iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Our spring post: “For the Cosmos” a colourful screenprint by Chrissy Poitras featuring abstract flowers in a striped vase. #printpromptmonday (sparkboxstudio.com/product/for-...)

170

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

May have to convince Kyle to make more gem art, they’re some of my favs 💎 "Refinement" a copper plate etching with aquatint. I love the close-up of the plate, you can see the contrast between the etched lines & the untouched copper. #printmaker #art Online Shop: sparkboxstudio.com/product/etch...

010

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Finally printed the edition of a multi-plate etching I made while away at Zea Mays Printmaking residency. So happy with how they turned out. #etching #intaglio #printmaking #art youtu.be/FCgnMe7-UOA

youtu.be

How I Tackled My First Multi-Plate Etching | Art Vlog

YouTube video by Spark Box Studio Printshop & Artist Residency

050

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Kyle’s been working on a new print and it features a large split fountain technique, something he’s never done before. He’s wanted to try this for a while and this piece called for it. #screenprint #printmaker #art

051

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

sparkboxstudio.com/diy-drying-r... We love a studio hack! When we first opened we couldn’t afford one of those giant, beautiful metal drying racks. So Kyle made us a DIY drying rack that's on casters that rolls under our tables. 💛 #art #artstudio #diy

010

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

The Union Gallery is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a silent auction. Proceeds are split between the artist and the gallery. This is my piece, "To Gather", an acrylic work on paper. Auction closes April 25: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticket...

An acrylic painting on paper of a stylized bouquet of flowers in a vase. The flowers are rendered in an illustrative, slightly abstract style with bold shapes. The background is minimal, flat pink with mustard yellow table.

Details of the acrylic painting on paper of a stylized bouquet of flowers in a vase. Focus is on flowers that resemble daisies.

An angled images of acrylic painting on paper of a stylized bouquet of flowers in a vase. The flowers are rendered in an illustrative, slightly abstract style with bold shapes. The background is minimal, flat pink with mustard yellow table.

000

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

We have been deep into #etching lately. This print is an oldie but a goodie—Kyle made it back when we were still using Future Floor Wax as our hardground (yes, the floor polish 😅). We actually loved this process - it was cost effective, easy to make and easy to clean-up.

050

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

We've been sending our more applications to open calls this year than ever before, so we made a worksheet to help us with artist statements. If you're needing help with writing your #artist statement it's on our Patreon (for free and paid members): www.patreon.com/posts/instan... #artistadvice

patreon.com

Instantly improving your Artist Statement in April! | Spark Box Studio

000

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

My entry for #printpromptmonday - the theme is Magic! "Safe Travels" screen print by Kyle. Who hasn't wanted to create a portal to another dimension? sparkboxstudio.com/product/safe...

0120

Reposted by @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social

Kelsey Stephenson 🇨🇦 @kstephensonprint.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Hello! Posting older work as an intro, from 2023 at the Art Gallery of St Albert, Alberta, Canada. I work in printmaking, photo, and print adjacent media, large and small, focused on the headwaters, watersheds, and glaciers in the eastern slopes and out in the prairies to Edmonton (home).

Silk panels silk screened with a collage of mountain and glacier imagery hang from the ceiling in the centre of a brightly lit Gallery space; larger images of repeat photography hang on the walls. The silk shows images from the Athabasca, Bow, and North Saskatchewan. Seen here is an image of the Athabasca Glacier flowing across 5 four by nine foot panels. The images along the wall combine historical and contemporary images by the artist re-photogrphed in the same place, drawings of older archive on top of the new images of the Bow Glacier and Saskatchewan Glacier, showcasing how they have melted back.

Silk panels silk screened with a collage of mountain and glacier imagery hang from the ceiling in the centre of a brightly lit Gallery space. Behind the silk panels a larger wall piece of blue cyanotype work peeks out. The images on the panels show the Athabasca Glacier close up, and part of Johnson Canyon, along with a bit of Athabasca falls in the center. The images are merges seamlessly into one long piece split across many panels each four by nine foot in size.

Silk panels silk screened with a collage of mountain and glacier imagery hang from the ceiling in the centre of a brightly lit Gallery space on the left side only of the photo. Seen behind the silk panels a larger wall piece of blue cyanotype work, which shows urban river scenes. Edmonton downtown and refinery row scenes merge seamlessly with the Mountain peaks around Abraham lake, at large scale. Currents is seven feet tall and stretches from wall to wall, encompassing those within the gallery

A small piece of silk flutters at the left from 'flux', but the focus is on the large 'currents' artwork taking up the majority of the long gallery wall. Blue cyanotype imagery shows parts of Edmonton's downtown, from the Legislature though to the industry around rundle park, refinery row industrial images, and the ice on the river in the foreground merging into glacial ice on the right of the image. A person is seen looking at the work, giving a sence of scale. The work is large, seven feet tall, and meant to feel immersive, with recognizable landmarks to tell residents where they are looking in Downtown Edmonton's river landscape.

