Isle Of Printing

Stamping out your blues

2011-11-04T14:57:00.000-05:00

We have been playing around a bit with our new space technology this week. Like magic we produced our first official production stamp for a friend. Pretty neat. More on stamps soon - contact us for custom work.

your faithful servant

B McC

from the recent past

2011-11-02T16:25:00.001-05:00

We are attempting to catch the digital lifestyle of electro sports monthly up with the real clock on the wall of life - hope you enjoy our trip down near memory lane.....

This print was commissioned as an original piece of art for the world premier of "HIlos" by the Latin grammy winner and Guggenhiem Fellow Gabriela Lena Frank.

Performed for the first time by Alias, the acclaimed chamber music ensemble from Nashville, Friday Oct. 1, 2010 to general acclaim and then released as a recording you can also hear via cd. What a night!

We were very excited to be involved in creating the visual representation of the music. It was a pleasure and as such I hope the art work shows that joy. This is just the sort of meeting of the minds I feel is very important to the arts and culture in general. Many thanks to Jennifer Lena and Jonathan Neufeld for making it happen.

When viewed together these prints form one of the larger pieces we have done as a multiple series to date. I like them separately as well.

19"x26" each. Approximately 38"x26" together
smoke - 3 colors
jug - 4 colors
printed on cream stock

Spirit - MTN is a reduction print, which means the blocks were carved down after each successive color was printed, so once they're gone, they're gone for good!

available now on etsy and in the shop!
print run of less than 50
signed and numbered

thanks for looking!

B. McCloud for H. Kneesch - curator to the jet stream set

Trick or treat!

2011-10-31T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hello friends – Did you know that today the 7 billionth overly-designed word poster was posted on Etsy and then linked on pinterest?

Even though some of us can barely use the computer here at Isle of Printing – almost every night as we creep into bed - the image of today’s litter of “stay calm and do what your mama told you when you were little” spill uselessly out of our eyes and onto our pillows like little tiny typographic tears…..

Nay – It isn’t that we dislike language, type, or your friend’s designs…

We LOVE letters - and all the things they help us do. We LOVE printing and we LOVE posters.

We especially love that many fine people out there will support the folks that get up every afternoon and knock out a few prints for the fine citizens of the world-wide-craft market to enjoy.

Honest!

Yes it was a nice ride and we all enjoyed the scenery – and we have lots of posters to remind us how and what we were doing or not doing or thinking about doing – in all sorts of typefaces and printing methods and from every corner of creation.

And now I can say that I don’t know about you but I am ready for my prints to quit telling me what to think all the dang time on really nice paper.

Soooooooo

If you seek the honest and are sick of precious buy a poster and tell the world in a slightly snarky way! Fill that hole in the wall of your heart with our love. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Poster measures 9"x12"

One-color letterpress print
edition of 100

ACTUALLY ON ARCHIVAL PAPER! This print is going to be around forever! And you saw it here first!!!!!!!

find it on ettttt-sy
or our very own
website

Xxoo
Hiram Kneesch

a step in another direction

2011-10-05T21:55:00.001-05:00

Hey there space fans!

Lately
I've been thinking about this space, which we have generated surreptitiously to fill in with our dawdling thoughts, as a more important aspect of our doings than I might have originally given it credit.

Making things is complicated. But surely an important aspect of making things is the thinking that goes into the making.

We have spoken about things we are creating and things you might consider buying to help us continue to make things, but I don't believe we have really given much air to the ideas beyond the objects made.

Which is to say....
Art is importantly connect to life and living - and as such life guides the art into being.

I am always awed when I see things made for such pure reasons as to fashion a personal vision into being. Serving the makers first but in the purity of the making bettering us all.

A simple concept that is a very hard trail to follow through life.

Is art the act of living well?

Here is a video which rang true to me.

Living In A Geodesic Dome Home

The Journey of a Linocut

2011-09-27T13:36:00.010-05:00

We've been working hard here at the Isle, and we've got the goods to prove it!

This is our most recent poster, inspired by our love for cargo bicycles and retro advertising. To the untrained eye, this poster may look amazing. In reality, it's really freaking amazing (I can say this because I didn't carve it, Bryce did), and here's the reason why: the awesome carving process.

What starts as a twinkle in our eyes becomes a sketch, which then becomes a graphite transfer, which is applied to a block of linoleum. The linoleum is then carved and sculpted into one layer, starting with the background. Out of context, one layer doesn't look like much–but once supporting layers are added, it becomes a work of art.

This particular poster was created using the reduction method of carving, where one block is used for multiple layers. In the end, the topmost layer is all that remains of the original cut. Every layer is given a different color, and some colors show through one another to add even more depth.

Here's a line-up of each step of this poster's process:

This poster is on sale in our shop right now, and will be available soon online. Stay tuned for more hand-printed goodness from your friends at I.O.P!

