MN Week was born out of the discovery of people I admired online. If I dug them enough, I would click on the About and find a Minnesotan. A few of these discoveries happened in quick succession and I didn’t have to be hit with a snowball to see a pattern.

One thing to note: these profiles are not journalistic, but more personal. I’ll leave the professional writing to the, uh, professionals. Enjoy discovering these talented people living in a place that celebrates music, food and creativity…

Laura Brown and I *met* last year when I began to read her blog. She shared the misery that sometimes accompanies a cube job and eventually took the leap to artist, ditching the 9 to 5. We share a passion for designing paper goods, but Laura’s heart is completely in printmaking. When I first saw some of her prints, I was struck by an earthiness combined with a little quirkiness that made me want to just keep looking at them. I know practically nothing about the process of making a print, so I asked Laura to answer a few questions about it. I’ve never seen Laura use a capital letter, so let’s find out about printmaking together (in lowercase), shall we?

How did you first become interested in printmaking?
during my sophomore year in college, i knew i was going to have to pick an emphasis for my fine art major. i looked around the department at the different possibilities and professors, and found that the printmaking professor was energetic, excited about what she did and about students. she took the time to really mentor students who were interested, and keep making her own work at the same time. she was really a model for how to maintain a personal studio practice and teach at the same time. i was drawn to her before i even took a printmaking class, and i remember realizing that if i was going to get the most out of my education, i should emphasize in printmaking and learn all i could from her. it probably sounds funny, but i decided i would like printmaking and then was so happy and relieved that i actually loved it once i started doing it!

Describe in 10 words or less what exactly printmaking is?
A crazy request from me, but Laura rose to the challenge with a haiku, then more words :)
okay, here it is:
wood/metal/stone/screen
ink and paper
backward, forward
surprise!

i usually define printmaking as a fine art medium where you make an image on one surface (a screen, a wood/linoleum block, a stone, a metal plate), ink it, and print it on another surface (usually paper). it takes some planning and thought because you have to think about what you want your image to be in the end, and then make it backwards on the block/plate/stone. this is one of the things about the printmaking process that make the final result kind of surprising, which is one of my favorite things about printmaking. i start with an idea and start making the image, but to some extent, i give up control to the medium itself, allowing the wood grain or etching marks to take over and make the print what it is. then, when the print comes out of the press, i always get really excited to see how it has turned out! another great thing about printmaking is that it creates multiple originals, which i like because i like sharing my work and i can do that easily with my prints. prints are also great for art buyers, because they are truly original pieces and are often more affordable than paintings or other media where there is only one original (these original multiples are very different than prints made from original paintings, which are referred to as giclee/offset lithographs/digital reproductions). when you buy an original print, you are getting a piece that was made by the artist’s two hands.

even though everyone has probably made a print at some point in their lives (think potato prints in elementary school!), and even though prints are everywhere (even t-shirts!), printmaking is not the most familiar medium to folks. but it’s all around you and it’s wonderful!



Who’s art do you return to over and over again?
karen kunc (i’m planning to apply to grad school next year and i would die if i got into university of nebraska-lincoln, where she teaches. which would be a shame, really. it’s hard to go to school when you’re dead). her work is really colorful and based on landscape, which are things i identify with.

annu vertanen is another really great printmaker whose work i admire.

seiko tachibana is another one. her work is always so beautiful.

and, really, i do go back often to martha, who got me started in the first place.

Name your 3 favorite foods to eat in MN.
ooh! um. . . well, these are some of my favorite places to eat, for sure:
brasa rotisserie (slow-cooked meats, southern and south american food). anything there is delicious.
sen yai sen lek (which means ‘big noodle, little noodle’!) it’s a thai noodle shop in my neighborhood, and i love it. i haven’t eaten anything i haven’t liked.
the modern cafe. this is another neighborhood place, my favorite for breakfast. i always get biscuits and gravy.

First rock concert you ever saw: who? where? and why?
oh, wow. i’m sure i tagged along to concerts my older sister went to, but the first ones i recall going to because i wanted to were probably some kind of christian rock shows in high school. i grew up in a pretty conservative family and didn’t really learn a lot about good music until i went to college and was enlightened (thank goodness!) since i also grew up in tiny towns, going to shows also involved several hours of travel, too. oh, high school.

I hope you all enjoyed this week of talented Minnesotans. I have enjoyed discovering and sharing them with you and appreciate you stopping by. If you missed any of the posts, here are all the characters below. Just click on a face to learn more about them.

MN Week was born out of the discovery of people I admired online. If I dug them enough, I would click on the About and find a Minnesotan. A few of these discoveries happened in quick succession and I didn’t have to be hit with a snowball to see a pattern.

