Thought I had the fussy math worked out for how to most efficiently tear down this paper (5 pieces per sheet!) to pull an edition for this wonky-sized plate. Then I remembered it’s a mould-made Euro paper, so I measured the sheet. It’s ~1/4 inch bigger on each side than I calculated. Sigh.

There’s a fund set up to help Warm Springs recover from the Bench Fire, if you have scratch to donate. They are accepting money, non perishable food, and bottled water. Water resources are a long-running issue for the tribes (see: Chuúsh Fund via Seeding Justice), so this is especially urgent.

The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWS) Wildfire Recovery Fund

***OFFICIAL CTWS DONATION ACCOUNT***NOTE: Processing Fee is optional. You can deselect this option upon making a donation. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm…

zeffy.com

OPB@opb.org · 3d ago

The Bench Fire tore through the Warms Springs Reservation, burning at least six homes and forcing hundreds to evacuate as roads closed and the air filled with thick smoke. The fire is now about one-third contained, but it will likely take years for the tribe to recover from the disaster.

I found this fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a Museum publicly list the costs of an exhibition before. www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri... - It's actually super helpful for people to see what it takes.

A Museum Dares to Reveal What It Really Costs to Make an Exhibition

“Performing Conditions: Artistic Labor and Dependency as Form,” at the MIT List Visual Arts Center, stars Autumn Knight, Dread Scott, Ghislaine Leung.

artnews.com

Went to see Samantha Yun Wall's work at the Seattle Art Museum last week. It's a gorgeous show. It was nice to spend a little time there and see other people get wowed by this work too. samblog.seattleartmuseum.org/2026/02/sama...

“Drawing as a Second Language”: An Interview with Samantha Yun Wall - SAM Stories

Yun Wall, the 2024 Betty Bowen Award winner, chats with SAM about the past, present, and future of her artistic journey.

samblog.seattleartmuseum.org

Assembly Art Fair in Seattle is on through Sunday. Russo Lee has these three recent paintings of mine in their booth on the second level.

H L Birdsong@smidgeonpress.bsky.social · 3w ago

See my work at Assembly Art Fair in Seattle, July 22–26! Russo Lee Gallery will have a few of my works in their booth. www.russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...

partner snapped this pic of the sky going crazy heading south from seattle tonight. a few minutes earliery it was mostly a wildfire hazey orange and a few minutes after this the lightning & rain started

See my work at Assembly Art Fair in Seattle, July 22–26! Russo Lee Gallery will have a few of my works in their booth. www.russoleegallery.com/exhibitions/...

“… the history of printmaking is fundamentally a history of the democratization of art. And we could all use a little more democracy right now.” That’s partly why I fell in love with printmaking. Guess I have a new book for my reading list.

Hyperallergic@hyperallergic.com · 3w ago

Holly EJ Black’s new book "The Story of Printmaking: A Global History of Art" is “an ideal introduction to the art form [whose history is] fundamentally one of the democratization of art," says writer Bridget Quinn.

Came across my 2007 notebook for History of Printmaking at PNCA, when it was taught in the Gilkey Center at the art museum. Under Max Klinger (whose work I love), I wrote: “QUESTION: what is UP with the Germans?” I have no idea if that was my question or if it was humorously posed by Morgan Walker

quick trip into forest park before it got too hot

Squarespace is leaning hard into enshittification. Researching options for artist’s websites is back on my to-do list! And strongly advising current clients to /not/ update their Squarespace site templates until/unless they’re ready to jump ship.

I kinda forgot how physically taxing it can be to spend several hours pulling prints. I woke up sore all over and just wanted to nap all day like a spoiled house cat. (Alas, I could not.) Just waiting for all the prints to finish drying in the blotters. #printmaking #EmeraldPrintExchange

H L Birdsong@smidgeonpress.bsky.social · last mo.

Got some foul-biting after a long 3rd dunk in mordant. I scraped and burnished some bits, but am leaving most of it. First image is the plate after being rubbed down with Putz. Second is after degreasing. Always amazed at how well soy sauce clears tarnish. #printmaking #EmeraldPrintExchange

A museum squeezing the staff who ensure daily operations are even possible, while taking nothing from the top? Color me surprised. /sarcasm Laughable to claim “bargaining in good faith” while making unsustainable decisions for the lowest paid when admin makes ~8x as much and sacrifices nothing.

Hyperallergic@hyperallergic.com · last mo.

Negotiations for the second contract with the Guggenheim Museum in New York City are entering their sixth month, with an emphasis on job security after abrupt layoffs last year. Unionized staff across several departments have voted to authorize a strike if necessary.

Summer reading list just dropped

Ursula K. Le Guin@ursulakleguin.com · last mo.

We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2026 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:

Got some foul-biting after a long 3rd dunk in mordant. I scraped and burnished some bits, but am leaving most of it. First image is the plate after being rubbed down with Putz. Second is after degreasing. Always amazed at how well soy sauce clears tarnish. #printmaking #EmeraldPrintExchange

H L Birdsong@smidgeonpress.bsky.social · last mo.