-Girl Friday Röthenhofer

New News

2011-08-23T18:02:00.000-05:00

Good new news, everyone! You can stop weeping into your pillows, Isle of Printing is back up and running from our move, like the greasy machine that we are.

We settled into our new place at 624 Ewing about a month ago. While we are still working out some of the kinks and playing Tetris with the type cases, our shop is now open, and so is our storefront (sort of)!

Of course, you can't open a storefront with nothing to sell, so we've been churning out new postery goodness, like this Evening With the Johns poster!

Personally, I think this poster is an extremely bodacious example of letterpress––not only because of Bryce's amazing illustrative SKILLZ, but also because it uses a halftone effect, which is normally a shading style reserved for silkscreening. But, who am I to say? Here's a detail shot so you can see for yourself:

So, in closing, if you wanna know how posters are born, if you want us to be the surrogate birther of the poster in your head, or if you are ready to adopt a poster or t-shirt to fill that void in your life, come on down and see us at ze good ole' I.O.P!

–Girl Friday Rothenhöfer

Riddle me this revelry-makers...

2011-01-19T01:25:00.000-06:00

What weighs 3500lbs, is covered with 75 years of oil and automatically feeds itself?

Our newest press!

Every year around January 1 millions of people resolve to lose weight and do more with their lives. We salute you fine (if unoriginal) folks for making that pledge. But here at the Isle of Printing - we decide to buck the trend by doing less and cumulatively weighing more*! After all this is the 21st century right? If a press wants to feed itself paper... why not let it? If a press decides to print that paper and stack it up in a neat pile...who are we to say no? We don't hate robots here AND we love letterpresses - so why not plug a press into the wall and do a little jig as it rocks back and forth?

WE SAY YES to the Kluge! (that's Kluge like a lugee - not like fudge or luge)

The Kluge Automatic job press - if you think 1901 is modern - then you will be surprised with what the future has in store for you in letterpress technology!

Old doc Kluge is not quite ready for duty yet but he's looking pretty good for an old iron beast (and former largess paper weight).

Many more chapters of this saga are still to come. Slanderers beware. Children with curious fingers beware. Stacks of loose paper beware!

Rub a dub we are fixing you up!

Happy 2011

H Kneesch

*as a print shop with an auto-feeding letterpress

can't seem to reach us via email?

2011-01-11T17:09:00.000-06:00

Things in the internet land are a bit screwy right now. so.....
Try isleofprinting(at)gmail.com if you need to get through!

thanks
MGMT

Last minute shopping for last minute posting preview!

2010-12-15T02:03:00.002-06:00

Howdy friends - I hope the season is treating you well -

We've been busy making a few things this fall yet to see the site, but if you see something here that you'd like for a gift etc - let me know and I'll get you setup!

I'm really excited about the Union Station print. There are only a handful of these available in a few variations.

A quick preview of some of the pie throw prints

Oh and the Chocolart bars are back in season!!!

Olive and Sinclair Chocolate wrapped with handmade prints

$15 plus the shipping

Technicolor transmissions

2010-11-11T14:02:00.000-06:00

We are always trying new things here in the Isle of Printing color theory lab. Case in point - the new Circa Survive letterpress print. Here we have 4 colors mixing on the paper to create many more...WHOA wait a go science!!!!!! We are always pleased when something we learned in art school turns out to be useful.

Dredg fans sorry we made your favorite Band so very tiny - design over function sometimes we hate to say. (well really we don't)

Not many extras did we make - signed numbered and limited to 100 prints 16 1/2" x 23"

$35 on the old web-a-saurus

get yours or get squared

H Kneesch

esquire

This is what you have been waiting for!

2010-11-02T17:36:00.000-05:00

Attention loyal patrons and meandering roustabouts within the reaches of our electric beams...

Isle of Printing – INVITES, CAJOLES and CHALLENGES every able bodied man, woman and child of the vaunted and proud city of Nashville and all regions beyond its borders - to participate in our 151st annual OLD FASHIONED PIE THROW!

In a tradition older than time itself...

SEE the spectacle unfold. CHALLENGE your senses and TEST your skills.

Prizes awarded. Accurate advice given. No prior experience necessary!!!

ONE NIGHT ONLY

NOVEMEBR 6^th 2010

Between the hours of 6 and 9 o'clock

Find us in the historic Downtown Arcade at number 79 – Nashville Tenn. Betwixt space/time and 4^th and 5^th Avenues of the Arts - second floor - Blend Studio.

First come, first served – no early admittance. $5 dollars cash to participate – gawking and loitering allowed at no charge to you.

Both the public and press are welcome – no spitting allowed. Anyone with a working accordion and knowledge of its use is also encouraged to attend.

Please send a self addressed stamped envelope to 520 Ash ST. NASHVILLE, TENN 37203 for a list of all current and pertinent rules, regulations and admissible hand signals of the 2010 OLD FASHIONED PIE THROW. All rights reserved – no animals were harmed in the making of this advertisement.

