Now is a great time to order, whether it is for friends, family or personal use as prices on many of our products (Especially those from Japan) will be going up at the beginning of the year.

We are also excited about the 2012 Southern Graphics Council International Conference taking place in New Orleans at the end of March. If you haven’t been to one of these yet, start planning and get your tickets. There will be lots of great shows, demonstrations, speakers, parties and of course a vendor fair. We will be showing off our various and wonderful printmaking supplies.

Amy (left) and Ally (right)

Say “Hello!” to our two fantastic new Customer Service/Sales/ Shina Table-sawin’/Packaging maniacs, Amy (Amarette Gregor) and Ally (Alix Stinnett). If you have placed an order over the phone in the last few months or just called to find out why your wood carving tool isn’t as sharp after prying open that can of mushrooms for your pizza, then you may have had the pleasure of speaking with either of these excellent folks.

Amy just completed school at the University of Oregon, where she majored in Art and focused on  Jewelry and Metalsmithing while slipping in a few printmaking classes as well. Ally attended Central Washington University where she majored in both Sociology and Studio Art, and first got excited about printmaking while taking a class and Oregon State. Both of these ladies have been involved in a Moku Hanga workshop at Atelier Meridian and picked up some engraving skills from our local expert and Resingrave inventor Dick Woodman. If you have questions about relief printmaking and these specific techniques, just call up and fire away!

McClain’s also has some really excellent supplies for creating your own handcrafted gift cards. Included below are some brief instructions and a list of the supplies you’ll need.

Carve your design into a 4″x6″ block of Shina or draw it into a Scratch Foam plate.

Carved Block

Step 2:

Grab some Akua Kolor, Caligo Relief Ink, Akua Intaglio inks or a  Akua Intaglio Trial Set. All of these inks wash up with soap and water.

If you like working with oil based ink then get a jar or two of the always excellent Gamblin Relief Ink.

Use an Ink Knife to spread out some ink,  and then roll it on your block with a Speedball Brayer.

Ready to ink up.

All set to print.

Step 3:

Place a Washi Postcard or Foldable Card on top of your block, and rub away with your favorite Baren or wooden spoon.

Baren, Inked Block and Washi Cards

Print on Washi Card

First print on Washi (left) with Block (right)

Sharpie Edit

Yee-haaww!!

Lots and lots of grab bags

There must be people carving Shina like mad, because we have been cutting blocks non stop for the past few months. What does this mean for you? Lots and lots of Shina Grab Bags! We don’t have enough room for them all, so hopefully you do.

D1299 – Shina Grab Bag $8.95 ON SALE FOR $4.48

SALE ENDS DECEMBER 15, or while supplies last.

In addition to being utterly in love with printmaking, we’re extremely interested in giving you the tools and information you need to make all your printing dreams come true. In each newsletter we’ll post a new tip or trick, often with video and always with text and image. Also, we’ve added a Techniques & How To’s page to our website for easy access to many of your questions. If you don’t find your answers there just email or call us – we’re always happy to help a fellow printmaker! If we don’t have the answer to your question, well, we’re pretty darn resourceful, and we’ll help you track it down.

Thanks for visiting!
-Alex, Ema, Josh, Chris & Pete

Koichi:
When I was about five years old, my uncle brought home a red snapper. He inked the fish, then printed it on shoji paper. This gyotaku, along with eating the “plate,” made a strong and lasting impression on me.

An example of making a gyotaku print:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4BdgXIqxY8

Tai Sou

McClain’s:
What inspires your work?

Koichi:
I am inspired by anyone who celebrates their existence and appreciates the place they live. I receive energy from the indomitable spirit of all living things, including this planet. I am always amazed and fascinated with life. Ordinary is an illusion, every moment of living is a miracle.

McClain’s:
You studied at the University of Alberta (MFA 1999), Pacific Northwest College of Art (BFA 1992) the Bratislava Academy of Art and the Poznañ Academy of Art. What led you to seek an education in so many places?

Koichi:
I think it was rooted in curiosity as well as dreaming and believing in my passion. Somehow it ended up this way. I did not plan it.

Yaku Maru

McClain’s:
How would you describe your creative process?

Koichi:
My creative process consists of about 2% thorough planning and 98% improvisation. I may have an idea when I go to the studio, but many theories fail during investigation which leads to new passages. I allow myself many failures, then explore the unintended consequences. Often the byproduct of initial attempt contains profound meaning. I think navigating the passages is more significant than the finalized state.

McClain’s:
Any carving/printing secrets you’d like to reveal or advice you’d like to pass along?

