Glimpses in Time by Hamilton High School

“My life is my inspiration”

A HUGE thank you to Hamilton High School art teacher Daniele Vickers and her filmmaking class for creating short documentaries of local artists. I was one of those lucky few! Her class made a harrowing trek up my road to do the filming. The whole process was interesting and an amazing amount of preparation and background work went into making this movie. The students did a fantastic job preparing interview questions, setting up and running the equipment. They presented themselves professionally and edited quite of lot of film into this well produced documentary. 

Over the years Laughing Mule Press has grown significantly but the heart and soul of the company remains the same. I talk about some of the animals that have inspired my pieces and the process behind making the prints. The first step is getting inspiration from animals (either friends or my own) so I can share a glimpse of their personality in each piece. Then, I start sketching a series of images in my sketchpad and eventually onto my iPad. This is printed and traced onto linoleum. The carving is a slow, methodical process that takes 3-4 days to complete. Ink is rolled onto the print, paper is pressed by hand, and carefully peeled off - resulting in a beautiful, unique print! There are approximately 30-40 original prints made of each design to keep them in an affordable price range. We can also make you a custom frame from wood that we log with my mules and mill down on our portable sawmill into frame profiles.

More than anything Laughing Mule Press strives to bring people together, put a smile on everyone’s face and share some positivity in this big, messy thing we call life!  

Thank you to Hamilton High School and specifically: 

Director: Jay James 

Editors: Grace Keele, August Hughes, 

Camera Operators: Jay  James,  August Hughes, Dom Smith, Jaylyne Solis, Katy Laird Hollister, Matthew Clifton 

Sound: Aidan Clark, Jaylene Solis, Alexis Kaul

Interviewer: Katy Laird Hollister

Teacher: Daniele Vickers

Hamilton artist encourages creative endeavors to cure the COVID blues

Original Article by Michelle McConnaha published in the Ravalli Republic November 30, 2020

Hamilton Artist Wendy Holsapple works in her studio, carving a sheep into linoleum for printmaking. She said now is the best time to connect with art, while people are unable to have their usual connections in life.

Hamilton Artist Wendy Holsapple said now is the best time to connect with art, while people are unable to have their usual connections in life.

“People are missing their friends and their family,” Holsapple said. “People are stressed, more depressed and having a hard time with things right now [due to COVID restrictions]. So, looking at a piece of art that can make you smile can help.”

Sometimes, she said, a smile caused by beautiful or fun art is the perfect thing.

“Art can make people happy,” Holsapple said. “It can make people think of fun things, introduce them to new ideas and help them remember the past. There are so many things that make art great.”

Holsapple lives south of Hamilton and said her art reflects her life, often featuring her animals.

“My inspiration is often when I make an emotional connection with an animal or there is a fun story to tell about the animal,” she said. “I feel connected to the subject in some way and that inspires me to make that individual piece. For me, my life and art are connected.”

Holsapple’s printing business is called Laughing Mule Press. She has art for sale at Montana Bliss Gallery, is a member of Artists Along the Bitterroot and most of her subject matter has a focus on canine and equine. She works with horses, donkeys, does training, drives her mules, pulls wagons and does logging on the weekend with her mules.

Printmaking Artist Wendy Hosapple’s donkey. “Maya is a hugger,” Holsapple said. “It is amazing how such a little donkey can figure out how to wrap her entire body around you like a boa constrictor and does not like to let go. Donkeys often whisper before they let out a loud bray but Maya prefers to whisper all the time.”

Before moving to Hamilton, she worked in Wyoming as an outfitter and now is focusing on printmaking.

Holsapple grew up in a farm in Iowa, always had a sketchbook and spent endless hours outdoors filling her sketchbook with images of the natural world.

“I always loved to draw and make quick sketches,” she said. “I was a shy little kid and always spent time with myself. Drawing was the thing that I did. I just grew up doing that.”

She has kept all her sketchbooks and uses them to remind her of what was going on in her life at different ages and see how she felt about life at the time.

“Some people write journals and write down what they are doing in their lives, but I always sketch,” Holsapple said. “A lot of times before I go to bed I’ll sit down and sketch what happened in my life during the day. It’s what I’ve always done.”

Her current sketches evolve into prints that show quiet moments and her intimate connection with animals. Her designs come from her dogs, horses and donkeys, and from captivating tales of kindred canines and equines.

“My prints intend to portray a moment if only fleeting in the animal’s life,” she said.

Printmaking Artist Wendy Holsapple’s mule “Cooper” pulling a cart. “You will notice he is not wearing blinders, he is not a fan, “ Holsapple said. “As long as he can see what is behind him, he doesn’t care what it is — if he can’t see it he knows it is a mule-eating monster.”

Her process for printmaking starts with a pencil sketch which is transformed into a detailed hand carving in wood or linoleum. Then she rolls ink on top of the carved design. What is carved away does not print but whatever remains accepts the ink. She then places paper onto the inked surface and presses it down.