Yours truly

Hiram Kneesch

Arrgh! our site is down temporarily...but now itis up again!

2010-10-12T12:20:00.002-05:00

hooray!

The Black Keys as seen through our eyes

2010-10-08T18:14:00.009-05:00

Well friends – We are very excited to be presenting the latest Black Keys poster this weekend in Tulsa. In a rare bit of foresight, I had our shop historian take a few pictures of the process as we hurtled towards completion. Thanks be to the documentarian! If you are interested we put a large pic of the poster at the end of the post.

While making this print it occurred to me that the process we use to make prints is a reflection of our values at IOP or maybe it is the other way around. I always tell people that we are an environmentally conscious company because we try not to make useless crap. Let’s face it - there are faster ways to make an image appear on a piece of paper than carving 4 blocks, setting 500 individual pieces of lead type and running them all through a press one color at a time. Knowing how much effort it takes to make it happen keeps us honest and it sure keeps us from tossing off a half-baked idea just for the hell of it. You will have to be the judge yourself I suppose.

I hope you enjoy our little show and tell of the process of turning an idea into a genuine letterpress show poster

These prints will be on sale at the show on Sunday and here on our site Monday morning. Signed Limited edition of less than 180, 4 color hand carved letterpress posters size 26”x16” – don’t be slow or you might have to cry yourself to sleep this week.

***************************************

The historian didn’t take any pictures of me dreaming this print up so I will describe the gist of it. Basically we draw and draw and draw – while you are asleep – we are drawing – while you are at the bar we are drawing – then we have a great idea and all is right with the world.

After that…….

We generally sketch out the ideas in pencil – from there the image is sized up to the actual dimensions and transferred to tracing paper. Here we are transferring the drawing to the linoleum from which we will cut the plates out of later– one plate per color.

Here is what linoleum carving looks like – if you have any ideas of what we can do with all the lino shavings IOP creates send us a note on a twenty dollar bill. Dogs love to eat them for some reason – but I do not approve.

On to printing - after we carve all the blocks (in this case 4) we glue them onto wood and print each color one poster at a time on our Vandercook proofpress. Generally we start with the lightest colors first.

Mixing colors

pink is next

Our print with 2 colors

The press helps us register the prints – that is - it keeps the image printing in the same place on every poster so that we can be assured that each color will line up with the next one.

Then we did two more colors but the historian had gone home by then so there are no pictures of that.

After the lino blocks are printed I set the type. We are using both wood type and lead type on this print. Some of the type is at least 100 years old. Crazy!

As you can see everything is reversed on the press – a necessary function of the process – we all can read backwards very well – as you would expect the Da vinci code proved no challenge for us (save the Italian aspect)

There is no spell check on the press but I wish there was….

After the last color we set the posters aside to dry and then sign and number them. After that we go out for cocktails and milkshakes.

Thanks Mr Gutenberg

Hooray for Printing!

Hope you enjoy the prints – give us a shout if you have any questions and we will see you on Monday!

A few more detail shots of the final product

If a tree fell and nobody blogged about it would you still hear about it on twitter?

2010-07-22T14:19:00.001-05:00

This last weekend IOP took a much needed break from digitizing the last 4 years of our lives and watched a movie. Little did I consider that the film would in fact revolve around the very same concept. If you haven’t seen it - the movie Julie and Julia is about how writing a blog can destroy everything it touches – including people, books and food from the past.

Luckily since we employ no professional writers here - the titanic powers of the blog are muted at best, but the movie still left me with a self-loathing ennui that only someone with a blog can truly fathom. After all as the movie proved thoroughly via fiction- today we can blog it, photograph it and lay it out so nicely - but who or what going to put substance into our lives? Titans of the past? Us? LOL cats?

Since we at IOP have not done much to destroy culture in the past few years – I spent a little time thinking about where the true blame might fall.

Who made the idea of typing some nonsense on the computer equal to saving a life or translating French cooking into a vernacular Americans could understand?

Who indeed …and then it came to me in a flash – I know the first time I saw someone pecking out their most intimate thoughts onto the glowing screen of a computer monitor. I know who encouraged us all to take the grand events of a real life and encapsulate it into a few quips to never fade away. Season after season he brought us closer to the brink of mass self projection and perhaps we should recognize him now for what he has done.

Doogie Howser brought us the blog and thus perhaps our ruin.

I trusted him - we all did - because he after all was a genius child doctor.

Now I just don’t know what to think every time I read:

A blog about Japanese biker gangs riding vintage American motorcycles in Japan posted in American blogs about Old school motorcycling in America.
A blog linking to a site offering us all the ability to dress EXACTLY like Mel Gibson in the Road Warrior.
A blog about someone’s house - on the other side of the planet - that is way cooler than your house will ever be.

