Tessera

the third spread. inside the open cafe, the skeleton, wearing the smiling mask, serves a beverage to a giant mollusk as their coworker takes money from a giant snail from behind the counter

the zine’s back cover, depicting a snail next to pieces of toast covered in very slimy spread

Lansing Independent Comics & Zine Fest @liczfest.com · 6mo ago

~opening shift~ risograph mini zine (1/2)

photo of a hand holding a zine printed in blue ink. The front cover reads “opening shift”. There is a potion bottle, a mug, and a skull with flaring lights in the eye sockets. The background is a dim swirling pattern.

The first spread of the zine.

A skeleton wakes up in a bed next to another sleeping figure curled up in blankets. Two white cats, one with wings, are on top of the covers.

The skeleton eats breakfast at a table and leaves through a door.

the second spread. the skeleton waits as a spectral-horse carriage stops. the skeleton rides in the carriage alongside an enormous snail.

they are greeted at a door by a coworker, and in a montage, dial in an espresso machine, flip the open sign, and put on a mask affixed in a permanent smile

Wow! Could we have made a graphic any busier?! Guess what. We're not ONLY going to have 50+ exhibitors in Grewal Hall this Saturday... We're also going to have some events at A Novel Concept and Dear Ollie too!

first screen printed zine (2/2)

A hand holds an open zine to a page reading in blackletter “May your oligarch supremacist pedophile cult leaders be castrated for eternity” with an image of a disembodied grinning skull and a skeleton hand holding up a paring knife.

the back cover of the zine reads in blackletter “May the vitality of a new age bloom in your rot.” Below the text is the author’s signature and tiny mushrooms.

My first time screen printing a zine! (1/2)

A hand holding a mini zine front cover. The cover reads in blackletter “I Curse Thee, Western Empire”. Through the words, a lightning bolt strikes and breaks a military saber.

The next pages of the zine depict a colonial-style building in flames. The blackletter reads “May your colonial institutions crumble to ash and dust”.

The next page of the zine reads in blackletter “May your enforcers be haunted for a thousand lifetimes” with an image of a pale ghostly figure with an open mouth and raised arms behind a mess of barbed wire.

a tiny portrait for Hunter

A photograph of a hand holding a small portrait of a cat (Hunter). The portrait is a black and white ink drawing. Hunter lays with head turned toward the viewer, and a curled tail. Above the cat in the top left of the portrait is a crescent moon.

Lansing Independent Comics & Zine Fest @liczfest.com · 7mo ago

Framed these pieces finally! 1. “Ghost Deer” 2. “Purple Horse (Lightning Cup) 3. “Gatekeeper (Threshold of Transformation)”

a photograph of a framed painting titles “Ghost Deer”, depicting a blue deer lying on the ground, with flames emerging from its antlers and loin area, and smoky energy waves wafting from its body. In the top corners of the piece are an open deer eye and a star emitting ligh rays toward the deer.

a phoograph of a framed painting titled “Purple Horse (Lightning Cup). A large purple horse, posed like it is running, dominates the frame. Its legs are a flurry of electrical blue lines. Above it is a yellow-green sky with dark clouds and red lightning. A lightnin bolt in the top left of the frame is flowing into a glowing chalice filled with stars. In the bottom right is a much smaller black horse with a warm yellow aura surrounding it.

a photograph of a framed pastel drawing titled “Gatekeeper (Threshold of Transformation). A dark scorpion with a glowing red aura is center frame, with its claws encircling a black hole sucking in yellow light from the bottom of the frame. Behind the scorpion is a swirling mass of stars, and the black hole is connected in a triadic configuration with two other celestial objects- a green star and the dark silhouette of a planet.

📚 @ds-embree.bsky.social 📚 D.S. Embree is a graphic artist from Kalamazoo, MI. His art is an alchemical process of exploring emotion through fantastical imagery and words. His expressively detailed works often convey intersections of introspection, politics, the natural world.

D.S. Embree @ds-embree.bsky.social · 8mo ago

“Welcome to Friends Country” an EP by The Friends, with cover art by me! Go listen to it on a streaming platform of your choice! But also fuck spotify 😘

a square grayscale graphite drawing with a mottled red watercolor background. The drawing depicts an SUV in the foreground driving on a road with tall trees on either side.

