‘The Inkplate,’ a Newsletter, Who This?

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Welcome back to the new edition of ‘The Inkplate.’ I am excited to see you all here. It has been amazing to see such interest. There are hundreds of you who are printmaking lovers just like me! You folks are awesome. This newsletter will give you an idea of what to expect moving forward and explain the future of what Daniel Villa Art Studio will look like.

Let's dive in…

Cartoon of the Week

This cartoon sums up my week. 

A Printmaking Newsletter. 

I am a nerd and that is a fact. I mean sheesh, look at my glasses! I consume a lot of writing, read a dozen newsletters each morning which consists of a variety of news media as well as read a book before going into work. In the past, I read 40 books in one year! You get the idea.

The newsletter world is dominated by finance, marketing, news, and super niche newsletters. The more I dig into platforms like Substacks, Twitter, Clubhouse, I realize that no one had what I was looking for, because no one was creating it.

I did come across one blogger, who had a rich library of printmaking articles, so I thought, “I found it!” Sadly, the newsletter was an automated email sending links to old blog posts, the newest of which was written at the onset of the pandemic with the oldest in the early 2010’s. 

Every industry has its top dogs, magazines, conferences, and members-only website clubs. Typically, these are run by a few prominent voices that have worked in these spaces for years, sometimes decades. There is nothing wrong with these organizations; they are critical for all artists, but they do not always provide a space for the student, the beginner, and the seasoned printmaker to learn something new. 

Newsletters provide an exciting opportunity for new writers like myself to compete in the ideas marketplace. By providing an on-the-field take of what some have already accomplished and perhaps forgotten about or are unwilling to share. 

If you are here because you were signed up to my marketing emails, don’t worry I will still share my upcoming events, sales, and new artwork here. It will be presented differently.

I am a sucker for transparency. Eventually there will be a premium version of this newsletter which will offer even more up close look insight into printmaking practice and techniques. I do not have a set date yet, but that newsletter will be the place where my instructional material will start, via step-by-step photo essays.

What you can expect from ‘The Inkplate:’

• Two (2) emails a month (for now)

• Product reviews

• Artist highlights 

• Personal art, business, growth roadblocks 

• My upcoming events

• Things I find useful or struggle with that are worth sharing 

• What I am working on or finishing 

• Honesty and a splatter of my nerdy humor

Meet the Team:

Moving forward, this will be the space I will dedicate to artist highlights. This week, I thought it would be appropriate for you to meet the team who will be bringing you ‘The Inkplate.’ 

Introducing…

Brandon Alvarez is onboarding ‘The Inkplate’ as my editor. A School Counselor by day and Public Relations practitioner by night, he will be responsible for making sure you don't read my typos and run-on sentences. Brandon is another newsletter writer, who writes about current events, education, and local affairs. I am so grateful for his help and sharp grammar skills.

Daniel Villa, well you already know me as your friendly neighborhood printmaker. I will be in charge of the writing, translating things into Spanish, reviewing products, interviewing, and publishing. 

Upcoming Events

•  Central Valley Brewfest - Stanislaus County Fair (Turlock, CA) on May 7th from 12:00 - 5:00 pm. Featuring a variety of local artists from Art Expressions of San Joaquin.

• Flavor Fest/Collide Festival - May 14th and 15th from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm at Weber Point (Stockton, CA). Unfortunately, I will not be conducting a workshop this year, but I will be vending at the artist alley! Stop on by.

What I’m Working On: 

This weekend, I hammered away for well over 19 hours on the El Capitan print. A reduction print, depicting the famous granite formation inside Yosemite National Park. It has been a huge learning experience but a fun one. I will definitely be writing a deep dive on this print.

Thanks for reading and welcome to ‘The Inkplate!’

Have a great week.

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