I've been waiting for these prints to come out ever so patiently ever since I heard Lisa Solomon was going to turn one of my favorite originals of hers into affordable prints. And I was doubley excited when she sent a sneak preview of them to me last week to find out they are "letterpressed"! And they come in two versions. The letterpressed alone and then the letterpressed with embroidery stitching. These limited editions are available effective today at her online store, Underdog Ink.

When I initally wrote about this original it was at the beginning of 2007 when I was guest blogging at Design Sponge. I had included a mini-interview with Lisa at the time and I thought it would be appropriate to continue that interview here, as it didn't end there and there's so much more we discussed. So if you missed that first interview you can pick it up here and then continue below:

(Poppy): By reading your blog I've noticed how good you are at expressing yourself and what art means to you and how you apply it to your life; since you teach how does one or you get that clarity?

(Lisa Solomon): Flattered once again.... I'm good at expressing myself? Hmmm. Sometimes I think I make no sense what-so-ever. Are you sure the clarity isn't an illusion?? I think for me it's just really important that if I am going to say something to anyone - to blogland, to my students, to a fellow artist/human, that I am being honest. I don't have to be right. I don't have to be didactic. I may very well change my mind TOMMOROW about what I just said. I think one of the other things that is big for me is that I try to live my life artfully. That art is and should be an important part of my life. That the possibility of art lies in everything around you so you better pay attention. And then see if you can just talk about that.... Talking or writing about my ideas actually helps to clarify them for me.



(Poppy): Being online with your work; how does that affect your art? Is it like the olympics where good athletes are amongst each other, practising together, making each other better. Do you think something like that is happening having this online community of artists?

(Lisa Solomon): Hee hee the art olympics. I love that. Will you design the logo? YES I think that is happening online. Someone online said that the blog must be fed. And that is true. It is a motivational factor for sure. I think what is important is that it doesn't become so nerve-wracking - you can't expect EVERY post to be amazing [this is a good mantra for the studio too]. What I find so rewarding is that the blog seems to be a filter - immediately you connect with people who have similar aesthetics, likes, dislikes, dreams, daily practices. You get so much feedback. Often as an artist you are so in your head - so alone - so it's wonderful to feel connected to a group of people who are also making and searching. I'm getting to show my art in new places because of the online community! how great is that? It is such a generous and talented community. I feel very grateful.

(Poppy): What current artists do you respect and what past ones?

(Lisa Solomon): Oh boy.... The long or the short list?

Eva Hesse, Agnes Martin, Louise Bourgeois, Gerhard Richter, Kiki Smith, Ruth Asawa, Henry Darger, Joan Mitchell, Andrea Zittel, Toba Khedori, Yayoi Kusama, Catherine Opie, Ghada Ahmer, Tom Friedman, Katherine Sherwood, Aurora Robson, Wendy Kawabata, Paula Santiago, Liliana Porter, Yoshitomo Nara, Amy Cutler.... {more on my website too!} So many local artists that I know in the Bay Area.... EVERY SINGLE person who's blog I read.... There are too many to list.

(Poppy): Thank you Lisa for taking the time to answer these (to be continued). Stay tuned for the balance of this interview this fall for her upcoming show at Little Bird Gallery in October.



Here's the deal on these letterpress prints now available at Underdog Ink.

123 blue bed print 2007, Edition of 40 {+5 AP's} (Letterpressed by Paper Monkey Press) each one signed and numbered 8" x 11" $45 unframed

123 blue bed print -­ hand stitched 2007, Edition of 10 {+3 AP's} (Letterpressed by Paper Monkey Press) each one signed and numbered 8" x 11" $75 unframed

Lisa will frame a print up for you for $30.

All available at Underdog Ink.


If you want to see more of Lisa's work, visit the Levy Gallery, lisasolomon.com, her paint-chip embroidery work at The Beholder and her blog here.