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Sometimes I can be a little obsessed, not in a creepy way, but in a “ I can’t stop carving linoleum blocks and listening to music at 7am” kind of way. There’s something cool about making custom linocuts for bands I love (and some I fall in love with while working on the art). Every poster starts as an idea( thank god for coffee and the morning doves on the wire outside my condo. It gets sketched out, carved, inked and run through our press…. one-by-one. Ain’t No shortcuts, No

I’ve gotten asked what is the hardest things about being a gig poster artist? I tell them the unpredictable workload. It’s kinda like a rollercoaster at Six Flags, lots of loop-de-a-loops. There are mornings when I wake up at 4am, open my emails and bam… 3 emails from potential clients, each one with the possibility of being carved into a show/festival poster or a design for admat. On those days, the energy is high, not like 3 cups of Green Bike coffee from Stone Creek coffe

When I think about our small printmaking studio, I picture it the same way I picture one of my linoleum blocks at the very start…. blank and full of possibility. Every year is a new layer in the design. Some years are confidence building, others years are spent carving lines for hours until your hand falls asleep or you need shoulder surgery(yes, that’s this year). Our intention is and will always be simple: grow this studio year after year, without losing the soul that makes

We had the incredible opportunity to create for the long standing music festival, The Porcupine Mountains Music Festival https://porkiesfestival.org/ This organic, community driven, volunteer based festival in its 19th year is located in one of the most scenic areas of the country, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, or as some would say “Up Der in the Nort Woods….eh!! Milwaukee to the UP We traveled quite a ways from Milwaukee, about a 6.5 hour drive through winding roads of b

I wanted to share a little bit about a new print that I’ve been working on. This is a personal project (those are few and far between it seems). It celebrates balance, something I am working on in my life and work. That’s Me The initial idea to create a Sea Star came from a dear friend. I’ve been wanting to work on my sense of depth and texture more in printing and design, so this seemed a perfect fit to try. Carving down the layers Most days I make some coffee or tea, put o

Some artists don’t just write songs, they build movements. They shape lives, thoughts and feeling inside. Ani DiFranco Ani DiFranco is one of those rare voices. For decades she’s been giving so many of us independence and empowerment in our lives, it’s honestly crazy to think about those numbers( I’m a statistician type of guy) I don’t know about you, but when I hear the lyrics “You’ve got your whole life to do something, and that’s not very long”, it really affirms that wh

Since I can remember, music has been a huge part of my life. I never played an instrument( no skill whatsoever so ever) but I could just feel what a band or musician was trying to say with their music. From my first record I every received… thanks to my sister Sandy (Stay Hungry by Twisted Sister) to the first LP I ever purchased (Led Zeppelin II) with the help from my grade school friend Kevin… we each put in $3 to buy it, I kinda knew that music would ALWAYS be something th

I’ve always loved the meditative side of carving, the smell of fresh ink (some people would call me an Ink Snipher ), or the thrill of that first pull through the press. Between patience and force, precision and mess, a print is created. Me and buddy I’ve never really told my story, the actual physical cost that comes with this work that I do. About a year ago I began to notice a nagging ache in my shoulder after long studio days. I ignored it, chalked it up to fatigue. Next

There’s a brotherhood in printmaking that’s kinda hard to explain unless you’ve stood in a studio surrounded by ink, carving tools, pencils and the quiet hum of a press. For me, most of my influences have come from being surrounded by the music. I’ve been collecting art for years, admiring the beautiful concert posters and reaching out to the artists who’ve been at it long before I pulled my first proof. There are many in the field but these two stand at the forefront AJ Mas

If you’ve ever carved with a Flexcut tool you know the feeling I’m about to say…. when that little pigtail curl of linoleum rolls up as if it’s meant to….that’s when you’ve done it right. I’ve been using these tools for about 4 years now. I remember purchasing my first set, nervous to use them because I’d become so attached to my speedball tools that they sat, unopened for months. Some of my favorites Now every poster, every oddball test print that you see was carved with Fl