Frankly it scares me – Why? Because I love it all too much and I think you might feel the same way.

Perhaps as penance we should ask Neil Patrick Harris to write & sing us a song about the heavy burden of the invention of blogging

Perhaps that would ease the imbalance I sense in the universe.

Hiram Kneesch *transcribed from a text via Bruce McClure

The Process of chocolate

2010-07-20T11:37:00.010-05:00

If you haven’t tried Olive and Sinclair’s chocolate yet here in Nashville you really should. Over the last two years we have had to do a lot of “product research” as we worked on creating packaging befitting such an awesome local product.
Here are a few shots of the process:

Early sketches as we worked on creating the original wrapper designs – Since eating chocolate is pretty fun we tried to convey that same feeling in the artwork.

Possibly the first incarnation of the design

Working out the details

Early color version

One of the final team effort production versions based on our art

A few shots of the hand printed boxes we helped design for O & S to use as both packaging and display. In the spirit of multiple reuses - the boxes will soon feature prints on the bottom of the boxes to keep after all the chocolate has been sold.
More to see soon! Check out the O&S website and blog here

Be your own Genie

2010-07-20T11:18:00.004-05:00

Two Etsy sales and climbing!

For every parent that thinks art school is a road to ruin I like to think there is a shop like ours proving them wrong. Follow your dreams - if you dare – life doesn’t last nearly as long as you think it might.
Also………..
Remember buying a print is like granting a wish.

OKAY - my personal hover craft is waiting– gotta split!

Hiram Kneesch

If Sherraden uses a computer I guess we better try it too

2010-07-14T02:24:00.007-05:00

Hello my friends – fear not – contrary to what our recent internet posts would have you believe - time did not in fact stop on May 21, 2010. It is still rolling ever forward.

Hooray !!!

And though no blog was updated or picture uploaded, things have been cooking on in our little corner of the universe. IOP has rejoined the electronic front of 21st century in force! – we invite you to look for many new things to see in our website and on our fancy new ETSY site?! And there is more still to come. Stacked up and waiting for final approach are about 3 or four years worth of goings on in our little shop...

So stay tuned, stay sweet and stay our facebook friend forever and ever and ever

Until Hiram shows up -
Your loyal servant

B McClure

Giving never tasted so sweet! Show ‘em you care!

2010-05-21T16:43:00.009-05:00

Hello Friends and Neighbors.
If you are a Nashvillian, you know how hard the recent biblical style flood has hit many folks. My cohorts at Olive and Sinclair I want to show our support for our community, as well as raise some cash for those in need.

Thus the Bail Out Bar was born.

In the tradition of our previous collaborations of art and chocolate, each handcrafted chocolate bar comes wrapped in a handmade limited edition print from our shop. It is a combination I think almost everyone can appreciate! Chocolate, art and the act of giving!

Think of it as stock in Nashville you can eat and a banner you can wave!

We hope that each bar can put a smile on someone’s face now and contribute to rebuilding our great city in the future.

Cost $10

50% of all proceeds will go straight to Hands on Nashville.

Currently available directly from Isle of Printing
Also at: Hatch Show Print, Alegria, Twist Art Gallery, and Mitchell’s Deli
(more retailers TBA - please check back)

Each 2.75 oz bar comes wrapped in a poster you can hang up to show folks we are in this together!

Give if you can and go help a neighbor if possible.

Many thanks for your help

email us at info(at)isleofprinting.com for more info or to place an order

Sincerely,
Hiram Kneesch
Isle of Printing
Nashville, Tenn

Art and Chocolate coming crashing together

2009-12-11T16:12:00.009-06:00

Perhaps better than peanut butter and chocolate combining.......

CHOCOLART!!!!!!

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM ISLE OF PRINTING

Chocolate…we all love it, but once you eat it, it’s gone. WHAT A DRAG!

Art prints…great to look at day after day but please don’t eat them!

Alas………..if only they could be put together in some sort of union - blending their strengths into a perfect medley of giving.

Well what if we said you could!

From the makers of REALLY AMAZING chocolate at Olive and Sinclair (new local chocolatiers) and the deft little hands of the letterpress boys of Isle of Printing (printers to the stars), comes the solution to the age-old saw of having your cake and eating it, too.

That is right friends, teaming up for yet another interesting collaboration together, O.S. and I.O.P. give you the Chocolart Collectable Art print Chocolate bar. Which is quite simply a REALLY AMAZING bar of HANDCRAFTED Chocolate wrapped in what we hope to be an equally interesting hand-carved and printed COLLECTORS’ art print.

FINALLY you can give the sublime yet transient gift of chocolate but still have the staying power of a good solid piece of art.

We hope you agree with us that it might be one of the more perfect gifts to give someone you really like. Chocolate and art together? AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right now we have 1lb bars available with 3 different collectors’ prints to choose from

All 1lb bars are the original 67% coco bars.