Lansing Independent Comics & Zine Fest @liczfest.com · 10mo ago

We're back! ✨ LICZ! (pronounced licks!) is all about celebrating the creators of self-published works, and encouraging new makers to get printing! Do you make comics and/or zines and wanna join in? Check the link in our bio for our exhibitor application! Send us your deets, we'd love to have you!

D.S. Embree @ds-embree.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Traveller’s Companions acrylic/ mixed media on paper and wood frame

A mini zine collaboration between my partner and I. you can learn more about my partner’s many talents here: rootedinsky.com

a photo of a hand holding up a mini-zine displaying its front cover, with a peacock feather in the background.

the front cover of the zine has a black and white ink drawing of an empty, open birdcage. the background is a wash of pink watercolor. the title, “sheltered”, is displayed in collaged lettering.

the zine is opened to the first spread.

the left page is a b&w drawing of a submerged turtle with its rear end floating toward the surface of the water. the watercolor background is blue, yellow and pink. collaged text reads “bouyancy. issues.”

the right page is a b&w drawing of a curled snake with its tongue reaching up toward a lightbulb with a pull chain. the watercolor background is faint yellow, purple, pink, green and blue. the collaged text reads “I won’t feel a thing”.

the zine is opened to the next spread. both pages are a single spread, with b&w drawings of two lions. a female lion is in a resting position in the background, and a male lion is pacing in the foreground. the watercolor background is pink, orange and yellow, with faint pen patterns of a broken chain link fence. the collaged text reads “The rooted and the restless”.

the zine is open to the final spread.

the left image is a b&w drawing of a giraffe hiding behind a tree. the watercolor background is blue and green.

the right image is a b&w drawing of a tarantula. the watercolor background is grayscale.

across both images, the collaged text reads “ HID DEN”

a few pages from a new zine, “ECHOES OF EMOTION FROM DREAMS LONG PAST”. A curated selection of 50-ish sketchbook pages.

A photo of a zine lying cover up on a wood table. The front cover is an abstract black ink drawing, the title written in thinly inked letters, with a subtle blue-pink gradient border.

the zine is opened to a spread of two sketchbook drawings.

the first is a cyclopian creature covered in stars, foreshortened so the viewer is looking up as the creature reaches toward them. their other hand is behind a mountain, and their head is surrounded by lightning and clouds.

the second is another cyclopian creature, huddled on the ground in a sulking position, in an abstract, dark, claustrophobic space.

the zine is opened to another spread of three drawings. the first is a hanging object, that looks like string wrapped around sticks, with something round hanging from the sticks. the second is a very small storage chest. the third is a semi-abstract scene of a volcano spewing smoke, and two figures in the corner huddled together amongst rubble and a strange glowing jewel.

the zine is opened to another spread of two drawings.

the first is a pyramid/ziggurat structure being struck by lightning in a dark sky. there is a stone path lined by candles leading to an entrance at the front of the structure.

the second is an abstract semi-landscape with an unknown symbol in the middle.

a commission from my friend to make a very special birthday gift. A hand-inked 7” record sleeve to house a single-edition custom lathe-cut 7”. check out my friend’s music here: creepchurch.bandcamp.com

the front cover of a single-edition 7” record. hand inked drawing in blue ink of a kid and an adult reading a book together on a couch, with framed kid’s paintings on the wall above them.

the back cover of the 7” sleeve. a drawing in blue ink of a symbolic montage of objects: a bass clarinet with tendrils of smoke on both sides, a large 20-sided die, bat wings, closed eyelids, and feathers.

the inner fold of the 7” sleeve. A white silhouette of a bow and crossed arrows against a blue ink background.

a portrait for Genie 🐾 get in touch with me if you are interested in a portrait commission: www.dsembree.com/custom-portr... #animalportrait #petportrait #inkwash #greyhound

a grayscale ink + colored pencil portrait of a greyhound named Genie sitting and staring lovingly at the viewer. Her name is printed in vertical bold lettering on the left of the portrait.

Grand Rapids Zine Fest @grzinefest.bsky.social · 2y ago

an Animal Card for Margie 🐾 you can order one of these custom-made portraits of any beloved animal in your life from my website: www.dsembree.com/animal-cards

a 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch portrait of a small black-haired dog named Margie. The portrait is in ink, colored pencil and watercolor and has a pale blue-green background.

