Posts From Old Journals

  • August 23, 2021 – Meditations on the Buck that Visited Us Each Night

    Written as a part of an email home while working on a tugboat in the Arctic Circle of Northern Alaska. We had an adolescent buck that would visit our backyard each night, and we’d taken… Read more

  • The Christening

    “The Christening” made use of five plates on Blick Masterprinter Paper. It is hand-printed without the use of a mechanical press. If interested, contact me via instagram DM @joshbarlas or email joshbarlas@gmail.com Read more

  • Flash: Tattoo For Conrad

    “Flash: Tattoo For Conrad” is a single block printed on navigational training charts. The image is a variation on a design I’ve drawn and toyed with over the years. Here it’s conceived as a piece… Read more

  • Homage

    “Homage” is made with two blocks on Cosmos Blotting Paper. I used blotting paper because I was still hand printing, and needed an absorbent and untextured paper to account for the pressure I could generate… Read more

  • As Witnessed, Broad Off The Starboard Beam

    “As Witnessed, Broad Off The Starboard Beam” is five blocks printed on Blick Printmaster Paper. They’re printed by hand, and without use of a mechanical press. If interested, contact me via instagram DM @joshbarlas or… Read more

  • “Memento Mori”

    “Memento Mori” is four blocks printed on Blick Printmaster Paper, and on bulk washi paper. They’re printed by hand, without any sort of mechanical press. If interested, contact me via instagram DM @joshbarlas or email… Read more

  • Floral Pattern Greeting Card

    The floral image is based on a vintage wallpaper design. The cards have been printed on appropriately sized scraps and cardstock. A greeting card of some variety is included with each print that I send.… Read more

  • The Tower

    “The Tower” was printed on navigational training charts. Cal Maritime students used these charts to learn navigational skills and prepare for licensing exams. The paper is heavy and absorbent. This image was pressed by hand… Read more

  • Fish Pattern Greeting Card

    The greeting card design was based on the pattern from a Chinese Qinghua porcelain vase. They are printed on any scraps or appropriately sized cardstock, and more are printed as I need them. I include… Read more

  • “Becalmed”

    “Becalmed” was my second successful print. It’s a reduction print made using four blocks. I used a homemade frame as a register. It is printed on Blick Masterprinter Paper, an inexpensive sulphite paper. The smoothness… Read more

  • “The Voyage”

    “The Voyage” was what I considered to be my first successful linoprint. It’s a reduction print, meaning that I carved more and more out of the same block for each successive printing. I used a… Read more