Koichi:
When I was learning copper engraving in Bratislava, Slovakia, my professor Dusan Kallay told me; “First you have to learn ice skating.” I never excelled at that, but became proficient at snowboarding while living in Utah. It’s the process of understanding the material you are carving, whether ice, snow, wood, or copper.

Other advice? Keep your tool sharp. Breathe out when you travel the surface. Play with speed and rhythm sometimes. Take frequent breaks to evaluate your actions. Most of all, stay hydrated.

McClain’s:
Do you keep a sketch book? If you keep one, how do you translate/transfer your sketched images to printed images?

Kundazuwari

Koichi:
Yes, it is an essential part of the process. A sketch book serves many purposes for me: capturing ideas along with feelings towards the work, noting approaches for how to execute the print, and recording my first impression when I see the print. Printing is a very long procedure. When you get used to seeing the work, it is difficult to retain the original visual impact. Take a lesson from the red snapper and print while it’s alive.

McClain’s:
Do you have a favorite print you’ve done and if so why?

Untitled

Koichi:
I have many favorites, but it always changes. Maybe that’s why I keep making new favorites?

McClain’s:
How do you decide to use one printmaking technique over another?

Bibayamakon

Koichi:
For me, printmaking is the process of recording time. Some techniques are fast and dynamic. Others are slow and timid. Perhaps it’s similar to creating music? I like to combine different layers of markmaking on the same surface.

McClain’s:
How do you know when a print is done?

Koichi:
I never do. In other words, I keep it slightly incomplete. This way the next time I see the print, my ideas for solving the remaining problems will be unbounded. In Japanese, there is a concept called “mujinzou.” It means although a physical item is finite, ideas about it are infinite. Imagination is one resource of which I never have a shortage.

McClain’s:
Can you describe your studio space where you typically work?

Koichi at Work

Koichi:
I work in the print studio at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. It is a large space, enlivened by the activities of colleagues, visiting artists, and students. Since it is my “home,” people in the studio are like my family. Printmaking is a communal activity from which many valuable dialogues emerge. I feel fortunate to be able to work there.  http://art.utk.edu/printmaking/index.html

Check out Betsy, UTK’s Conrad Press with a bed that’s 5x10 FEET!

McClain’s:
Of the processes you work with which do you enjoy the most and why?

Dojyou

Koichi:
I enjoy carving on copper. It is a slow process; calculated yet expressive. I also like creating large monotypes without any planning in advance. From the perspective of recording activities on paper, both share the property of flowing motion. The difference lies in my perception of suspended time. For example, it can feel like the same amount of time has elapsed whether I spend five hours carving on copper or thirty seconds pushing ink on plexiglass.

McClain’s:
Do you ever get “printer’s block” and if so what do you do to overcome it?

Kgi Maru

Koichi:
All the time. Perhaps I’ve always had “printer’s block” and not been aware of it. Consistency is critical to overcoming it. Just going to the studio will lead to some kind of opening. It’s also important to balance creation with recreation.

McClain’s:
How do you feel about making prints for love versus profit?

Koichi:
Love for making prints is my fuel for living. Profit, like motor oil, makes this machine run smoothly.

Koichi Yamamoto’s Website

UT Knoxville Faculty Page -- Don’t miss the YouTube video under Koichi’s name!

McClain’s Prints a Reductive Monotype

A bit of supporting text:

There are many ways to create Monotype images. In these two videos we have demonstrated simple ADDITIVE and REDUCTIVE methods for creating an image using a brayer, matte board and a lint-free rag as drawing tools.

The ADDITIVE method means you are adding ink to a blank Monotype Plate.

The REDUCTIVE method involves wiping ink off of an inked Monotype Plate to create highlights or open areas.

Both methods are often used within the same image.

Materials needed:

-Oil Based Ink (like Caligo or Gamblin Relief Inks) or Water Soluble Ink (like Akua Kolor & Akua Intaglio) We have used Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink for this demonstration.

-Paper (anything typically used to print by hand)

-Proofing Paper

-Monotype Plate

Equipment:

-Rubber Brayer or Roller

-Printing press or PinPress

-Inking slab (can be glass or an extra Monotype plate)

-Ink Knives

-Razor Blade Scraper for cleaning ink off the inking slab

-Solvent: Soap and Water or SavvySoap (for Caligo and Akua), Odorless Mineral Spirits (for Gamblin)

Optional drawing implements:

-Lint-free Rags (like Dyna Cloth), cotton swabs, matboard scraps, brushes or any other material or tool for removing or adding ink

Additive Approach

In most printmaking methods it is necessary to use a brayer or roller in a consistent manner to create an even printed edition, or at least a thin, even ink layer. Monotype is an exception to this rule because a brayer can be used to intentionally create erratic ink marks or ink films of variable thicknesses. The marks that can be created with a brayer are often difficult or impossible to create using other drawing tools.

