My little Red Hydrant business is 1 year old!

One year ago I rode my bike to the City Clerk office in downtown Grand Rapids, and registered my art doing as a business named Red Hydrant Press; after that I got a paper saying that I was from then on an "entity". This paper meant that I was supposed to be more responsible with everything that had to do with my "business" which in my case is my whole life, since my business is art making, and art making is a very personal process, and that still gives me head aches.

After a year I'm still in business, meaning I didn't report red numbers on my IRS return and I still have some money for supplies (only).

But it all really started 8 years ago, when I came from Mexico and started doing prints on a washing machine wringer turned into a press down in my wet and moldy basement.



This is the third and last handmade press, which is the one that I've been using for the past 5 years!

My first week in Mexico

I have to start by saying that although I was born and raised in Mexico city, I hate living in big cities, I can visit for three or five days so right now I'm close to my limit, I need to run to a small town soon. By the way the whole city is under construction, it is a complete chaos.

I rather take the subway and the "micro" than driving, it takes twice as much time, but at least you don't have to worry about agressive drivers or being one yourself. I had promess my mom that I would take her out for dinner, and she has to use a wheelchair, so I had to drive, and now I'm so tired, I feel like I had climbed a mountain.

Durig my first week I visited my old university: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, or UNAM, the library building is covered with a mural made of natural stone by Juan O'Gorman, and some of the buildings are decorated with murals by David Alfaro Siqueiros (one of my favorite artists) and Diego Rivera.

The giveaway outcome

I waked up on the day of my birthay and found lots of print requests, print exchanges and lots of happy bithday wishes on my mailbox and my website; and they kept accumulationg during the day!
The whole experience was very insightful, I met a lot of nice people on the cyberspace and other nice people at the bar as well.
I gave me the opportunity to hang out with people I knew, but never had the chance to sit down with and have a conversation; because we haven't had a "reason" to do so in the past.

The best of all was that "thing" I got by giving and sharing, that thing I couldn't have gotten otherwise.

Thanks to all of you who shared your time with me.

Birthday print giveaway

On my birthday I give prints away to remind my self of the importance of keeping my art available to people who can't afford it. It is also a way of giving back and being grateful for all the good things that happened to me during the year; all the good ideas that I have no clue where they came from, all the great people that I met, all the projects that I accomplished, etc.

Maybe nobody will read this blog on my birthday, but if you do, and you'd like to have a piece of my work, then we are both lucky, you can visit my website and claim a print, if you live out of Grand Rapids (the city where I live) then go to the Etsy shop, you would have to pay for the shipping though.

www.redhydrantpress.com
www.redhydrant.etsy.com

International Women's Day Event Canceled

This is a sad notice, after only two events we were told by the Fire Department that we cann't have anymore. The reason: the space is not safe.
For a whole week I was sad, frustrated and even sick, I didn't know if we were even going to be able to keep the space.
As of today, we can keep the space but we can't have any more events until they approve it.
For now, I'm getting ready for the summer art fairs, I'm happy that I still have a place and also because I had such a good time during those two events.

10 000 AñOS DE MAIZ 10 000 YEARS OF CORN

Friday January 4th
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Join us for an evening of art, poetry, video and information
that both; celebrates the cultural heritage of corn in Mexico, and provides opportunities for anyone to resist the corporate/government attempt to take over our food systems.

On January 1, 2008 new NAFTA provisions take effect, causing more hunger and displacement for Mexican
farmers.

Sin Maiz no hay Pais!

Red Hydrant Shop
314 Straight SW Door M
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
www.alynnguerra.com

The Red Hydrant Studio is open before the Holidays!

The studio is open on weekends from noon to 5pm.
I'm working on a new big print, come and check out the process.
Also I have shirts, scarves, cards and prints of all sizes framed or unframed.

The studio is located at:

324 Straight Ave SW @ Hemlock st.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

on the South side of Tanglefoot building Door M

Also, if you come on Saturday, you can check out the Tanglefoot studio on the other side of the buliding.

After Death... what's to come?

We had so much fur at the Dead End Show! I was happy, amazed, grateful, etc to see so many people showing up during both days.
The studio is in a warehouse buliding on the west side of the city, it is in the middle of two scrap metal places and far from any main street or intersection, on top of that we are on the third floor. Despite all that, people were able to find their way to our space!

I believe it's better to have friends than money, and this time I'm willing to carve it on a tree, well maybe on a piece of wood. We were able to have such good music thanks to all of our musician friends. Whe had lots of art thanks to all of our artistic friends, and lots of people thanks to all of our art loving freinds.

