Birds of a feather, print together.

Flicker Feather Press print shop and learning center was recently opened by Bruce Morrow and Buffy Cribbs. The artists invite everybody to come to an open house and check it out at 3138 Hugh Taylor Lane in Clinton from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30.

Flicker Feather Press is a facility dedicated to the print arts that can be achieved on an etching press. The shop holds a large Takache press with a 60-inch by 30-inch bed, which can print an image up to 48 by 28 inches.

Print types that can be pulled on such a press are:

• Intaglio (etching on a copper plate)
• Aquatint (graded shades on a copper plate, often in conjunction with intaglio)
• Relief prints from wood blocks, linoleum blocks, soft cut blocks
• Monoprints; one-of-a-kind transfers of painting from acrylic plate to paper
• Some forms of lithography involving thin, flexible plates instead of stones
• Collographs and other mixed-media concoctions

Cribbs and Morrow plan to offer classes and tutoring, but the studio is also available to people who would like to rent the space to teach workshops and classes. (Look for classes by expert printers Briony Morrow Cribbs and Anne Belov there.) Flicker Feather Press studio is also available to rent on a daily and weekly basis by folks who need a place with a press in order to develop a plate or run an edition ─ or for those who simply want to play.

In addition to inviting other artists to use the press, Cribbs and Morrow said they intend to use the press for their own artwork, and perhaps they will make another book together one day. One can only hope.

Here are Cribbs and Morrow go through the relief printing process for a piece titled “A Bee” as captured by photographer David Welton, who was pleased to receive the final print as a gift from the artists:

(Pictured at top, a copper plate by Bruce Morrow titled “Little Red Bird.”)

For Flicker Feather Press tutoring or rental call 360-579-8547 or email threebes@whidbey.com. Look for Cribbs and Morrow on their website and on the Whidbey Art Trail with the yellow signs. Find Art Trail info here.

Both these artists are listed in the WLM Directory here and here.

We here at Whidbey Life Magazine love all artists equally; except we love our member artists more. Find the love here.