The Smaller 2.75 oz bars are available with the first of the Straight Talk Series Art Prints.: “HOLD FAST”
We will have this bar available in the flavors: Coffee bean, 67% coco, and Sea Salt

1lb Bars with print are $30 each
2.75oz Bars are $10 each

Pre-holiday supplies will be limited so get you’re orders in quick! First come, first served!

For delivery by the 24th we will need to have your order in by 9AM on Dec 15th Orders will be shipped on the 21st or available for pick up at the shop in Nashville. Other orders are welcome too!

please email us at info(at)isleofprinting.com with your orders and questions/comments

We look forward to hearing from you. And please check out the website and blog for other recently added art prints which are all available right now for fast holiday shipping!

www.isleofprinting.com

Many Thanks from your Friends at Isle of Printing

Hiram Kneesch

2.75oz Hold Fast Bar

Lady Biker 1lb Bar

Biker Dude 1lb Bar

Much Obliged 1lb Bar

Shop til you drop!

2009-12-03T03:24:00.003-06:00

I bet you thought we forgot all about you or didn't ever want to show you anything new ever again. Well turn the frowns around cause we are in the process of restocking our little ole' website. Go check out some of the new stuff and stay tuned more, more, more!!!!!

Also please let us know if anything gets loco in there as we disturb long neglected sleeping code.

thanks

Mgmt

If your happy and you know it wear a Shirt!

2009-02-03T01:14:00.006-06:00

My Stars and Glory!

Something amazing just happened in this country.
Symbols and reality don’t often intersect in this life we lead. When they do you can feel it in your bones. All my life I have heard the claims that we reside in the land of the free, a nation conceived on the ideals that all are equal and equally free to pursue happiness. Inalienable, these rights belong to all people here and all people everywhere. As ideals they have stood for hundreds of year now, a destination we have hoped to attain. Yet truth be told, it has been a complicated journey. And on our path to discovery sometimes the new shore has been in sight and sometimes we have lost our way.

So it is that in some pertinent way this contract we have made with ourselves was in part fulfilled this January 20, 2009. I knew it, America knew it, and the world knew it too. People who had never once flown a flag in their lives lifted them up in joy, for although the words had been prior spoken they now rang more true. We want to be proud and we want the world to be proud of us – in both our personal and public lives. Friends it is time to take back our symbols and make the realities match the dreams.

True
A shirt can’t make you a better person, but it can remind us all to act as we want to become.
Join me in celebrating a victory of hope over fear, inclusion over exclusion, and the open hand over the closed fist.

All shirts printed on organic off-white American Apparel shirts. Made with Pride by your fellow citizens, who all hope to keep food on the table in 2009.

Please state sizes in Men’s M, L, or XL and Women’s S, M, or L and which design you'd prefer
$20 USD plus shipping

If playing Solitaire on the computer could could cure cancer...we would all live to be 120 years old.

2009-01-08T00:36:00.004-06:00

A thought consider as we soon enter the world of digital TV broadcasting.
Much joyfulness in 2009 to everyone caught in my vast electronic web.

yours truly
Hiram Kneesch

33 views of Mt Fuji

2008-10-25T00:14:00.011-05:00

Though I love them all like a good father should, here is the fanciest poster we have made this year. A 7 color reduction linocut and letterpress print to celebrate the world premiere of Trey Anastasio’s “Time Turns Elastic”. Very subtle colors which the web will not do justice. Very exciting stuff...if you happen to like prints.

Signed by the artist Bryce McCloud, Limited edition of 325
I watched most of them go away in two hours and the rest are going fast so get one before they are gone.

$50

There’s more than Klansmen in Indiana!

2008-10-01T02:56:00.003-05:00

I don't know what you think of when you imagine southern Indiana, but I think of Evansville and then I think of Klan rallys and then I think about the West Side Nut Club’s annual fall-fest shindig (amazing) and lastly I think about pork tenderloin sandwiches. If I am unlucky, I think about brain sandwiches and tucked in sweatshirts and getting stuck in southern Indiana forever. What I don't think of ever is modern architecture, utopian societies, or golf carts riding around on city streets. BUT, I will now since I have been to New Harmony. Literally in the middle of nowhere, New Harmony started as all great endeavors do with a group of crazed German cult members. They say they just wanted some peace and quiet... I say when your crazy - all signs point to southern Indiana. At any rate they were convinced that the end of times was near at hand and that they would get busy living a simple life full of productive work, which did not include sex or procreation. Thus quickly ended the experiment of the Harmonist and after much lauded toil they moved to Pennsylvania.

And as a side note I really think that all members of fringe movements should give a hard look into the fine example of the harmonist life strategy and consider sparing your children the misery of having cult members for parents. After all isn't being exceptionally unique enough? Why go messing it all up by trying to raise children at the same time?

