framing details with my eyes.

The internet is also a useful tool that allows me to be in touch with a huge world of creative people whose work is published on websites and blogs.

Why did you choose to pair RestoreNYC with your print?
This print is about love, something that everybody has the right to experience in life, especially women like the ones that Restore helps. I’m happy to support Restore's work with this print.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
Art is the ability to create something from what you have around you, with your hands and mind. From this perspective, art can give us a smile as it asks us to pay attention to a special subject. Without art and artists, life could be really boring.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
Choosing just one artist is really hard, but I would say Camilla Franz. I love her work, and I feel a great empathy from her universe. I think she creates very strong work, and above all she has a great eye for design and composition.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
Camilla Engman, Tracciamenti, Cecília Afonso Esteves, Serrote - Nuno Neves e Susana Vilela, and Valerio Vidali.

Featured Charity: The Pablove Foundation

This week, support The Pablove Foundation. For each print sold that supports this charity, we will donate 20%, instead of the usual 15%. See the prints here.

Sharon Montrose - Flying Geese

About The Pablove Foundation:
The mission of The Pablove Foundation is to fund pediatric cancer research and advances in treatment, educate and empower cancer families, and improve the quality of life for children living with cancer through hospital play, music, and arts programs.

The Pablove Foundation is named after Pablo Thrailkill Castelaz, the son of Jo Ann Thrailkill and Jeff Castelaz and the little brother of Grady Gallagher. Pablo was six years old when he lost his valiant yearlong battle with bilateral Wilms Tumor, a rare form of childhood cancer. Imbued with his spirit and inspired by his strength, Pablove is dedicated to the daily, global fight against childhood cancer and the suffering that comes in its wake.

We fight on in order to amplify one simple message: kids get cancer too.

A young, growing foundation, Pablove has already begun to make its mark. Since our founding, we’ve put together a number of fantastic benefit concerts in Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, and Milwaukee. This October we rode from Seattle to Los Angeles to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer for Pablove Across America, our annual cross-country bike ride. We have visited and contributed to Hem/Onc playrooms at children’s hospitals in Arizona, California, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Our incredible Scientific Advisory Board will review and award two $50,000 research grants for childhood cancer in early 2011. This fall we hosted a Wilms Tumor Symposium for patient families and medical professionals and we recently launched the Pablove Shutterbugs program to teach children living with cancer to develop their creative voice through the art of photography.

Ana Botezatu - Test

Patrick Hruby: The West Wind

The West Wind, by Patrick Hruby.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Los Angeles-based illustrator Patrick Hruby grew up in a log cabin within an Idaho forest. As a young boy he dreamt of running away to join the circus and becoming a trapeze artist. Eventually, however, he grew up to study math and physics before attending the renowned Art Center College of Design and pursuing a career as an illustrator. His interest in the geometry of nature is central to his work. Influenced by artists and designers such as Charley Harper, Paul Rand, and Mary Blair, Hruby has gone on to develop his own stunning and modern aesthetic. Hruby's clients include The New York Times Magazine, Todd Oldham Studios, AMMO Books, Playboy Jazz Festival, Varsity Pictures, and Brand New School. CMYK Magazine recently named him one of their Top 100 New Creatives.



About the print:
I remember my mom reading me this story when I was a kid where the winds would talk to each other. I've always imagined what each of the winds might look like and what they would say. This print is how I imagine the West Wind would look.

This is a digital print on acid free, Neenah uncoated matte 100lb cover paper that is 80% recycled. It was digitally signed by the artist and was numbered by The Working Proof.

Curator's note: The West Wind is featured in Readymade's December/January  issue, on stands now, in their Shop to It feature! Hope you can check it out!

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
I recently graduated from the Art Center College of Design and everything seems to be inspiring me these days. Mostly it has been being able to work with some amazing people like the folks down at AMMO Books and Icons like Todd Oldham. It is a dream world becoming reality.

Why did you choose to pair Médecins Sans Frontières with your print?
I have always felt that Doctors Without Borders represents what it really means to be human in the best sense of the word - that we put our love for our fellow human being above our allegiance to a country.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I have seen it everyday. I have seen how beautifully designed type looks at night when it is lit up, or graffiti under an overpass. I love when we decorate the world. Nature has so much beauty to offer, but that doesn't mean that we can't make our cities and technology beautiful also.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
It is too difficult to choose just one, when I have already been influenced by so many. Noah Woods is a great friend of mine and has inspired me incredibly. Charley Harper, Paul Rand, Alexander Girard all have in some way helped me figure out how I was going to say what I needed to say.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
There are so many talented artists, designers, and illustrators out there that I am just going to mention friends of mine. Ping Zhu is an incredible artist, and a capital person. You definitely will be better off for having seen her work. Jared Schorr, ditto.