One thing to note: these profiles are not journalistic, but more personal. I’ll leave the professional writing to the, uh, professionals. Enjoy discovering these talented people living in a place that celebrates music, food and creativity…

Sarah Ernhart of Sarah Beth Photography focuses mainly on pets in her business. The energetic and artistic images she takes of dogs and other animals always make me smile. The sheer variety of dogs she photographs is a pleasure and her eye sees humor and humanity in each one. I found Sarah on Twitter in searching for pet photographers. I honestly like to follow pet photographers because they encompass two of the things I most enjoy: dogs and beautiful photos. Sarah does not disappoint as you can see below:





I’m always a big fan of small businesses that think of creative ways to help others in need. Sarah began a Giving Back program this year. Every month, 10% of all Pet Session Fees will be donated to a local nonprofit pet rescue, shelter or advocate. Working with all kinds of different organizations throughout the year, Sarah is supporting local animal rescues, spay & neuter initiatives and education of the public.

Another part of her Giving Back program is encouraging pet adoption. If you adopt from the Rescue of the Month, you receive 50% off a Pet Session. If you have ever adopted a pet from the Rescue of the Month, you can contact the rescue for a $25 coupon, good toward any session. If you adopted two animals, you can receive a $50 coupon. And if you prefer to give away your coupon, you can donate it as a gift certificate. I think her program is a perfect solution to donate her talent in an effective and charitable way.

If that’s not enough evidence of her big heart, Sarah Beth also offers discounted rates for terminally-ill/elderly pets and for service dogs. The sessions for terminally-ill or elderly pets are called The Joy Session, after Joy and Joan. Joy was Joan’s service dog and Sarah had a session in Hospice as Joan was reaching her final days. The connection between this woman and dog was very special and touching. You can read more of their story and view photos on Sarah’s blog here.

Sarah and I had a quick email exchange about her photos, so I had to ask about Minnesota food and music:
Name your 3 favorite foods to eat in MN.
Anything from Heartland in St. Paul or La Grassa in Minneapolis and my mom’s rhubarb crisp.

First rock concert you ever saw: who? where? and why?
Beck at the Roy Wilkins….. he was and still is my fave.

MN Week was born out of the discovery of people I admired online. If I dug them enough, I would click on the About and find a Minnesotan. A few of these discoveries happened in quick succession and I didn’t have to be hit with a snowball to see a pattern.

One thing to note: these profiles are not journalistic, but more personal. I’ll leave the professional writing to the, uh, professionals. Enjoy discovering these talented people living in a place that celebrates music, food and creativity…

Jessica Puckett makes plushie art and not in your typical teddy bear kind of way. Her creatures are mythical, fantastic and some are just a tiny bit ewwww. The kind of ewwww that we love to love. Some of the plushies available in Jessica’s Etsy shop, Plushroom Soup, are listed below clockwise from top left: Blue Owl; Octozombie; Purple Rain Unicorn; Frog Trio. You can click on any image to check out each in more detail. My favorites are the owls with their large, soulful eyes, but I also dig her Yetis and Sea Creatures.

I’m lucky to know Jessica enough to ask her some interview-type questions:

How did you first become interested in plushie-making?
It started in roughly summer of 2006. I was on the hunt for a cute plush alpaca (as a reminder of my long-term goal of becoming a fiber farmer), and couldn’t find one anywhere. Around the same time, I started collecting Japanese craft books, and inspiration just hit: why don’t I make a plush alpaca myself? So I used some of the knowledge I had gained about softie construction from browsing the Japanese books, and I did what I usually do: jumped in feet-first. That first alpaca I made was a funny looking thing, but it opened a floodgate for me, and I kept refining the design and making new critters.

How do you decide what kind of creature to make?
There’s no typical process. At first, I’d get requests for particular critters, so I’d make those. But even then my goal was to create mythological/fantasy characters too, once I expanded my skill set. I’ve always been and avid reader, fascinated by mythology, fairy tales, and fantasy (I actually studied these in college). So I kind of started with a backlog already of my favorite creatures, most of which I have yet to make.

Making a new critter pattern is very time consuming for me, involving lots of trial and error, so I don’t make “new” creatures very often. When I have time to make something new, I just pick whatever creature is most on my brain at that moment. Sometimes I’ll be out and about and an idea will just strike, so I keep a notebook handy to jot down thoughts and sketches. I turn to these notebooks whenever I need a jolt of inspiration. Other times, a particular fabric dictates what I make. I’ll be at the fabric store and something will just scream “yeti” or “octopus” to me.

