Artist Feature: Lauren Harms
Studio/ Company Name: Next Chapter Studio
Run By: Lauren Harms and Brian Gilbreath
How many drums are you running and what colors? 12 - fluorescent pink, red, fluorescent orange, sunflower, yellow, light lime, Kelly green, light teal, blue, aqua, light gray, black
Model of Machine: EZ590 and EZ591
How long have you been printing with RISO?: Since 2017. Started at the SVA RisoLAB with Paul John!
What advice would you give to someone looking to get started with RISO printing?: Find an existing studio or press, and ask to shadow or if they offer workshops. In general it's a welcoming crowd, so if one says no, keep asking! I started by taking a class at the SVA RisoLAB, and used their facilities for 2 years before buying my own machine. It gave me time to get into the rhythm of printing regularly and having enough things to make. And enough time to figure out what colors I wanted myself :) Owning a Riso is a big commitment and involves lots of maintenance (and patience) to keep them running properly.
What is your favorite RISO ink color to print with and why? Flo pink... can't stop, won't stop! I have to intentionally stop myself from designing every card with pink. But really, I think it's the color that initially drew me to Riso. I have a background in 4-color print design, and have always loved any eye catching spot color like flo pink.
What project have you created on your riso that you are most proud of? A lot of our cards are inspired by Riso colors and textures, but I think the ones that came out best are the Tie Dye series. In my head, I thought the Riso inks would overlay well and look like real tie dye. Once I started printing, it looked better than I could've imagined! They're so, so vibrant and couldn't be printed any other way.
Check them out here.
Is there is anything else you would like the world to know about you? Right now our tubes decorate our studio, but I'm thinking about how they could be turned into ceiling lights.
By the end of 2023, we'll have surpassed making 100,000 Riso printed greeting cards.
Name another risograph printer whose studio space or work inspires you:
Also from Albuquerque! Doing great work with artists and community printing.