FirebrandPress

I'm an artist based in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. A love for nature and narrative drives my work. I make linocuts and woodcuts, greeting cards, handmade books, ceramics, paintings, and other home decor. I'm a lover of the outdoors and all things hand-crafted and am delighted to be a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Printmaking was my first love: I discovered it as an illustrator who wanted to make children's books. The magic of storytelling sucked me in, but the artistry of what comes with making objects by hand is what hooked me for the long haul. I soon began making letterpress-printed editions of handmade books and delighted in making handmade paper and using traditional bookbinding methods to create limited editions.

I work in small editions of books, usually under 50 copies of each. Prints are hand pulled using a letterpress or an etching press—and sometimes using hand tools. As a writer, I've always had a love of storytelling, language, and mythology. I love to seek the wonder. I create both limited editions, open editions, and one of a kind works. For select pieces, I make archival reproductions.

Some of my explorations include painting and ceramics. You'll see those items here in small quantities. Prints and artist books are made in small editions, but I often create open editions of prints and create archival-quality reproductions of some illustrations and paintings. I use premium archival papers, lightfast inks, and other archival materials so that my works will last a lifetime. Many of my artist books are held in special collections libraries across the globe--I create books and art with the idea that they'll long outlive me. :)

I love it when something I've made makes someone else happy. Spreading happiness is fun...so I strive to create things that are unique and affordable, and made with the highest quality of materials.

Items in my shop are all handmade, all the time. I also strive to use sustainable materials whenever possible. Most of my products are shipped in compostable or recyclable packaging like rigid cardboard mailers and compostable padded envelopes. I avoid using single-use plastics as much as I can—prints are the one item that are sometimes shipped in cellophane sleeves to ensure they arrive protected from the elements.

To view more of my artist books and editions, visit my website: https://www.faulkenberryarts.com/ and follow me on Instagram and Twitter (@Firebrandpress) to see works in progress! If you'd like to commission something special, please get in touch.

You can also subscribe to my art newsletter to see works in progress and be the first to hear about shop updates and special sales. Sign up at http://bit.ly/lauren-art-letter

Thanks for visiting!