Giving this plate another layer of etching to deepen and enrich the dark areas, and bring out the flower centers. Tom Prochaska taught me that every time you put a plate back in the mordant, you give it more character, so it’s actually better if you don’t nail it the 1st (or 2nd) time. #printmaking

Listening is such an under-rated skill. We often assume that if one can hear, listening is innate, which is nonsense. It takes conscious effort and practice to develop those skills. I’m often a bad listener, I admit. But at least I know it.

This unfortunate moment in pet care continues to haunt years after Emma’s death from old age, thanks in part to this comic my partner made of The Incident

wc williams@wcwilliams.bsky.social · last mo.

reposting an oldie for this #makeaterriblecomicday but it is definitely the most terrible comic i've ever made. it's also probably the best one as well

Giving this plate another layer of etching to deepen and enrich the dark areas, and bring out the flower centers. Tom Prochaska taught me that every time you put a plate back in the mordant, you give it more character, so it’s actually better if you don’t nail it the 1st (or 2nd) time. #printmaking

H L Birdsong@smidgeonpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Etching seems to have gone well, mostly! Step-bitten in vinegar + hydrogen peroxide mordant. I worried that I didn’t see bubbles forming in the middle flower’s center in the mordant bath, and sure enough, it didn’t etch. Will have to fix that. #EmeraldPrintExchange #printmaking

One of my favorite historical depictions of cats

Jesse Locker@jessemlocker.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Pierre Bonnard, The White Cat, 1894, oil on paper 51.9 x 33.5 cm. (Musée d'Orsay, Paris)

YES, I am so glad for the workers. I’ve heard troubling things about SAM management decisions (security worker strike being the most public), and I’m glad so many of the museum’s workers have come together to support each other.

Hyperallergic@hyperallergic.com · 2mo ago

Staff members at the Seattle Art Museum have officially unionized following a landslide National Labor Relations Board election this week. The new union, Seattle Art Museum Workers United, will represent over 130 full- and part-time employees across its three locations.

I mostly enjoy the freelance work I manage to get, and I have some great regular clients, but often I wish I had the freedom to just be an artist. For that to happen, I need working class people to be able to reliably afford luxuries like original art. Workers’ rights and the arts are inextricable.

Name a TV show you're positive no one remembers but you.

Musicology Duck@musicologyduck.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Name a TV show you're positive no one remembers but you.

All four of my poison plant coasters have sold already, and that feels nice! There are still so many wonderful pieces available by so many wonderful artists, so check it out. www.nucleusportland.com/collections/...

H L Birdsong@smidgeonpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

For SALUT! 11, I’m contributing 4 paintings of common poisonous plants, which in floriography (an archaic pastime attributing meanings to flowers & arranging bouquets as a form of indirect communication) often convey danger, lies, and/or the need for caution. (Also my pieces glow in the dark.)

“The sign’s removal is a welcome tonic for many, a small vindication... But nobody should believe that bringing down the sign will mean a resurgence of the arts. ” So many artists and arts workers caught and crushed by all this, with no certainty and little hope for amelioration. Again.

Kennedy Center Sign Frenzy Misses the Point - Washingtonian

The Trump sign was bad. It's not the main issue.

washingtonian.com

Etching seems to have gone well, mostly! Step-bitten in vinegar + hydrogen peroxide mordant. I worried that I didn’t see bubbles forming in the middle flower’s center in the mordant bath, and sure enough, it didn’t etch. Will have to fix that. #EmeraldPrintExchange #printmaking

If you're a printmaker and want to participate in an exchange that also helps printmaking communities in the PNW, there are still a few spots for the #EmeraldPrintExchange. I've done it for a few years and am signed up again for this year. It's a fun little thing! www.whitprint.com/emerald-prin...

Emerald Print Exchange — Whiteaker Printmakers

whitprint.com

Salut! 11 opens tomorrow at Nucleus Portland, 1–4 PM Plan to stand in line if you get there early! You also increase your chances of nabbing the mini painting of your dreams, since they tend to go fast. www.nucleusportland.com/blogs/future... #Salut11 #CoasterArt #PDXart #CoasterArtShow

H L Birdsong@smidgeonpress.bsky.social · 2mo ago

For SALUT! 11, I’m contributing 4 paintings of common poisonous plants, which in floriography (an archaic pastime attributing meanings to flowers & arranging bouquets as a form of indirect communication) often convey danger, lies, and/or the need for caution. (Also my pieces glow in the dark.)

Nothing like writing an artist statement and career summary to make me break out in nervous sweat. I am literally the only authority on this in the entire world, and yet

Ready to get my reversed drawing on a grounded plate. I use Saral white transfer paper for this, rather than the much more romantic (& messy) dragon’s blood method I learned from Tom Prochaska. I’m planning this edition for the annual Emerald Print Exchange organized by Whiteaker #Printmakers.

A lot going on sucks, but this is really wonderful. We can accomplish good things.

Oregon Zoo@oregonzoo.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This flouf is one of 15 healthy California condor chicks to hatch at our conservation center this season. A new record! #Condorable #KeepCalmAndCarrion