HOUSTON – Printmaking may be one of the oldest artistic processes around, but it still offers plenty of opportunities for creativity.
Today, on the “Houston Life” set, Red Bird Press Studio Manager Hannah Bender showed how a simple design can be transformed into a custom printed coaster using traditional printmaking techniques. She showed how to use a platen press—an analog, mechanical machine that uses flat metal plates to press materials together.
Watch how a blank coaster becomes a piece of art in the video above.
Interested in how Red Bird Press got its start? Read the story on the community effort that helped save historic equipment from The Printing Museum.
Bender holds an MFA in Painting from the University of Houston and a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Central Arkansas. Her work has been exhibited at venues including Blaffer Art Museum, Lawndale Art Center and the Texas Photographic Society. When she’s not managing the store, she teaches silkscreen at the University of Houston and coordinates exhibitions at the Lanecia A. Rouse Gallery.
Red Bird Press continues to offer workshops and courses designed for both newcomers and experienced artists, proving that traditional arts can still make a lasting impression in a digital world.
You can sign up for current classes at redbirdpresshtx.org/courses. They also offer group and private workshops for any occasion.