Happy Friday.
Excited to introduce you to my next feature, the last Friday of the month, Nathan of The Make House. I took a Screen Printng class from Nathan back in December. It was always a media I was fascinated by and really wanted to learn. Little did I know that it would be an amazing, thorough instruction thanks to Nathan. I look forward to taking the advanced class soon.
I asked Nathan the questions below and through them found out a little more about my myself, my own craft and what I want to offer in the months to come. Whether it be to friends, community or myself. Huge thanks Nathan for your wisdom, patience, talents and contribution to community.
1. Who are you, what do you do, what is your passion?
My name is Nathan Reimer. I'm a screen printer and graphic designer as well as the founder of The Make House, a visual media and art space in NE Portland. www.themakehouse.com My focus these days is on providing services (design and screen printing) to clients while facilitating space and resources for other artists and creators.
2. What inspired you to open your business, offer a service or teach a skill?
I've felt passionate about creative space for years. I thrive in a flurry of activity and ideas so the more I have going on around me the happier and more productive I am. The Make House is my way of offering that to myself and other like minded people. It's a space for ideas and skills to be shared and explored. It's a place for me to work but also a way for me to be pushed up against the work of others. I get to keep growing this way.
The Make House is also open to the public so it's a way for anyone to explore crafts and processes that they might not come into contact with otherwise. We have a retail gallery space at The Make House but there's a 6 color printing press in the next room where we're printing posters and t-shirts while you're browsing through finished projects. I really want to draw lines between products and processes so that we can understand where things are coming from and who's making them.
We also offer screen printing classes and will be offering more classes in the not too distant future. Sharing the craft that I love with others is a gift for so many reasons and in so many ways. It keeps me inspired to see this thing reflected as new again by other people around me.
Our next screen printing class is Feb 8th and there's more information about it on our site right here.
3. What do you look forward to in 2012?
2012 is going to be about going deeper in for me. Personally and professionally. The Make House is almost a year old and it feels like it's just starting to take form. I'm excited about all that this place has to offer to myself and the other artists involved. We're all working together and digging deeper to improve our own work, the space that we share and the skills and products that we are offering our community.
We're getting a couple of Letter Presses in February that I'm particularly looking forward to learning about. We'll be sharing these machines and offering classes sometime in the spring.
4. IF you could go back and do ONE thing over again, what would it be and why?
James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem said, " I wouldn't change one stupid decision for another five years to live." I'm just going to quote him on that.
5. What advice do you offer to other people that want to follow their dream, passion or other?
If you are fortunate enough to even know what your dreams are you've come a long way further then most people ever get. Honor that and live a little - or a lot.
nathan on the right.
Thanks again Nathan for sharing your talents with us. Best wishes for a successful 2012.
And while I'm not sure how I arrived at today. I'm glad I did. This entire week has been a blur since the news on Monday. I found myself walking like a zombie from time to time. A slower pace is good most times. And I will simply work to keep pressing on.
P.S. I'm boarding a plane to California tomorrow, CHA starts on Sunday...whew.
Happy weekend,
Rachel