Featured Charity: Computers For Youth

This week, support Computers For Youth. For each print sold that supports this charity, we will donate 20%, instead of the usual 15%. See the prints here.

Irwin Barbé - Bleuités

About Computers For Youth:
Computers for Youth helps low-income children do better in school by improving their learning environment at home. CFY's signature program selects high-poverty middle schools and then offers all sixth-grade families both a home computer loaded with educational software and training designed to help parents become more effective learning partners. Studies confirm that CFY’s programs have significantly improved students’ test scores and class effort and have increased parents’ confidence and involvement. Since beginning operations in 1999, CFY has reached more than 39,000 students and parents from more than 50 schools in New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. CFY is building a national “home learning environment” sector, including extending its affiliate network to all 50 U.S. states and working to influence national education policy. For more information, please visit www.cfy.org.

The Working Proof & Rare Device: Aesopica

We are thrilled to announce a project that has been a long time in the making: Rare Device and The Working Proof are proud to present Aesopica, a group art show centered around Aesop's Fables. Aesopica was inspired by 826 National's work - a network of nine nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping students with expository and creative writing. Organized around a theme of storytelling, we asked twelve amazing artists to participate by illustrating one of Aesop's Fables. Participating artists include Andrea D'Aquino, Samantha Hahn, Caitlin Keegan, Sol Linero, OSoo, Danna Ray, Amy Ruppel, Catherine Ryan, Lisa Solomon, Yasmine Surovec, Julianna Swaney, and Gretchen Wagoner.

The show opens TONIGHT, November 19th, and if you are in San Francisco, I hope that you will stop by the opening! The show will run through January 9 in the Rare Device project space. Both original artwork and prints are available, as well as a show catalog printed by Blurb. 15% of the gross proceeds from the show will be donated to 826 Valencia, the San Francisco chapter of 826 National.

Huge thanks to Blurb and POVevolving for being sponsors of the show, and even bigger thanks to the artists for creating such beautiful work!

Artwork below (clockwise from top left):
Caitlin Keegan - The Hare and the Tortoise, OSoo - The Vain Jackdaw, Amy Ruppel - The Dog and His Shadow, Sol Linero - The Herdsman and the Lost Bull.

Hadley Hutton: Starry Peacock

Starry Peacock, by Hadley Hutton.
15% of the sale of this print goes to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Hadley Hutton grew up in a home filled with color, with a mother who felt that humanity’s greatest invention was the color wheel. Hadley recalls her mom changing wall colors as often as other people change the sheets. Being surrounded by a vivid palette profoundly influenced Hadley, but rather than paint walls, her outlet for her hereditary color addiction is her canvas.

Hadley’s work explores nature and humanity, and their inherent beauty. Her paintings incorporate a blend of traditional painting and modern design, drawing inspiration from Asian patterns and motifs, Victorian die cuts, and geometric designs. The pieces typically start with a mono-print printed on an etching press using ink, watercolor pencils, and handmade stamps. A mono-print is a print made from a plate that can only be printed once (unlike other printing processes where multiples can be created with a plate). The mono-print is sometimes run through an archival digital printer to add geometric elements such as dots, lines or patterns. Finally, the print is mounted on wood, after which Hadley may choose to wax and carve the print, add oil pastels or oil paints, or varnish with an acrylic medium.

Hadley’s philosophy: Less is more. (Except in the case of art supplies – where too much is never enough.)




About the print:
Starry Peacock is part of a series of albino animal paintings: deers, moths, peacocks, horses, and bears. I endeavored to capture the majesty of these glowing creatures as they stand out in stark relief against their surroundings.

This is a digital archival print on 192 gsm archival paper. Each print was signed and numbered by the artist.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
Lately I have been inspired by a color palette. I am enjoying working with dusky pinks, mauves, periwinkles, and greys. The internet holds a wealth of inspiration; I find new art and design that captivates me, which I am sure inspires new directions in my work.