“I do everything by hand,” Holsapple said. “You don’t need that much weight, but you do need some weight and I put all my weight into it. You have to put pressure on to allow the ink to transfer. When you pull the paper off you have a print and can make multiple copies off the same block. They are all originals, all a bit different and all done by hand.”

She does limited runs of 10-30 of each design, selling them all for a lower price making her art more affordable.

“That’s one of the reasons I really like printmaking,” Holsapple said.

For the most recent Artists Along the Bitterroot Studio Tour, she assisted guests in trying their hand at printmaking. She had a friend hook up the lawn mower to a lawn roller and used that as a press for a fun way to get people involved.

“I don’t have a printing place and do everything by hand,” Holsapple said. “It’s just more inventive than pressing on it with a stone. We had people out carving and printing them with the lawn roller. I’ve seen people do it with a steam roller. We just tried it and it was a big hit that worked well.”

Holsapple feels compelled to create art every day.

“I do sketch every day, I don’t make a big piece of art necessarily,” she said. “I definitely have that drive to put something down on paper often, even if it is not a big piece. That kind of sketching is where my bigger designs come from, quick drawings that I then flesh out.”

She experiments with images, types of ink, qualities of paper, and variations of pressure to capture various moods of nature and unique artwork. She said that the COVID pandemic has not changed her life because she mostly works at home with her mules and in her studio.

“But I know a lot of people are struggling,” she said. “I’ve been really lucky to have lived rural all my life where the pace is a little bit slower. For me, it is nice to get people to slow down, enjoy little moments and connect with people or animals in their life. It’s good to have time to appreciate and be inspired by art.”

“Despair” Hamilton Artist Wendy Holsapple rarely changes from her typical subject matter of equines and canines, but this year has been different. “I wanted to try and express some of the emotion many people have been feeling,” she said. “I sketch almost every day like some people write in a journal. this is one of the linocuts that developed from those sketches.”

She knows many of her prints will find a home with rescue organizations as she often donates her work, “to further efforts in the humane treatment of all living things,” she said.

Holsapple is making frames for her artwork from trees in the forest, she has cut down, hauled out herself, milled down and formed into frames.

Reach her at Laughing Mule Press, hello@laughing-mule.com, 406-370-5640, www.laughingmulepress.com or through the Artists Along the Bitterroot website

https://artistsalongthebitterroot.com/artists/.

The Majestic Sheep Print

I finished up the sheep print a while back, but I wanted to include some extra information about it here. I normally pretty much stick to canine and equine subject matter, but I wanted to do a print that I could play around with another type of texture (wool vs hair) and some ideas for backgrounds to add some dimension to my prints instead of just strictly portraits.

I love how the wool turned out especially on his chest. I drew quite a few versions before I decided to just sketch him directly on the lino and let the carving bring out the texture of the wool instead of trying to draw it all out. I really like the tall blades of grass blowing in the wind too. The rest of the grass looks nice printed but is pretty similar to fur in a lot of ways. I wanted to try to capture the look of the field blowing and swaying in the wind.

This is the first print I used an oil based ink. I wanted to try Caligo Safe Wash Inks because I have heard so many great comments about them. They are a soy based ink that washes up with soap and water. It was much easier to print the solid areas than with the water based ink I have been using, and I needed a much lighter application of ink too. They definitely stay useable longer so I didn't have to rush as much while printing. They do clean up well, but not quite as easily as the water based inks. Since I don't have a press and print everything by hand they are perfect for prints with large dark areas. I will definately keep using both types of ink depending on the project.

It all worked out well because Chester (the sheep model) belongs to a friend of mine and she wanted a print of him, plus farm animals are cool too. She always calls him the majestic sheep because of how he often stands looking off into the distance with his head held high and attentive. But then the second he sees someone he comes running over to get ear scratches and ruins the whole majestic thing by being a snuggle bunny.

Buster Brown and Becky's Hope Horse Rescue, Inc.

So, I have been putting this blog post off long enough. I haven't been exactly sure what I wanted to say so I've been letting it simmer for a while. I think in the end the best thing to do is to just tell the story. I apologize for this becoming a bit longer than normal, but this donkey has a message. Of all the organizations I have donated to, volunteered for, or followed online, a group I recently donated a print to is exceptionally special, as is the little donkey that inspired the print. 

Buster Brown

Let me start with the donkey, Buster Brown. I see lots of photos of rescue animals and I work directly with lots of rescue animals, but something about this little donkey and the look in his eyes just reached into my soul in a way that I couldn't shake. His rescue group said he was beaten and nearly starved to death when they got him from the Kaufman Kill Pen in Texas. I would totally adopt him in a second (don't tell my husband) - he would fit right in with my herd. I wish I lived closer so I could at least visit. I'm not going to talk about how I feel about people who could do this to an animal. What I really want to talk about is how amazing it is that he can come back from something like that and ever trust humans again. It says a lot about his rescue organization and that kind of resilience is what gives me hope and motivation to continue to work for and with rescue animals. He is truly an inspiring little donkey.

This is Buster Brown. Just look at him! Those eyes. How can he not melt your heart? 

