Meet the Crafters: Yorodeo

One of my favourite parts of Halifax Crafters shows is the poster. We’ve had so many amazing designs by amazing people, and this show poster by Seth Smith and Paul Hammond of Yorodeo is no exception. We really love how much thought and talent went into creating the ‘Beary Merry Market’ poster, and we wanted to share the process with you. 

You designed and hand printed the poster for the Winter Market. Can you tell us about your inspiration/concept for the poster? 

We threw around a few ideas, but eventually came to the concept of hibernation. We try really hard for stuff at this time of year to make images that are seasonal, and festive, but not explicitly linked to anything too specific.

We also really like going a little non-traditional, and a little weird.. finding ways to make what could be really cookie-cutter themes into something a little more interesting. We really wanted with this poster to do something using a snow globe.. it’s a nice way to do a cozy winter scene, but also tie it to the holidays in a pretty broad way.

The idea of making the globe a home for something unexpected was something we really liked, and decided that it might be funny if instead of little houses and trees on top of the snow, if all the action was happening underground instead.

So this is basically a glimpse into a weird little world, where giant bears are relaxing and getting cozy together as a family, in a tunnel/hole in a snowglobe world that’s really far too small for them. They seem pretty happy, though.

What is the process you used to create it? 

We usually start with a drawing jam, just throwing out ideas, and sketching up little concepts to make ourselves laugh. Once we have something that seems like a good direction, then generally we sort of split up the work.. everything we do is very collaborative in that way.

For this poster, I drew the snowglobe, and the main text, and Seth drew the bears. We do most of the drawing by hand, though sometimes it’s digital, and then it’s all pieced together on the computer.

Since we’re screen-printing these, we work with colour layers in mind. In this instance, we were designing something to be printed with 2 colours (blue and red) so we try to find ways of making full use of both of those colours, to get as much out of it as possible. This often means using textures, or taking advantage of the ways that certain colours lay overtop of others. Going through and deciding how to use each colour and where is a big part of the process.

