September 2013
|
It started with the idea that I’d make a stamp. Like a stamp to put on the backs of photographs where I could sign them so it would be clear that they were my work. And I thought it needed to have a printing press in it and something about puddles, obviously. So I looked at lots of rubber boots online, thinking that might be a good motif. I have lots of fond memories of tramping around in the spring puddles and naming the geographic features that the run-off from the melting snow would carve into the ice on the curbs–lakes, canyons, rivers, rapids, waterfalls, gorges, streams and ponds; so many features I had to dig deep into middle names and nicknames to put my stamp on them. I’d also always had this idea about jumping into street puddles and what would happen if the puddle was so deep you sank right into it and it was bottomless and full of wonders like giant whales. And I’ve been reading creation myths with my English class, stories about the world being built on the shells of giant turtles and about the giant catfish that wriggles underneath Japan causing all of its earthquakes. I love the art used to depict those early ideas of what things looked like and that got me thinking of old black & white schematics. So I pulled together this digital collage. Probably too intricate to work as the stamp I started out trying to make, but sometimes that’s how it goes. (As far as I am able to tell, the component images were found in the public domain. The printing press comes from an early volume of Popular Science Monthly Volume 56. The whale plate appears to date to the 1700’s but I found it through an artist’s blog.) |
The Puddlewonder Press 
Hi Damien,
I love your idea of a stamp for your prints! And the design that you have created is very nicely laid out and couldn’t have represented PuddleWonder Press more.
Fascinated by letters and typography like you, I did look into stamps, too. I was looking for creating stamps for books more, as I am a reader who likes to keep some certain books that I like in my library as well as sharing them with others. But you know, sometimes they never get back to you:). It was time to take some action! From my studies way back in years I knew that the word exlibris was to way to go, so I did have research on it online and offline, tried many shapes and designs and in the end came up with very simple one color designs. Played with the idea in my mind and sketched it on my notebook many times. On a trip in HoiAn in Vietnam, one rainy afternoon, I sat down and designed a couple of designs for my teacher friends and got them carved out of wood by the artisan around the corner. It is very nice to see them using these stamps to mark their books and belongings.
Having lived in Japan for a long time, I think I became obsessed with stamps and stamping more, collected special stamps from the temples that I have been to in a moleskine and ended up having a huge basket full of stamps and stamp pads when I left the country:)
There are many stamp makers in Yokohama and Tokyo. If you simplify your stamp into line drawing with one color, you can get one stamp made for your prints as well.
Have fun jumping into puddles!
Elif
P.S. I love jumping into puddles with my red boots, too! http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2800913
Hello Elif!
I’m delighted you like the design – it’s a high compliment coming from a designer as talented as you. I will try to work out a simpler version in a line drawing that will work at a smaller size for stamping. Did you have a favourite place to have stamps made here? Let me know if you have a recommendation.
I also thought maybe I would use acid-free stickers/labels instead. I could sign them before sticking them on so there’s no chance of leaving an impression in the photograph. Haven’t decided what to do yet, but it’s getting exciting.
You and your red boots and Jamie are dearly missed.
Wow I really like this. It’s visually very attractive and intriguing and I love your process!!
Thanks so much. This sort of work is a lot of fun. Cheers.