GRZF 2025 will be on August 16th at Fountain Street Church from 12-6!

A few shots from @licz.bsky.social last month. Photos courtesy of Charlie Rose Photography

a photo of me sitting at my art merch table at LICZ (Lansing Independent Comics & Zines) Fest.

A photo of two black and red risograph posters. One reads “FREE PALESTINE” and the other reads “Life Knows No Masters - Life Breaks All Oppressors”.

a photo of a crowd of people, including my merch table, at Lansing Independent Comics & Zines Fest.

A photo of some of my brightly colors mini zines on display.

~Demon Battle~ mixed media (ink, ballpoint pen, graphite, acrylic, wax pastel) 18in x 24in

an extremely scribbly, energetic, borderline abstract mixed media work. in the bottom right corner is a small silhouetted figure with raised hands surrounded by lightning arcs. the rest of the piece is a fever dream of dark fantasy elements inspired by lord of the rings, including the eye of sauron, and a barely-visible balrog head.

errin ironside @ironside-eyes.bsky.social · 2y ago

~Dragon Protector- mixed media (acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, wax pastel), 12in x 11in

a mixed media painting of a dragon. the view is mostly of their head, with wings visible on the edges folded forward in a protective stance. the dragon has flaming red/orange eyes and a forked tongue sticking out. the brush work is messy and energetic. the color palette is muted and predominantly sepia, but with a full spectrum of colors contained within. there is a gold & blue border of wavy brush strokes.

If you are near Kalamazoo come make some collage art, all supplies provided! FREE drop-in events: 4/19/25 11-2pm Earth Day Event, Jerico Gallery, Jerico South Building, 1501 Fulford St. 5/10/25 11-3pm World Collage Day, Meader Fine Arts Library, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S. Park St.

honor life : embrace death

a mixed media drawing of a figure being embraced by a skeleton in a long blue robe. the figure is in graphite grayscale with white highlights on the face, and both figures are surrounded by a pink glow against a dark red-purple background. the whole drawing has a sketchy, scribbly feel to it.

a portrait in memory of a very majestic cat friend named Uli

a portrait in watercolor, gouache, colored pencil and wax pastel of a maine coon mix cat walking in grass with a purple background.

if you’re in the Lansing, MI area and you like comics, zines, self published art, and soforth come say hi at LICZ this saturday, 11a-5p! @licz.bsky.social

a photo of myself holding up 3 of my zines

Lansing Independent Comics & Zine Fest@liczfest.com · 2y ago

I’ll be there, with my little books and drawings and such!

Meet with and purchase from over 40+ creators at LICZ! - The Lansing Independent Comics and Zine Fest. LICZ! will be open to the public Saturday, April 12th 11:00am - 5:00pm, and admission is FREE! So come get some fantastic independent print!

errin ironside @ironside-eyes.bsky.social · 2y ago

double portraits of two friends. both are 8”x10” in gouache, watercolor and colored pencil.

a gouache / watercolor / colored pencil portrait of two women with windswept hair smiling in front of a body of water.

a gouache / watercolor / colored pencil portrait of two women on rocks in front of a lake with a forest line. a woman in the foreground on the left is looking directly at the viewer with green rimmed glasses. a woman further back on the right is lying down face up with an arm covering her eyes.

Behind the Zines at the University of Michigan Museum of Art was a blast! Thanks again to the local zinesters who donated zines for our table @monoformcinema.bsky.social @kzoofilmphoto.bsky.social @ds-embree.bsky.social @dzoodak.bsky.social + Qynce & Mel - everyone loved your zines!

some kitty faces over the years. if you’re interested in a portrait commission of a cat friend or any other type of creature, get a quote on my website: www.dsembree.com/custom-portr...

a closeup of a mixed media portrait of a black cat meowing

a closeup of a mixed media portrait of a tabby cat

a closeup if a mixed media portrait of a calico cat

a closeup of a mixed media portrait of a grey calico cat

crude ink brushed lettering, in dark green monochrome and inspired by illuminated text reads “I have no idea what I am doing”. Two boxes at the bottom have pictures: a hand holding a dandelion, and a silhouette of a figure floating, surrounded by ripples.