Why did you choose to pair Médecins Sans Frontières with your print?
I have been a long-time supporter of Doctors Without Borders, and I am happy to continue supporting their efforts to bring quality medical care to people in crisis - regardless of class, race, religion, or political affiliation. The peacock is considered a bird of protection and safeguarding, so I paired the peacock print with Doctors Without Borders, an organization which protects and nurtures people.

How have you seen art transform the world around you?
The arts help us define and deepen the human experience, providing the basis for change by bringing us face-to-face with ourselves. Art experiences can be the catalyst for small changes, such as a song changing a mood, or the catalyst for larger changes - for example, the Vietnam War protest songs of the 60's and 70's which helped sway a nation against the war.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
I would choose Hokusai. Ironically, Japan's best-known artist, famous for The Great Wave woodblock print, was very un-Japanese during his time. He was known by at least thirty different names. I admire his irreverent and anti-conformist attitude. I would love to get a glimpse into his life, and of course I would love to learn more about his printmaking techniques.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
To name just a few: Charles Harper, Henry Darger, Christopher Silas Neal, Brian Cronin, Jill Bliss, Gina & Matt, Elsa Mora, Peter Callesen, Yuko Shimizu, Old School Stationers (Brian Reed), Studio Olivine (Julie Dutton), Trish Grantham, Lisa Congdon.

Featured Charity: Médecins Sans Frontières

This week, support Médecins Sans Frontières. For each print sold that supports this charity, we will donate 20%, instead of the usual 15%. See the prints here. In addition, we are releasing an edition tomorrow by Hadley Hutton that benefits MSF. Check back at 1:30pm on Tuesday for the print.

Anne Smith - Four Cups

About Médecins Sans Frontières:
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. Today, MSF provides aid in more than 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition and exclusion from health care or natural disasters. In 1999, MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. For more information visit www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

A selection of the prints featured on The Working Proof that support Médecins Sans Frontières:

Tsilli Pines - Balance Sheet

Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir - Disguise

Jennifer Hill - Manhattan

Danna Ray - We Are Connected

Sol Linero - Dreaming About Shoes, Poncho, and Lupita

Susan Schwake - On the Rocks

Heiko Windisch - To the Underworld

Antje Drescher - Untitled

OSoo - Armadillo

Sam Caldwell: Minor Man

Minor Man, by Sam Caldwell.
15% of the sale of this print goes to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation.

Sam Caldwell is a 19 year old Bolton-based illustrator and artist. He recently moved to Edinburgh to study illustration at the Edinburgh College of Art. His work has a strong sense of English gloom to it (specifically a North Western English gloom), using gritty textures and washed out, dulled colours. He enjoys painting portraits and often chooses subjects who evoke a sense of solitude and melancholy - themes which subconsciously seem to run throughout his work. He enjoys playing music, drinking tea, winter coats, and Richard Hawley.

About the print:
This piece is called Minor Man, and is based around the lyrics of a song my good friend Alex Hough wrote. The original was painted in watercolour and gouache with details in pencil. The portrait is supposed to be about the realization of a missed opportunity and the loss of certainty.

This is a digital print on acid free, Neenah uncoated matte 100lb cover paper that is 80% recycled. It was digitally signed by the artist and was numbered by The Working Proof.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
I've spent the past year caught between the extremes of living in my bedroom, and traveling. I just moved away for the first time, so the ideas of home and belonging are really interesting to me at the moment. I was also in a book shop in Manchester the other day, and picked up Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) by Maira Kalman, which is full of really beautiful paintings that I wish I'd done.

Why did you choose to pair the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation with your print?
I think that music provides kids with an easy route into creativity and self-expression. When you write a poem, paint a picture, or compose a piece of music, you are using the same fundamental skills and fulfilling the same purpose to convey meaning and evoke emotion - the only difference is the medium in which it is expressed. I think anything which nurtures that basic set of skills is a very good thing indeed.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I'm not sure I can say that I've seen art directly change where I live or anyone I know, but on a personal level, I love the way that art has allowed me to see things and appreciate them in a certain way. It's really nice to be able to see the beauty in a bleak grey moor, a dingy pub or an elderly couple at a bus stop, but I think that the real privilege comes in being allowed to try to convey that beauty in paint and pencil. The process of taking what you see and feel and then scribbling it back out onto paper is something which has hugely shaped the way that I think.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
I love the way that Andrew Wyeth balances accessibility with meaning. His paintings are so aesthetic and beautiful to look at superficially, yet there's so much behind them. There's nothing contrived and there's nothing difficult, but there are layers and layers of meaning to be pulled out of them. I'd like to learn how to get that balance.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
I have always found this question in The Working Proof interviews to be full of inspiration, so I'll try to do the same. Sam Bosma is doing some amazing work at the moment. Jenny Smith, Danna Ray, Emma Lewis, Anna Emilia, Elizabeth Bauman, Stacey Rozich, Nigel Peake, and Charlie Duck are also all very important at the moment, I think.