4253

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

The the joy on Kyle's face when he pulls a great print! #etching #printmaker

060

Reposted by @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social

Gemma Trickey ✷ Printmaker @gemmatrickey.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

#printpromptmonday time! This week is #foliage, let’s see your flowery offerings. Extra favour from us this week - please share the graphic around if you feel able to, it will help spread the print prompt love. Remember to tag your post with the hashtags, post all week long and like other’s subs!

0264

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

#PrintPromptMonday theme is #Foliage This is my "Happiness Is" screenprint based on a collection of flowers drawn as part of a larger mural piece.

3130

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

“Cat Book” is one of our all-time bestsellers at craft sales, because, well… how can you not fall for a musical feline surrounded by antique books? 🐈‍⬛🎻 This is a photopolymer plate printed on the Vandercook. bit.ly/4iA6NMY #printmaking #catart #handprinted

Vintage-style relief print depicting a man surrounded by large antique books. He peers into a cutout cavity inside one of the books, where a small cat is whimsically playing a cello.

Overhead image of a black and white relief print and the photo negative used to create the printing plate.

Detail of the vintage-style relief print where the man peers into a cutout to find a small cat is shredding on his cello.

070

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Spent a great day printing this two colour #etching in the shop yesterday. #printmaker #artistinstudio

Copper plate etchings featuring a botanical scene, surrounded by test prints displaying various colour tones achieved through aquatint techniques.

Overhead view of a copper plate prepared for etching, with visible etched lines of leaves and plants. Ink and printing tools are on the table, showing parts at the printmaking process in progress.

Angle view of two copper plate prepared for etching, with visible etched lines of plants and leaves. Ink and printing tools are scattered on the table, hinting at the printmaking process in progress.

060

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

Trying to be realistic about art making vs social media posting. Art making always comes first—it’s the heart of what we do—and to follow our human rhythms, not the algorithms (thanks @andyjpizza.bsky.social for those wise words).

0164

Reposted by @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social

Paddy Johnson @paddyjohnson.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

A humble proposal: Ban the word “complex” from all art writing. It doesn’t tell a reader anything they can’t decide for themselves. While I’m at it: if the word “powerful” shows up in an artist statement, I know an AI wrote it. It’s equally meaningless and lifted from gendered tech writing.

1151

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Getting to use these old presses is such a highlight to being a printmaker! We genuinely love making original handmade prints and having a studio that’s also a museum for print history is an added bonus! #printmakers Can you relate?

040

Reposted by @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social

Trout in Plaid @troutinplaid.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Never give up on your vintage manual tools! So satisfying! The lovely, dedicated folks @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social go the distance to restore an abandoned press. Beautiful! ❤️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z8K...

youtube.com

Deep cleaning a Vintage Printing Press | Printmaker Art Vlog

YouTube video by Spark Box Studio Printshop & Artist Residency

121

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

The great thing about being an artist during the winter is you can print yourself flowers. 💐 #silkscreen #floralart #printmaker sparkboxstudio.com/product/for-...

170

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Hello! We're Chrissy & Kyle. We are both visual artists working primarily in traditional printmaking using eco-friendly processes. We also create resources to help artists on their professional journey! Website: sparkboxstudio.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sparkboxstu...

0121

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Kyle’s fictional worlds have always reflected on real-world issues. In Monolith, the first question on these men’s minds isn’t ‘What is this incredible new life form?’ but rather ‘How quickly can we monetize it?’ #Printmaking #polymerplate #letterpress #reliefprint

Black and white relief print on a yellow background. Print shows large monolith of foliage with men in suits gathered around it.

A Vandercook proofing press is about to print a polymer plate relief print

A reveal of a black and white relief print on the drum of a Vandercook proofing press. The polymer plate is on the press bed and you see the bottom part of the print showing the men in suits

160

sparkboxstudio.bsky.social @sparkboxstudio.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Recently, I was inspired by #printmaker Angela Hall's video on cut stencil #silkscreen printing. So, armed with a utility knife, some acetate, blank screens, and ink, I decided to dive into this technique myself. Check out the full process here: youtu.be/5PedBFSf_ps?...

youtu.be

If You’re Overthinking Every Print, Watch This! | Art Vlog Printmaking

YouTube video by Spark Box Studio Printshop & Artist Residency

010