After removing it from the container, warm up the ink by working it back and forth with an ink knife on the inking slab. This will make it much easier to roll out smoothly with the brayer.

Create a blended roll or solid color roll. You will be drawing with your brayer, so blended rolls often help to achieve more depth in your image.

Carefully choose where to begin your roll and slowly start rolling ink on to the plate. You can create interesting marks and textures by smearing the inked brayer sideways. Twisting the brayer as it crosses the plate will also cause it to slide and deposit ink more lightly or heavily. In addition to moving the brayer in abnormal directions, you should try applying lighter or heavier pressure to create differing films of ink on the surface.

Reductive Approach

After removing it from the container, warm up the ink by working it back and forth with an ink knife on the inking slab. This will make it much easier to roll out smoothly with the brayer.

With the reductive method, ink is removed from the plate to create the highlight or white areas, so roll out an even solid layer of ink on the slab.

Use a scrap of matboard, clean ink brayer or any other improvised drawing tool (see list above) to begin removing ink from the plate. This will create highlights, texture and depth in the darker ink slab.

Ink can also be pushed from one part of the plate to another to create areas that are darker than the original roll. Be cautious when doing this. Too much ink on one area of the plate can smear when it is printed.

Welcome Pete Russo!

Please give a warm welcome to Pete Russo! Pete came to McClain’s with a boat load of printmaking knowledge. He got his BFA at UMass Amherst and has experience with woodcut, intaglio, litho & photopolymer, not to mention the Moku Hanga workshop he attended at Kala in Berkeley.  As if all that didn’t put us on cloud nine – Pete is also a computer whizz! He runs his own web design and maintenance business and has totally blown our minds with reconfiguring our email system. Yay Pete!
Pete’s website: ninepoundhead

We know October is a long way off but we’re too excited to keep a secret. We’re going to the Mid America Print Council Conference! Flights and hotel rooms have been booked, registrations have been emailed/snail mailed and lists are being made. We plan to bring our new Work Sharp WS3000 motorized tool sharpener. We’ll be doing sharpening demos with it, so bring your dull tools and we will help you get them back into shape. Hope to see you there!

The Drachen Foundation is taking submissions for Moku Hanga prints to be made into kites and displayed at the KIWA exhibition and the First Annual Moku Hanga Conference in Kyoto, Japan.

After the shows in Japan, the kites, along with kites by Nobuhiko Yoshizumi, Scott Skinner and other guest printmakers will be exhibited at Cullom Gallery in Seattle and the Mighty Tieton Gallery in Tieton, Washingtion.

For more information click here.

McClain’s:
What led you to become an artist?

10 Little 9 Little Indians

Annie:
I came to the visual arts in a roundabout way. I majored in English literature in college thinking I’d like to be a writer, but after a few years working odd jobs it became clear that I needed a more marketable skill. On the advice of a friend I did a quick 12-month program in Technical Drawing and landed a job at a textbook illustration company, then a position as an illustrator/art director at a weekly computer magazine in Boston. This was in the 1980s when the Mac was just starting to infiltrate publishing, so I had the good fortune of learning the new field of computer graphics on the job. I went out on my own as a freelance illustrator in 1992, having developed a specialty in information graphics (maps and diagrams).

McClain’s:
How were you first exposed to printmaking?

Year of the Dog

Annie:
About 6 or 7 years ago I began to yearn for a change. I wanted to tell my own stories rather than the stories of my clients; wanted to get off the computer and make work with my hands; wanted to get away from the pressure of constant deadlines. I began to make pencil or ink drawings that I then scanned, adding color and texture in Photoshop. People kept telling me that this new work looked like Japanese woodblock prints, so in the spring of 2005 when I heard that a three-day workshop in Japanese woodblock (moku hanga) was being offered in my area, it seemed obvious that I should give it a try.

The workshop, taught by New Hampshire woodblock printer Matt Brown (http://www.ooloopress.com/), was a somewhat grueling experience cranking out a 5-block print in three days, but I loved it. Color separation, overprinting, and layering all seemed intuitive to me after so many years working with CMYK graphic files on the computer, and the idea of making multiples also fit in with my publishing experience. Best of all was the fact that the Japanese method is clean, green, compact and portable, no press or solvents required, so I could easily integrate it into my home studio and keep doing my digital freelance work while I was developing my woodblock skills.