Featured Charity: Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation

This week, support the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation by purchasing this supporting print by Katie Kirk. In addition, we are releasing an edition tomorrow by Sam Caldwell that benefits the MHOF. Check back at 1:30pm on Tuesday for the print.

Katie Kirk - Alice

About the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation:
The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation keeps music alive in our schools and communities by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs, giving youngsters the many benefits of music education, helping them to be better students and inspiring creativity and expression through playing music. We believe that kids thrive when given the chance to learn and play music. Putting an instrument into their hands improves the quality of their education and their lives. The window is brief and all kids deserve a chance to play music in school!

Adam Hancher: Man of the Woods

Man of the Woods, by Adam Hancher.
15% of the sale of this print goes to the Kids In Need Foundation.

Adam Hancher is a freelance illustrator currently working and living in Bristol, UK. Adam's work is mainly influenced by print, engravings and woodcuts - in particular the artworks of Thomas Bewick and Utagawa Hiroshige. He also takes inspiration from 1920's and 30's graphic design, having specific interest in the composition and limited colour palettes applied to work of that era.



About the print:
The piece was taken from a body of work that placed emphasis upon different approaches to hunting. The series contrasted the reckless approach of the weekend hunter from out of town, to the woodsman who is one with nature. This image depicts the humble woodsman.

This is a digital print on acid free, Neenah uncoated matte 100lb cover paper that is 80% recycled. It was digitally signed by the artist and was numbered by The Working Proof.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
My dad recently found some old comics and annuals dating back from the 1960's, through to the 80's. They all hold a 1960's feel, though, and I have been very influenced by some of the techniques employed by the artists. I have definitely taken on board their tonal qualities and use of limited colour.

Why did you choose to pair the Kids In Need Foundation with your print?
I have a little nephew who is lucky enough to never really feel the struggle that some other children will. Every kid deserves the same chance to learn and progress, and so I chose this charity to help those children that may need a little extra help.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
For me, art provides a form of entertainment that I was never really exposed to much as a child. As I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate a much wider variety of artwork and, as a result of this, have discovered a whole host of inspiring culture and history from around the world, but also from right where I live.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
I think it would have to be Thomas Bewick, just so I could understand how he can create so much detail when dealing with such a minute scale. To be taught a methodology of work by someone who is a master would be pretty amazing.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
I would have to say (as Owen has said before me), my good friends Owen Gatley, Jack Hudson, and Luke Jinks. Working with them has taught me a lot. With regards to some of my favourite artists, I'd say Thomas Bewick, Utagawa Hiroshige, Heironymous Bosch, and Diego Rivera.

Featured Charity: Architecture for Humanity

We are kicking off a holiday initiative - each week between now and mid-December, we will be featuring one of our charities, and increasing the percentage donated from 15% to 20% for all prints supporting the organization.

This week, support Architecture for Humanity by purchasing the supporting prints by Justin Richel and Erik Otto.

Justin Richel - The Jewel of the Mind Becomes Jaded in Time

About Architecture for Humanity:
Architecture for Humanity is a nonprofit design services firm founded in 1999. We are building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design.

By tapping a network of more than 40,000 professionals willing to lend time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services, we bring design, construction and development services where they are most critically needed.

Each year 10,000 people directly benefit from structures designed by Architecture for Humanity. Our advocacy, training and outreach programs impact an additional 50,000 people annually. We channel the resources of the global funding community to meaningful projects that make a difference locally. From conception to completion, we manage all aspects of the design and construction process. Our clients include community groups, aid organizations, housing developers, government agencies, corporate divisions, and foundations.

Design is important to every aspect of our lives. It informs the places in which we live, work, learn, heal and gather. We engage all stakeholders in the design process. We believe our clients are designers in their own right.

Erik Otto - Gathering