Screenprinting course in Montreal

[Andymac]

bump. I'll get you printing good in just 2 days.....bonne temps dans Montreal!

[Josh Rickun]

french means nothing to me...NOTHING!

[Evil Alice Corp]

hey cool my studio (with seriplop) is just 10 minutes away from there! I'll definitely drop by to say hello

[Andymac]

I am looking forward to meeting the Montreal GP gang.

It will not be the first time I have taught a course with a hangover. Monsterpress and a poker game come to mind.

[Andymac]

Bump.

They are almost full.

Tres bien!

Duex biere, sil vous plait

[Andymac]

Full with waiting list.

merci!

[Andymac]

This was one of my most fun road trips ever.

I visited my Mom and two sisters in my hometown in Ontario for a few days - Mom was going in for cancer surgery, came through great, so that was very good.

Took the train to Toronto, where Dspring organized a quick meeting of the Degenerate Screenprinters of Hogtown. I didn't have a camera (someone did...pictures?) Meeting took place at the headquarters of the Ladies Pillowfight League, where we watched the tail end of a practice session, viewed a preview of the video of the great pulled pork motorcycle jump, coated screens and burned them, and demolished a 2-4 as movies of the clash, ramones, and zombies played on the big screen. (Toronto's Classiest Cinema! - underground cinema in a coffin factory...only in Toronto.) Shout out to BuddyLee, Ruthless Cow, Adam Swinborne, Fancygoat, and Mr. Springer. You guys are great. Pulled pork sandwiches at 2 am - does it get much better?

The next day I rode the rails to Kingston, where I caught up with my buddy and his wife. He just completed a tour on Afganistan, Kandahar region. Interesting insights. His view? These 'conflicts' are gigantic moneypit operations where civilian contractors make mountains of cash supporting the 'war' effort. Very little trickles down to the local level - the people there are still poor and fucked, the officials are corrupt, and the big progress is in enriching the local officials and companies like Haliburton and Blackwater. They hunt the Taliban guys down using drones, then spend half a million in hellfire missles to take out one guy with a Kalishnikov hiding behind a wall. Dumb fuck doesn't know a room full of guys in the USA and another in Afganastan see his every movement on video from the drone. Once they see he has a weapon, they call in a strike. This isn't the war we see on TV or in the papers. Regardless, it was good to see him and his wife and catch up.

I was the last one on the train in the morning, but arrived safely in Montreal for the the course and my French immersion.

My host Iris runs a great studio space on Berri street, and the students came from all over - Gaspe, Quebec City, Montral, and the suburbs. the language was not a problem, as most spoke some English, and could translate if there was an issue. Speedball donated inks, Cosmex graphics chipped in screens, clamps, and a flash dryer, and everyone seemed to get a lot out of the course and makes some interesting prints on paper, card, wood, leather, silk, canvas and shirts. Anyone from Quebec or the east should contact Iris regarding courses and print opportunities, her studio is very well equipped, clean and functional.




Iris, Jensy, Johnny


We had a chance to visit with Johnny Crap and his beautiful family - one night to drink some local beers, and one morning to sample some original authentic Montreal bagels.

the Crap family, with Iggy, the farting dog.

On Sunday night, Iris and I went to the Seriploppers studio - where Chloe and Yannick were hard at it finishing a print run. What a space, with a million dollar view of the city. It was very interesting to me to see inside such a vibrant art production space (they share with others in a 12 story building full of artists), and we ran into Chloe downtown at an art opening later in the evening - completely packed, screenprinting exhibit and performance, with probably 20 or 30 of us milling around on the street outside unable to get in. Support of the arts and the local community is very strong in Montreal. Food was great, women are all beautiful, beers were excellent.

all in all, pretty close to perfect. Merci!

[seriplop]

it was great to meet you and iris , and it made us kinda proud that a screenpring show in our town was so packed they had to turn people away.

[Andymac]

Squeegees uber alles. You should be proud.

My big regret was no time in the day to see the city. and not taking more pictures.

[Fools Gold]

Damn, next time you are in these parts and want to do a printing course let me know, there are all sorts of ex university printmakers in Kingston, who would love to know how to do this screen printing thing correctly. Most of the 'courses' here start with "now staple the curtain material to this picture frame, now take a cassette case and move the ink like this"