Meet the Crafters: Hello Daylight

Stephen Bishop AKA Hello Daylight designed and silkscreened the Spring Up! show poster. Today we’re seeing more of what Stephen makes, and a small preview of what he’ll have for sale at the show! What do you make? I make limited edition screenprinted art prints and posters. What is your process? The illustration and design starts on paper, then moves to the computer, then onto my screens for screenprinting. One screen per colour. Each print is done by hand, on a manual homemade vacuum press. Most of my equipment is homemade, which is kind of the beauty of screenprinting, that you don’t need an expensive pro setup to do it. How long have you been a crafter? I forget exactly when I started, as the process of learning and equipment gathering took awhile. There is quite a bit of trial and error to get every part of the process right, like anything I guess. But I guess I have been screenprinting now for about 5 or 6 years. What is your background/How did you get started? I have always been drawing and painting and making since I was a kid. And I was also a pretty big computer nerd when I was young. So naturally I attended NSCAD, with a specialty in design. The design program largely focuses on creating for others, rather than on your own work, which is fine, but after I graduated I found that I yearned to create something just for me, and I wanted a process that was a bit more tactile and hands-on. I wanted to get my hands dirty again. NSCAD didn’t have screenprinting when I was there, at least not for paper prints. One day I was sitting in a cafe and saw an early poster by YoRodeo, and was blown away by the simple colours and striking imagery. It was design and typography, but also something more, with a more expressive quality. I immediately loved something about the way the ink looked and how it felt. I could tell it was made by hand. From that day I started the quest to learn how to screenprint, and ironically  a couple years later ended up sharing a studio with them for years. Why do you do what you do?  Primarily I love laying the ink on paper by hand, and seeing it slowly build up to create an image. I love the texture and how each print is subtly unique. I even love the process of burning the screens and lining everything up. I love taking my drawing from paper to computer, then onto the screens, then onto paper. I’m slowly migrating to a life where printmaking takes up more of my days than commercial design, with the goal of eventually only drawing and printing and making. When you’re not selling at Crafters markets, where can I find your work? My work can be found through my website, and in my Etsy shop, Hello Daylight. I also co-own a shop in Lunenburg that sells all handmade items, called Dots & Loops Handmade, where my prints can be found, along with work from many other screenprinters from Halifax and beyond, and work from many other types of crafters including some found at Halifax Crafters. How long have you been involved with Halifax Crafters? I have been selling my prints at Halifax Crafters since Spring 2010. What makes Halifax Crafters different from other shows? The abundance of original, talented and passionate crafters at Halifax Crafters blows me away every time. And the organizers do such a good job of making it all happen. I haven’t been to many other shows, but I can’t imagine them getting much better. What are you excited about seeing at the Spring Market? I’m always excited to see what the other printmakers are doing, and their new work. That includes letterpress, textile, and other prints. I usually like to come home with a few prints to add to my collection. What inspires you to create? Other artists and printmakers. When I see their work I almost immediately want to create. How do you begin a new project? Often looking through books of images. Sometimes hitting the library. And always pencil and paper first to flesh out an idea. Where do you do your work? In my studio at the back of Dots & Loops Handmade, in beautiful Lunenburg, NS. What kind of music do you listen to while you work? All kinds. Sometimes I’ll just listen to CBC or a few This American Life podcasts. Headphones rarely leave my head while I work, which I’m sure will make me deaf one day. An artwork or artist you love? God, there are too many to name. YoRodeo consistently blow my mind, and they are super nice guys. I also love The Heads of State, DoubleNaut, Sasha Barr, Patent Pending, Hammerpress, Doe Eyed, Jolby, Landland, Chris Silas Neal, Niv Bavarsky, and Zeloot… to name a few. Favourite time of the year? Spring? No, early fall. September/October for sure. Winter is the worst thing ever invented to me. Three things you need in order to create? Music, music, my studio.  What’s your favourite way to procrastinate? Listen to and look for new music. A favourite quote? “Not all those who wander are lost.”  - J.R.R. Tolkien

Meet the Crafters: Stephen Bishop

Meet Stephen AKA Hello Daylight, co-owner of Dots & Loops Handmade, and the creator of the Spring 2012 Show poster. He shares  his inspiration for the design, and some great behind the scenes photos of his process. 

There were several goals I wanted to achieve with the poster image. First I wanted it to be simple, bright and positive, the blue paper I chose really helps with that. Second I wanted it to show the very beginnings of things coming back to life, such as the first leaves that appear on a tree. And thirdly, I wanted it to express the Spring “Up” concept for this particular fair, and particularly how that might apply to something handmade.

The letters in the tree are supposed to imply that someone made them and then climbed up and put them in the tree to make an exciting announcement, as subtle as that might be.

As with everything I do, I start with pages of sketches and ideas, and when I narrow it down to one idea, I then do several more pages of sketches to sort out the details. Depending on how I want it to look, I use a combination of pen & ink, digital pen, and scanned images and text to complete the final illustration.

Eventually it all ends up on computer in Photoshop, where I can separate the colours and prep it for screenprinting. I use the colour separations to burn my screens, and then print it up one colour and one poster at a time. So the poster was 3 colours, and I printed 150 of them, so overall there were 450 pulls of the squeegee.

Watch out for Stephen’s posters around the city, and make sure take note of the show date! You can RSVP to Spring Up! on Facebook, and follow Halifax Crafters on Facebook + Twitter for updates. 