Luckily for the future of New Harmony fresh money arrived on the scene and bought the place up. Indiana strikes me as a bizarre place for a lot of reasons, but number one on the list is that there seem to be an inordinate amount of extremely wealthy people there. Or at least they spend their moneys there. I thought rich people went to Monaco or a Greek island...but apparently when they are not floating on the Mediterranean they are in Indiana? Money makes things happen and so when the $ came to town so did a lot of smart people. Making New Harmony very unlike any small town you or I have probably ever seen. Town opera hall? got one. Modern architecture? check! as many sculptures as town inhabitants? done!... All towns wax and wane but this little place keeps chugging along in a very peculiarly worldly manner. It is full of really neat architecture and draws folks to it in a non Hicksville usa sort of way. Yes New Harmony is a fantastic little place.

Schwinn bikes and golf carts seem to be the predominate way to get around town. Shhh don't tell any thieves but I bet they all leave their doors unlocked too.

If you get there try the pizza at the Mill Mart gas station...pretty good for $8 gas station cuisine (all toppings no extra charge) and make sure to support the coffee shop cause they are nice folks.
and personally I think we should all petition for the reopening of the bar Sass and Poss.

truth be told I bet there are far worse fates than getting marooned in a place like New Harmony. Just ask my buddies who live there

PS . Everyone in Indiana is in a secret society so mum’s the word on our little investigation of the delights of southern Indiana if you know what’s good for you.

Moto-heaven is heaven

2008-06-11T11:00:00.003-05:00

I can tell you from honest experience that LOOKING at motorcycles is infinitely easier to do than actually OWNING motorcycles. In a similar vein, advertisers have long known that dull things look better with motorcycles hanging around. Where you and I fall along the continuum I’ll let you decide for yourself.

But one thing I can say for sure is that it is too late for us at Isle of Printing! We are obsessed with motorcycles!!!…looking, touching, riding and if the gods smile on us - making pictures all about motorcycles.

Which reminds me of a most usual and seldom told story about the origins of the shop from whence I type. Imagine with me if you will a hot afternoon some years ago. On this hot day a youngish Hiram Kneesch developed the most awful pain in his head, the likes of which he had never experienced. Delirious, he stumbled down to the chemist. Though all the usual suspects were bought and consumed, no respite did he receive. In immense pain and not knowing what to do next, he lay down in the street and determined to let fate take the reins. Predictably a few near misses with autos ensued. Less predictably a churlish little man appeared right above our protagonist. Shaded by the interloper, Hiram sat up and told the fellow his plight.

After a moment of consideration, the old boy said well I’ve got the answer but your going to have to trust me. As oft is the case with folks these days, Hiram was willing to take a few liberties in the safety department with the hopes of a quick remedied. So when the gent pulled out a small ax and made intimations to take a whack at Hiram’s pate…well Hiram remained sanguine. And wouldn’t you know it
The street surgeon did just that. Whack! One fine chop and the stranger split open Hiram’s skull! And rather than being worse off than before or dead Hiram felt great.

Honestly!
But here is the interesting part for today

As fate would have it when Hiram’s head was cracked open to relieve his ache both a British motorcycle and a printing press sprang forth. Not the first British motorcycle in the world, nor the first press but 2 very nice examples of both items. And as you can guess Hiram was destined to love both equally for all time.

And eventually be slave to them both

So you can imagine how superb it is for us that every year Isle of Printing is asked to make a poster for the Nashville TonUp club, a club specializing in the love of British motorcycles.

Witness below the fifth in a continuing series of prints to celebrate loving to look at and ride the motorcycle. For all of its flaws and all of it favors. Dullards you can make your life look 10000 times better than it is and bike lovers help us afford our continuing addiction

At the moment extremely limited supplies of the gem (less than 20) and the second part of the run to be completed at some future date

$40 for the first run and no back talk when you waited too long and you get the second batch 6 years from now.

Tee for Tennessee

2008-05-29T01:59:00.006-05:00

Dolly Parton…
Did you know she was the inspiration for creating a program to make sure all children in Tennessee have access to books so that they might cultivate a love of reading? And I think she knows Burton Reynolds. Why wouldn’t she be your hero?

You could buy a shirt. Don’t make us ask, Tennessee is the volunteer state.

Available in Pretty Prim Plum (ladies S,M, and L)
and
Mountain Man Teal (S,M,and L)
On your favorite Appalachian apparel shirts
Price $20 plus shipping
please include size, Men's/Women's and color preference

Speed dial this for trouble!

2008-05-09T17:24:00.004-05:00

Leave us alone already! After much outcry and public haranguing we at Isle of Printing have bent to popular will and have made available for the first time ever a public safety tool par excellence. Not to be taken lightly, this device’s power is inversely proportionate to its size (and it is a wee small thing). Wear it with both pride and a grave sense of civic responsibility because after all Honey bear IS watching and I THINK he is our friend but I am not absolutely certain.