Bubbles and Becky's Hope

I was following Bubbles the Rescue Horse on Facebook when he posted about Buster Brown. Bubbles is a character and has a great story of his own so you should go check him out too, but this story is about Buster. Becky's Hope Horse Rescue, Inc is the organization that rescued Buster Brown and they are the greatest group of folks ever. I follow a number of rescue groups and I have to say that Bubbles' page is the best. He is funny, articulate, serious, educational, KIND, focuses on simple joys, and never makes you feel bad. I very much appriciate that. I don't like to feel guilty or horrified after visiting a site. When I visit Bubbles' page I feel refreshed and wanting to find a way to help. There are no superior attitudes, just love and thanks. 

All of these photos are from Bubbles' and Becky's Hope Facebook pages and really show the great progress he is making. They have clearly showered him with an extreme amount of love and kindness. Definitely go check them out and read what they have to say about him and all their other rescues - I'll warn you - they have an extremely cute baby donkey right now that will suck you in! 

Here are some more photos of Buster getting all kinds of love!

Here is Buster Brown with Bubbles during filming a special for RIDE TV

Making the print

After I saw those first two photos I immediately started to plan a print of Buster. I wanted to send it to him for Valentine's Day, but I didn't quite get the frame done in time. I was also testing out a new kind of linoleum, which was nice to carve, but not quite as thick and durable as the grey kind so it took me a bit longer than normal. The photos below show the work in progress and a few photos of the final print. I don't think this really looks like Buster as much as it could. I got his ears and face too short, but my goal was to make him look happy grazing in the Texas sun. I named the print "Buddy the Donkey" because Bubbles called him his buddy in a post.

Donating

I have donated prints to a number of rescue groups, and I always get thanked, but this group has been so generous with praise I have been overwhelmed by it. They are clearly extremely kind people with huge generous spirits. They did a live video on Facebook when they received the print. I was almost embarrassed when I saw the post - not because of my artwork or letter, but because donating a print seems so small in comparison to what they do every day all year long. I have volunteered enough to know that it is really really hard, not only because of the time and hard work it takes every single day to care for the animals they save, but also because of the ones they have to leave behind when they drive away from the sale barn. It breaks my heart just to think about it in a general sense, and I don't have to look into the eyes of those that get left behind. I really don't know how they can do it, and I have the greatest respect for those who can make rescue their life's work.

So, I will end this by saying thank you to Buster Brown for showing us the great resilience of abused and neglected animals along with the joy you bring to so many and to Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue for showing us the power of kindness and education - both of these things drive the desire to give and help out in any way you can. Donate, volunteer, or adopt - even if what you can do seems small, it all makes a difference. And finally, in the words of the great Bubbles himself…

"In a world where you can choose to be anything, be kind."

—Bubbles the Rescue Horse

"Saving one donkey won't change the world, but it will change the world for that one donkey."

—Karen Davison

(I think this has been changed slightly from the original quote about dogs, but the sentiment remains)

Daisy, the Princess Bulldog

I actually have a series of three prints of Daisy planned. This is obviously the first one. Here are photos of the sketching, carving, and test prints of different colors.

These are the original sketches to get the layout and work out some of the details. The last one is the drawing in reverse on the lino with marker.

I spent four days carving her out! 

This is the first inking of Daisy. I used marker on the lino for the carving so its harder to see the ink.

This is the first pull of the bulldog print. I did some touch up carving after this before the final prints but it looked pretty good.

Bulldogs in burnt siena, dark brown, and black. It's fun to see the difference.

Here is one of the final prints signed and framed.

A print of a different kind

I decided to do a print of my friends Border Collie with a different style than I have been doing recently. I wanted to do something more cartoony than I normally do. He is a sweet, super snuggly dog but he always has a goofy look in his eyes. My friend says he always looks stoned. His eyes are very bright blue in stark contrast to his black and white fur. I also printed it in blue ink and made the floor boards in the the print slightly slanted just for fun. I hope you like it.

First 3 Prints of Granny

These are the first 3 prints of Granny. I did some touch up on them, but overall I think I'm ready to print a bunch.

Final Carving & First Test Print of Granny

Here are photos of the final carving before the first test print, inking the lino for the first time, and the very first print. I will need to do some touch up carving before the final prints can be made, but it's looking like a good start. It looks like I need to lighten up the shadows below the eye and on her cheek.

Starting my next print inspired by Granny!

These are photos of my original sketching, working out some of the details, and then drawing onto the lino. The last photos are the start of the carving.

Hand printing holiday cards...

This turned out to be a much bigger project than I anticipated, but finally I have them mostly ready to go.

Experimenting with Social Media Posts...

I made these posts for Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I was surprised at how many folks liked them. They are really basic, but I wanted to get some photos out there of all my prints since I just opened my store.

Laughing Mule Press opens Etsy Shop

On November 19 I opened my Etsy Shop. It's both exciting and scary to finally start selling online. You can find it here:  www.etsy.com/shop/LaughingMulePress

This is what my shop looks like so far...