And what's next? well, because this was our first event ever, it was also going to set the gudelines for future projects, and that's where we are right now, planing for the rest of the year. I'm consideriing teaching some printmaking classes for children and adults, maybe have some days a mont where I'd welcome printmakers to work on a group project, etc...

The next big sale will be at the UICA's Holiday Artists Market www.uica.org November 31 and December 1st.

THE STUDIO WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER AND ON SUNDAYS IN DECEMBER.
folow this link for more details http://ical.mac.com/alynnguerra/Events
or visit my website http://www.alynnguerra.com

If you have ideas, want to do a project, or just want to say hi and have a glass of wine (or water, that's fine too), please visit our studio, we would be happy to have you over.

Dia de los Muertos

http://www.alynnguerra.com

DAY OF THE DEAD ART SALE
This will be our studio’s grand opening event.

In Mexico El Dia de los Muertos is one of the most important events of the year, it is the time when you welcome back the souls of the departed and have a big party for them, the belief is that they will make a long trip to be part of the celebration and they don’t want to see tears or sorrow, they want us to be happy to have them back (at least for a night).
For many years I have helped organize several Day of the Dead events in Grand Rapids, now for the first time I’m having my own event.
And what will this be?
The ofrenda a big part of the celebration
Skull painting
Traditional Bread

And most important:
Day of the Dead related art by artists:
Carlos Aceves, Hugo Claudin, Alynn Guerra, Rebecca Rodriguez, Reb Roberts & Carmella Loftis, Sarah Scott-Brandt, Jeff smith and Elisabeth Vedrin

The place:
Red Hydrant Studio
324 Straight SW and Hemlock
Door M
Grand Rapids MI 49504
616 808 0092

Construction Season - May

Hnaging in the Air

This print is the black and white version of a painting. I don't think it need an explanation so, I will just describe the piece itself. I carved the piece on a 5x5 " linoleum plate and then printed it on Amate paper.
Amate is a mexican tree from where the paper is made by pounding its inner bark into an even sheet of "paper", the aztecs were the first to use this paper to create their codices.
I wish I could use this paper more often, but it is difficult to find and also expensive.



Drying and pressing the prints is the last step of the printmaking process.


This is how the plate looks when I'm carving it, and this is also why I don't sell drawings...

More war related art...

Trees, trees...

This is a small version of the piece I'm donating to the Progressive Women’s Alliance event: “Strong Voices in Art, Music and Politics”

The date is Wednesday April 25th from 6-10pm. - San Chez Restaurant 38 West Fulton Grand Rapids. Tickets are $30 adult or $20 student www.progressivewomensalliance.org/

4th Anniversary of the War

Desire
A man found Aladin's lamp lying around. Since he was a big reader, the man recognized it and rubbed it right away. The genie appeared, bowed deeply, and said: "At your service, master. Your wish is my command. But there will be only one wish"
Since he was a good boy, the man said, "I wish for my dead mother to be brought back."
The genie made a face. "I'm sorry, master, but that wish is impossible. Make another."
Since he was a nice guy, the man said, "I wish the world would stop spending money to kill people
The genie swallowed. "Uhh... What did you say your mother's name was?"
(Upsidedown) Eduardo Galeano

El deseo
Un hombre encontró la lámpara de Aladino tirada por ahí. Como era un buen lector, el hombre la reconoció y la frotó. El genio apareció, hizo una reverencia, se ofreció:
--Estoy a su servicio, amo. Pídame un deseo, y será cumplido. Pero ha de ser un solo deseo.
Como era un buen hijo, el hombre pidió:
--Deseo que resucites a mi madre muerta.
El genio hizo una mueca:
--Lo lamento, amo, pero es un deseo imposible. Pídame otro.
Como era un buen tipo, el hombre pidió:
--Deseo que el mundo no siga gastando dinero en matar gente.
El genio tragó saliva:
--Este... ¿Cómo dijo que se llamaba su mamá?

(Patas arriba. La escuela del mundo al revés). Eduardo Galeano

Dia de los Muertos at the Public Library

More construction season

within the system

recycle

For some of us is a necessity to give "trash" a second chance.

One more "heaven and hell" print

ArtWorks' Mural Project

http://www.artworksgr.org
http://www.uica.org
Drew, Brandon, Gaby, BJ, Jossie, Steve, Jeanne, Brent, Rachel, Gretchen, Alynn and Beki.
The finished mural.

The final sketch, this is how the mural was supposed to look like.