Unleash its power at your own peril and definitely to the mortal danger of those who are riding on the bad track.

Honey bear is Watching official Deputy Pin Badges

Only one dollar plus shipping!…Why? Because safety should bear no higher bar.

Unsavory terrorism plot discovered in plain sight!

2008-05-07T23:06:00.010-05:00

Stop the presses it turns out the Neo-cons were right all along!

Saddam Hussein did indeed have weapons of mass destruction, not in Iraq...but IN OUR OWN COUNTRY! Weapons cleverly disguised as good ole’ American truck stop pizza pie! More over with duplicitous use of marketing and graphic design, he has apparently been feeding WMD’s to us for years. Lured in with tales of "all toppings no extra charge”…millions of Americans have been consuming the treacherous former dictator’s poisonous concoction of artery clogging cheese and reaganomic servings of “vegetables” with a smile on their faces! One look into Saddam’s glib continence as he tosses another wheel of death into our innocent gaping mouths and you know this war on terror must be won and soon!

Proud to be an American my ass! That isn’t Lugi and that ain’t no American pie.

True it is probable that the administration has kept these facts secret until now to protect methods and means of the brave patriots collecting intelligence on our behalf in pizzerias the world over. But we at Electrosports Monthly would be poor stewards of liberty if we let you be fooled for one minute more.

Rest assured with very little sacrifice or disruption to our daily lives, one day America’s enemies will be cut into warring slices, and be tossed like a discarded pizza box into the trash bin of history. That is assuming we don’t die from the various complications of obesity first.

Remember this

Who knew one pizza box could say so much about modern life?

If it happens…and there is electricity - you can feel it now, even though it is later

2008-04-30T00:07:00.003-05:00

When the world is your oyster and people pay their good money to hear you sing your songs…what do you suppose you might chose to wear on stage? Well if you are a smart lady like Kathleen Edwards you would pick out something that makes a city proud to be what it is. From the photos we received recently, I reckon Ms. Edwards thinks Nashville is one hot chicken!

We at Isle of Printing are proud of our city too. A big slice of our pride radiates from the good things, which make Nashville unlike any other place in this world. Hot Chicken is a unique local something we can get behind. Go hot chicken go! Go local business Go!

Maybe it isn’t the same sort of joy that comes from watching little kids sweep the floor when they still think sweeping is fun, but when a Canadian gal goes to a local store and buys a local piece of art and wears it with pride – we do a little jig...and maybe an angel gets their wings.

But of course most importantly, we are all finding out that the eyes and ears of our ever-vigilant Isle of Printing Committee for the Advancement of Electrosports Communiqués are there to document most everything - so that you can enjoy it here, later.

Thanks Kathleen Edwards for being cool!
Thanks Mr. Williams for doing your civic duty!

electrosports is a 24 hour a day mission

Johnny Cash Memorial Blvd.

2008-04-24T23:25:00.007-05:00

My right hand man Bryce is from just down the road in Hendersonville, Tenn. Johnny Cash wasn’t born there, but he made it is his home and eventually left this world from that same soil.

We here at Isle of Printing think Ole JC was a pretty good ambassador for our neck of the woods. Like a lot of folks, he grew up a little rough around the edges, made mistakes, but kept at it. Through his persistence and faith in purer things, he gave us all a little glimpse at wisdom in the shape of simplicity.

Even though the record biz seems to do a pretty good job at supplying the world with a never-ending supply of Johnny Cash ephemera. We thought we would try for a hometown tribute to a hometown hero.

The second in our series of 52 Pennants celebrating things we feel are worthy to make pennant about.

IN LOVING MEMORY JOHNNY CASH

$30 plus shipping

Fancy threads for the Forward Thinking Fellas and Fellettes of this world

2008-04-22T22:01:00.015-05:00

Who wears t-shirt anymore? Oh wait everyone does! Well the summer is fast approaching me buckoos. And if I may be so bold to suggest…soon decisions will be made with or without you. Before you know it your chest-of-drawers will once again be filled to capacity with this year’s round of “I know Jack Schitt” and “Big Dog” novel-tees. No doubt you will again find yourself in the unenviable position of being forced to wear your hasty decisions like last night's hangover ALL SUMMER LONG. Shocking? No! Preventable? ABSOLUTLEY!

Take the bull by the horns folks and chose Original Art shirts that almost NOBODY else in the world has. Help us by helping yourself. Say no to Property of Old Navy and yes to the fashion future! Make washday fun and every ride on the bus a memorable one for those around you. My friends don’t let your chest be a billboard… make it a global tool for change.

Here are 3 ideas, which we at Isle of Printing have found are not getting the play we think they definitely deserve.

Try Democracy or Else

We are offering these classy shirts about Modern democracy here at our shop until the Department of Defense tools up to distribute these to our friends (and future allies) all around the world.