I ordered a good set of Japanese carving tools, some wood and some paper and started making prints. During the workshop Matt had told us about Baren Forum (http://www.barenforum.org) and I discovered that with help from the members of the Forum plus the vast database of information on the Forum website I was able to essentially teach myself and get almost-instant solutions to any problems as they arose.

McClain’s:
What inspires your work?

Melting

Annie:
I make prints about things that puzzle or concern me, things I don’t understand or that I want to know more about, things in the newspaper that upset me, stories that intrigue me, concepts that feel elusive. Most of my prints begin as words or a title or a question. I suppose that’s no surprise considering that my job for the past 20+ years has been to create images to accompany texts.

Once I know the topic I want to explore I immerse myself in it as fully as possible by doing visual research, reading on the topic, talking to people about it, sketching, playing with word-imagery, and even by playing music from that era or place or mood while I work. Making a multi-color woodblock print takes a great deal of time, so I consider the entire process, including what I listen to and how I conduct myself in the studio, to be part of the print.

Although my prints are motivated by questions, I’m not so much seeking to answer the questions definitively as I am to simply make a record of the possibilities I explore and discover. Multi-block printmaking is great for this because of the possibilities inherent in layering. Images, time periods, visual styles can all be juxtaposed in new ways.  I enjoy “packing” information into a print that can later be “unpacked” in various ways to reveal new connections and surprises.

McClain’s:
Could you explain your process:

Great Wall

Annie:
Once I have my sketch ready, I decide what size I want the print to be and I scan and scale it accordingly. I use a number of different methods to transfer the image(s) to shina plywood blocks — tracing an image onto the block with tracing paper and/or carbon paper; pasting a laser print to the block and carving through the paper; drawing directly onto the block. Most of my carving is done with a straight blade (hangi-toh) followed by gouges for clearing. I use the traditional Japanese method for printing — waterbased pigments plus a little rice paste mixed on the block with a horsehair brush and then an impression taken with a baren. I use three different baren: the traditional Murasaki baren, a ball-bearing baren, and a plastic disk baren. I like each one for different applications, although the Murasaki baren is the most versatile.

Locusts in Babylon

I edition my prints, but my editions tend to be small, usually 10 to 20 prints. I get bored doing more than that. I also don’t do much pre-proofing. I like the excitement of just doing it as I go along. I usually cut 4 or 5 extra sheets of paper and use those at the front of every run to test the colors, baren strength, etc. before I do the full run. In the beginning I used to plan out all the colors and layers, carve all the blocks in succession, and then do all the printing at once but these days I’m more likely to carve a block or two, print a few passes, evaluate what I’ve got and then carve another block or two and print some more. This lets me respond to the various surprises and ideas that crop up as the print progresses. Sometimes I scan a partially finished print and experiment with colors or image elements in Photoshop before I carve and print the next block.

The other thing that has become an integral part of my process is blogging. (http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com) I started my blog at the urging of a friend in Virginia who wanted to “watch” me learn the technique, but it has become a true journal, a place where I record and document my process for every print. I also get wonderful feedback and information from other printmakers from all over the world and I’ve made many virtual friends through blogging. After 5 years, the blog is kind of huge and unruly and at some point I’ll probably stop doing it, but I’m not ready to quit just yet.

McClain’s:
Any carving/printing secrets you’d like to reveal or advice you’d like to pass along?

John Alden and Priscilla Mullins

Annie:
The advice I’d like to pass along to anyone who wants to tackle the Japanese method of woodblock printing is to start simple and be a scientist. The Japanese method can be pretty finicky because there are so many variables — type of paper, type of wood, style of carving, baren pressure, amount of pigment, amount of paste, etc.  Everybody will tell you the “right” way to do it, and more often than not you’ll hear three or four different “right” ways to do it, so you have to be your own scientist. Being a scientist means being really observant, trying to isolate and change one variable at a time so you can really see the effect. This is easier to accomplish if you start with a simple design until you get the feel for all these variables.

McClain’s:
Do you keep a sketch book? How important do you think it is for an artist to have one?

American Bible Story

Annie:
I hear it’s very important for an artist to keep a sketchbook, but I’m not really that kind of an artist. I don’t do life sketches, so the book I keep is more like a notebook or a journal. There are more words than pictures in my book, but my word-sketches and chicken-scratch drawings and ideas are important to me and I refer back to them often, so I like to have them all in one place.

McClain’s:
Do you have a favorite print you’ve done and if so why?