Share your thoughts on the plushie community.
The plushie community is AWESOME! No, seriously. I have made so many wonderful new friends in the last few years. Many of these contacts started online but have since turned into real-life friendships. I love how open the community is. It can be really difficult to be heard over the din these days, but all the plush artists I’ve met are so willing to share tips and provide support, plus they’re just so dang talented. Meeting some of my plush heroes at the Plush You show in Seattle in fall 2008 was some of the most fun I’ve had in recent memory.

Name your 3 favorite foods to eat in MN.
I’m going to break this into two categories, if I may: State Fair, and non-State Fair. Because no matter how delicious a food may be, you haven’t really eaten it until you’ve tasted it on a stick. The State Fair does almost all food bigger and better (and on the aforementioned stick). I thought the State Fair was so boring when I was younger because the only things to do there were stuff yourself to bursting and pet animals. Now every year I can hardly wait to eat myself exhausted and learn about livestock care.

So, in the former category: pronto pups, cheese curds, and mini donuts. Dear god, why is the State Fair 183 days away?!

In the latter category: cheddarwürst from The Bulldog, mini corn dogs from Elsie’s, and the farmer’s omelet at Key’s downtown. Yes, I’m a gourmand. Don’t judge!

First rock concert you ever saw: who? where? and why?
I’d really love to say something cool like the Talking Heads at First Avenue when I was 12, but that would be a lie. I was so uncool when I was 12. How uncool? My first concert was Nelson (the pseudo-glam rock long-haired rocker twins that looked like girls), and I went with my mom. It was at either the State or the Orpheum here in Minneapolis. I blame my mom entirely for my glam rock phase (but on the flipside, she also gets credit for instilling in me a deep love of music; I’d say at least 50 percent of each day is accompanied by a soundtrack). I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I was so excited about the concert that I still remember what I wore. It was 1990 (or maybe 1991), so the 80s fashions were very much still in style. I wore acid-wash jeans with a large hole in the left knee (I may have even bleached the jeans myself) and an over-sized white boatneck top with black horizontal stripes that barely grazed my waist. And I had enormous mall bangs, while the rest of my hair, teased out on the sides, fell well past my shoulder. My eyeshadow was likely purple, or some other obnoxious color. Hot, I know.

MN Week was born out of the discovery of people I admired online. If I dug them enough, I would click on the About and find a Minnesotan. A few of these discoveries happened in quick succession and I didn’t have to be hit with a snowball to see a pattern.

One thing to note: these profiles are not journalistic, but more personal. I’ll leave the professional writing to the, uh, professionals. Enjoy discovering these talented people living in a place that celebrates music, food and creativity…

Chank Diesel is his name, which sets the mood for his font work from the get-go. In 2004, when I was just starting out in card designing, I came across Chank.com. I was hooked immediately with its presentation of type that had personality. It was an eclectic, professional mix of future, past, modern, whimsy and wacky. Being such a neophyte, I had questions about font licenses and how I could use the fonts I wanted to purchase. The friendly folks at Chank, as they are dubbed, were just that. They answered my obvious questions in a patient, and yes, friendly way. I forget why, but Chank himself sent me this CD holder, with RiverDog Prints hand-drawn on the spine. It is known as Googly Eyes in our house and we travel with it frequently. Now, onto the man himself…


Chank was born Charles Anderson in Canada and raised in Florida. It is written that his neighbors called him “Chanky,” after Spanky from the Little Rascals. His last name is now Andermack, a combination of his and his wife’s surnames (big fan of that!) Chank attended Macalester College in St. Paul. He designed fonts while working as Creative Director for CAKE, an alternative music mag. His music connections brought his fonts to many album covers. Chank.com began in 1996 and his fonts can be seen everywhere! He used to keep track of Chank font sightings on his blog and has a YouTube channel. You’ve seen a Chank font being a resident of planet earth.

Not only are there individual fonts for purchase or free fonts for download, you can Go Font Yourself by creating a font out of your own handwriting. Custom fonts for businesses are available to further your brand and identity. Chank also is a public speaker and runs font-making workshops, locally and around the country. He’s also a fine art painter with over 15,000 paintings to his credit. Passionate and critical, I imagine that Chank is a guy you want sitting at the bar for a colorful, intelligent conversation.


Many of you LOVE type as much as I do. I hope if you haven’t visited Chank.com before, you will do so immediately to inject some energy and fun into your projects! You can also contribute to Font Aid IV by purchasing the Coming Together font. All funds raised will go to Doctors without Borders to aid in earthquake relief for Haiti.

Tomorrow, Jessica Puckett from Plushroom Soup will answer some questions about plushies, pronto pups and the group Nelson.