Available in white with blue accents double sided

The Scientific Method It’s for Me

The fact that I can type on a computer and post these words on something other than the Town log makes me a proud supporter of the scientific method and what it has to offer us now and in the future. Go rational thought!

Lad's sold out | Women's only for now green in style shown

Art Rocks!

If you like modern art …odds are you really like football too! And if you are like me, you are really tired of having to switch in and out of you opera gown and team jersey and/or even worse forgetting which outfit goes with which event! We say fix that mess and fix it fast! Support the two most important secular event in your life at once with this simple expression of the way you feel.

Did I drop my art on your sports event? Or did your sports event drop into my art? Now you don’t even have to care Go ART Rah rah rah!

Mens:Blue
Ladies: Blue capped sleeves L, M in all sizes except Small (white,yellow and blue)

Because these shirts are in such hot demand sizing is semi sporadic at this point. We’ll do our best to find your size but don’t throw a brick through our window if you missed the gravy train already. Don’t wait around or they will be gone…possibly forever. Printed with love on those trendy American apparel and Alternative apparel shirts all the kids love. Super soft and not cut like a feed sack. Size up if you're unsure.

Price $20 plus shipping
please include size, Men's/Women's and color preference (if available)

The bear facts of security

2008-04-18T22:14:00.006-05:00

There’s a new bear in town! Look out you ne’re-do-wells of south Nashville, there is a new breed of street vigilante loping down your streets. I don’t know where exactly he came from but one thing’s for sure…don’t cross Honey Bear. Sweet to those who do good and sour towards those who don’t, Honey Bear is making his list and checking it twice…and then mauling the ones that don’t make the grade. Sometimes I let him ride in my sidecar. Don’t make him mad! Mostly he hates prostitution and petty drug dealing, but I’m pretty sure he gets pissed about littering and folks who don’t take driving their 10 ton gas guzzling SUV’s seriously.

Did I mention his claws are sharp? Also his intuition and his eyes are as keen as an eagle’s (unlike most bears I have heard of).

Sometimes he comes by our shop and hands out free treats to good boys and girls. What a bear!

Look out for this sign if you plan on causing Mischief. And then consider taking your mischief elsewhere.

Don’t blame us. We warned you that a big, golden yellow, honey bear might maul or hit you with a heavy, gnarled stick if he sees you causing trouble (that is if the police aren’t around to handle things…always let the authorities handle the situation if you can kids). Or he might give you some treats if you are doing something nice.

You know your own heart and Honey bear is watching just in case you are a scoundrel.

When else has $30 bought you so much peace of mind?

Analogue Mice for the Digital Age

2008-04-18T00:08:00.012-05:00

Mystical ways for the modern mouse – Well after all that bally-hoo about the web is now, you can’t stop the blog-o-tron, blah blah blah - the line went dead on you…whoops. But fear not, spring has sprung and the mices have been busy. Look out world! Sooner than you might like, you’ll be able to stroll through our fine establishment and gawk and gape at the rare fineries we have on display. Until that day, consider this your magic portal into our tiny lands. One eye closed, both fingers crossed.

Believe it or not – as we unpacked into our new space, an amazing discovery was made. Behind tall stacks of print detritus and mounds of boxam and jetsam, a whole new civilization had sprung into being. A veritable Mice-ean age had begun. Not your average vermin, these mice seem to have developed a civil society that in all aspects (save size) resembles that of our own.

A keen student of observation – Hiram quickly had us pick up pencil and paper to document this world in the hopes that we may learn from it…

Those wacky little fellows sure are busy! Some how watching those little guys do all the same things we do makes me crack up. Ha!

Please help us continue this valuable research by purchasing a set of field drawings, which were later committed to our favored medium of linocut and letterpress type.
Available in limited supplies: 4 views of mices and the things they do. Priced at $20 plus shipping (unless you amble over to the shop that is). Email us to make an order.

More news at 11

Ride the Electric Warhorse

2008-01-03T02:13:00.000-06:00

Whoa Friends...the night guard must have been sleeping?!

Somehow I fell on board the post-able webcontent bandwagon without even a whimper from the grammar police.
Well, they'll rue the day.

Any rate I would like to welcome you to the most modern and most recently updated part of the little hovel I like to call my website (WWW.isleofprinting.com). Seems like making my website anew is akin to creating a mountain out of bouncy balls. Luckily folks smarter than me have made things such as this web-blog possible. So until I get smarter or someone feels compelled to make it better for me, I will use this fine medium as my semi-web-update stand in. News, events, late nite ramblings...expect only the best here on my island of joy.

Actually I am really happy to be doing this... sure it is no jumbotron in times square, but I am truly amazed that these words will instantly be available in most corners of the world. As such I will try not to misuse my new found powers. Wish us all luck as we bravely step into this new year order.