If you’ve ever worked with linoleum, you know it’s got moods. Spirit Flowage keyline Some days it’s smooth and cooperative, the Flexcut gouge just glides. Other days it’s like carving through frozen bread. In the winter, my studio can pretty cold, especially if I’m watching my heating bill. If it’s like that, good chance the lino could starts to crumble. But when I have the temperature’s right, the sunlight hits the bench just so, and my Flexcut blade is freshly stropped th

There’s a quiet ritual that happens before I start a project. It’s the resharpening of the tools. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t get filmed for Instagram reels (maybe next time), but it’s one of the most meaningful parts of the process. A few slow passes on the Flexcut SlipStrop, some of their gold compound, and you can feel the edge come back to brand new. I’m not just preparing to carve, I’m resetting my focus, honoring the tool that’s helps me make so much. I know it

Every printmaker I’ve ever known has that one piece of equipment that feels more like a companion than a tool. For me, it’s Buddy…our Vandercook Universal 1 press. When I place a fresh sheet of legion paper through his bed, there’s a certain rhythm, that click-thunk sound that’s become the soundtrack of our printmaking studio. We didn’t find Buddy at a dealership or through some collector’s catalog. We found him through printmaking friends. A few emails and texts, a road tr

If you’ve ever spent hours carving a block, hands cramped, music blasting, ink drying on your shirt because you definitely wiped your hands on it again — then you already know that being an artist is only half the job. The other half? Booking the work. Talking to bands. Connecting with management companies. Sending emails that somehow sound confident even though you’re sweating onto your keyboard. Welcome to the side of the art world nobody teaches you: the relationship-build

If you’ve ever sat at a concert, staring at the merch table with your eyes glued not to the shirts but to the concert posters, this story is probably for you. That’s how a lot of us get pulled into this life — the world of linocut, block printing, handmade textures, carved lines, and the kind of design work that feels more like a heartbeat than a job. Starting a linocut concert poster art studio is equal parts chaos and joy. It’s stubborn determination mixed with music, late

A 1200-word deep dive into history, reliability, and why these machines are magic for linocut and blockprinting artists today There’s a moment in every printmaker’s life when the tools stop being just tools. Your carving knives feel like extensions of your fingertips, the ink takes on a personality of its own, and even that stubborn block of linoleum begins to feel like a conversation partner rather than a slab of battleship gray. But nothing—nothing—quite transforms your rel

At Gilfalo Art Design, we’ve witnessed firsthand the renewed appreciation for the craftsmanship, authenticity, and unique aesthetic of linoleum block print posters. While digital design offers efficiency and convenience, there is something undeniably special about a hand-carved, hand-inked, and hand-pulled print. In an era where everything is consumed through screens, there is a craving for something real….something you can touch, frame, and cherish. Unlike mass-produced digi

As a printmaker, experimenting with different surfaces can take your art to a whole new level. While paper remains the traditional medium for linocut printing, expanding your practice to include wood, fabric, and other materials can open up exciting possibilities. At Gilfalo Art Design, we believe that understanding the nuances of each surface is key to achieving the best results. This guide explores various printing surfaces, their benefits, and the best techniques to use fo

Linocut printing is a captivating and rewarding art form that relies heavily on the right materials, especially ink. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned printmaker, selecting the appropriate ink can make a significant difference in the quality and longevity of your prints. At Gilfalo Art Design, we understand the importance of high-quality materials and want to guide you through the process of choosing the best ink for your linoleum block prints. Understanding Ink Types B

Linoleum block printing is a time-honored relief printing technique that allows artists to create bold, textured images with a handmade quality. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned printmaker, having the right tools and supplies is essential to achieving high-quality results. Studios like Gilfalo Art Design, Masthay Studios, and Pollock Prints have built reputations for producing custom hand-crafted concert posters and unique band artwork, using techniques that bring prin