New Reward!

We’re not done, yet! We still have 9 days to reach our $1,600 goal. And that’s why I have added a new Kickstarter Reward. For a $30 dollar donation, donors will receive the $5 prize, $10 prize, and 20 custom made ‘Thank You’ postcards. The bi-fold design will go up on my blog sometime this week. But, hurry because this reward is limited to 13 donors!

Half Way Point

We’ve officially reached the halfway point of the Kickstarter Deadline. Donations have been slowly trickling in, but we still have 12 days to reach $1600. This is a good time to remind everyone that it’s still possible to donate to the cause. If you’ve been thinking about pitching in or spreading the word, you only have a couple more weeks. The overall goal would ensure that all costs associated with the trip are covered. Not to mention that more people will receive killer woodcut prints! Tell your friends, and fellow art collectors.

Day 3

In only two days we have surpassed the initial goal of $650! As we move towards new levels of funding, all of the additional donations will go towards hostels, printing supplies, and everyday costs of living in Venice. If we keep this momentum up, the entire trip will be funded and the only thing left to think about will be artistic exploration.

Day 1

Hi. My name is Marcus Benavides. I’m an artist, printmaker and graduate student located in Madison, Wisconsin. I was recently selected for a month long international artist residency at the Venice Printmaking Studio. Located on the isle of Murano in Venice, Italy, this art facility specializes in large-scale fine art printmaking. The type of art I make, just so happens to be large-scale woodcuts!

If you don’t already know, woodcut printmaking is the medium where you pull printed images off a block of textured wood. You begin with a blank piece of ply-wood and carve an image onto it's surface, using small hand-held tools. Ink is then applied to the surface of the block, and subsequently pulled off onto a sheet of paper. This allows for multiple images to be made from one single block.

The way I cut my wood-blocks is through highly detailed imagery on a monumental scale. Therefor it is very laborious. My most recent work is around 8 feet tall by 4 feet wide, and takes about two weeks of non-stop carving to complete. Very few facilities in the world have the means to print blocks this size.

The imagery I use is very much influenced by Italian Renaissance painting and sculpture. If given the opportunity to visit Italy, I would have the chance to see these ancient art pieces up close and in person. Having never been out of the continent, and having only seen this type of work in books and on the internet, I am held at an extreme disadvantage.

It is great honor to be chosen for this International Artist Residency. However, it doesn't come without a price. In order to pay for my flight overseas and living expenses, I have set up this Kickstarter goal. If you help me reach this goal of $650 and beyond, you will not only help fund this $3000 project but also receive a hand-made print inspired by my travels in Italy. With your small donation you enable this chance of a lifetime.

For more info on and high detail images of my work, check out my website.

For more info on the Venice Printmaking Studio, check out their website.

To follow the progress of my trip beginning in June, check out my art blog.