Meet the Sponsors: Dots And Loops

With only two more days left till the fair we wanted to let you get to know some of the people who have made the Crafters Winter Yule Tide Cheer a possibility with their amazing support.  One of the newest businesses in Nova Scotia’s craft circuit is Dots and Loops located in the heart of beautiful Lununburg. Meet co-owner (and Halifax Crafters sponsor) Melanie Strong:

About Our Store:

We’re a handmade only / indie boutique located in Lunenburg. We’re pretty new on the scene – we just opened in August and we just had our grand opening. We carry designs from artists who call all parts of the world home, though we do carry many local crafters (many of whom will be represented at the Crafters Market!) and many other Canadian makers. We also have the US, the UK and even Australia, Greece and the Netherlands represented in shop. We try to connect and establish relationships with makers based on whether or not we love what they make, rather than where they live. We have a weakness for hand pulled screenprinting, so we are always adding to our print wall and our screen printed textile selection but you will also find pretty much every type of craft represented here (which is pretty easy, considering we have the work of over 120 different crafters in shop.)

Myself and my partner, Stephen Bishop, are the owners behind the shop. Stephen (also known by his studio alias of HelloDaylight) is a graphic designer by trade and a screenprinter by passion, so his contribution to our shop’s aesthetic has been huge. I have a varied background, with my most recent work being the Director of Operations for the Halifax based multidisciplinary design firm Breakhouse. So I handle most of the day-to-day parts of the business but I am also what I call a secret maker – I love using my hands but don’t make anything with commercial appeal. We decided to open the store because we both love anything made by hand and we really wanted to share this love with customers who may not realize that there is an alternative to mass-produced goods available to them. We decided to locate in Lunenburg because we both appreciate the slower pace of life that a more rural setting can provide (and we have 3 pet hens who aren’t allowed in Halifax city limits!). It’s been interesting so far, and we’ve had a great response from both locals and visitors to Lunenburg alike. We really see this small town as being in the midst of a revival of sorts and we’re really excited to be at the forefront.

Why We Wanted to be Involved in Crafters:

Stephen, through HelloDaylight, starting selling his screenprints through Crafters a few shows ago and I got to help out a couple of times. I’d been to Crafters many times before and always loved to see all of the beautiful work made by so many people. We also loved the feel of the Market itself and could see the work that goes into it. The Crafters Market is, in our opinion, the best thing of its kind in the Maritimes.

We realize that the number one way to support makers is to buy their work but, now that we own a store that helps do this as well, we also know that another way to help is to support the venues that give crafters an outlet to get their work out there. We know that the Halifax Crafters Society is run by volunteers, who are themselves crafters, so we know that there are likely many things the Society would love to do but don’t have the time or funds to see happen. We hope that by sponsoring Crafters, more and more businesses will jump onboard and help out and that Crafters will continue to grow and improve for many years to come.

Thanks so much Melanie! We’re so excited for you and Stephen and want to congratulate you on opening your (and our newest) dream shop!


 If any readers out there haven’t been in to Dots and Loops yet its more than worth the scenic drive…..though when did any one need an excuse to day trip to Lunenburg?  You can also follow Melanie and Stephen in their endeavor on the shop’s Twitter and Facebook pages. 

Meet the Crafters: Alissa & Chantal

Meet Alissa: one half of the masterful team behind this year’s winter market poster. She shares a little bit about collaborating and gives us all a sneak behind the scenes with some beautiful photos of the printing process.

Chantal and I have collaborated on a few projects now. It’s always nice to have another person around to bounce ideas off of and another set of eyes. We were thinking of things we associated with winter while trying to stay away from any religious subject matter. There are so many great winter activites to do (many of them that I haven’t tried yet but am very eager too) like dogsledding, skating and of course snow shoeing. We both had really liked the idea of snow shoes and we also were taken with the wonder posters made for the Renegade Craft fairs – I find they always do a good job of making the text interesting. I illustrated the various elements for the posters and than we both sat down and played around with it in photoshop until we got something we liked. Many of the posters you’ll see around town were hand silk screened by Chantal and I in my studio here in Halifax. 

Thanks to all their hard work you can see the posters pop up all around town reminding us that the Yule Tide Cheer Winter Market is just around the corner!