Three Prophets

Annie:
The prints that are most meaningful to me are the triptych called “Three Prophets.” The series took about 8 months and was part of my post-9/11 contemplation on religion. I wanted to focus on the three major evangelistic religions (religions that intend to convert others) that were built around single charismatic individuals: Buddhism/Buddha, Christianity/Jesus, and Islam/Mohammed. Each print is basically a map, based on a satellite view of the location where each of the three prophets/teachers was born. The thing I love the most about these prints is that in focusing on the birthplaces of these three men it’s actually their mothers that I ended up invoking. All three of these so-called divine beings were born of the earth and born of women, women who were their first teachers and who presumably taught their sons what it is to be human, as all mothers do. I wonder how much of their mothers these men carried within themselves as they grew to fulfill their destinies.

I have these prints mounted like scrolls hanging in my living room and I still love looking at them. (http://woodblockdreams.blogspot.com/2008/06/three-prophets-in-my-living-room.html)

McClain’s:
Where can we find your work?

Let Go

Annie:
I’m represented by Cullom Gallery in Seattle (http://www.cullomgallery.com), a gallery that focuses on the tradition and influence of Japanese woodblock prints. Beth Cullom found me online a couple of years ago when her gallery was new and so was my printmaking. I’m enjoying growing with her. I’d like to find a gallery here on the east coast too, but it hasn’t happened yet.

As for online venues, I tried working with an etsy.com store, but it didn’t work out very well for me. I do sell online when someone contacts me through my web site (http://www.anniebissett.com/).

McClain’s:
Do you make prints for love or profit?

Smell the Roses

Annie:
I still consider myself new to printmaking. I’d love to get to the point where I earn my living solely from my fine art prints, but I’m not there yet and it’s possible that I may never reach that goal. A lot of my work veers toward the political, which I suppose narrows my potential audience quite a bit, but I’m unwilling to make prints just because I think they’ll sell. I wouldn’t enjoy that.

So the answer is, I make prints for love. I make prints because I have something I want to express and I hope that eventually the work will make its way to its proper audience. For now I’m just focusing on making the prints, taking advantage of opportunities that arise, applying for shows or grants that seem right for me, and riding the waves as they come. I’ve had some nice recognition this past year, having prints selected for juried shows by Boston Printmakers, Los Angeles Printmaking Society and International Print Center of New York. I still have a lot to learn about how the fine art world works, but I do know that making the prints is my first order of business.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxIYherjkW4

McClain’s Prints a Rainbow Roll

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eyQV3QbJUI

A bit of supporting text:

A rainbow roll occurs when two or more colors are rolled up on the same roller. The colors eventually blend together where they meet on the roller.

Using a blended roll with oil based inks can simulate the effects of bokashi in moku hanga printmaking. It can help to add depth and subtle shifts in color to your image, especially when printing multiple block images. 

Materials needed:

-Oil Based Ink (like Caligo or Gamblin Relief Inks)

-Paper (anything typically used to print by hand)

-Proofing paper (double the amount of newsprint or other paper typically used)

-Carved block (Woodblock, linoleum block, relief engraving)

Equipment:

-Rubber Brayer or Roller (MUST be wider than the image area you are going to roll up)

-Printing press or Baren

-Two or more Ink knives (One for each color)

-Razor Blade Scraper

-Registration Board

Step 1: Getting the Ink Ready

Separately mix up two (or more) colors of ink. Work inks for a few minutes to get an idea of the flow of each ink. It is easiest to do a blended roll when all inks have similar flow. You can add Magnesium Carbonate or Oil to make the colors more similar in viscosity and tack.

Step 2: Rolling out the Ink

When laying out  ink, think about how much of the image each color will cover. There will be a mixing of both colors in the middle, but one color can take up more room than the other.

Place the brayer on the ink slab, and smear one ink from the end of the brayer to the middle. Be sure that the ink starts out heavier near the edge of the brayer and thins down to a minimal layer near the center. Do the same with the other color, starting near the opposite end of the brayer. Don’t actually touch the first color with the second ink knife.

Begin rolling up the ink with the brayer. A few slightly diagonal passes (about 5 to 15 degrees) can be done, but most passes should be straight without flipping the roller or turning it 90 degrees. The straighter the roll the more even the edition will be.

Step 3: Inking up the Block

Once the colors start to blend in the middle and there is an even amount of ink across the brayer the block can be inked. Carefully decide where to place the brayer to begin inking. With every additional print maintain the same brayer position when inking. If  the roller hits the block in a different position the colors will eventually blend together, muddling the blended roll. It is helpful to lay out the direction you are going to roll each time by marking where your block will sit, and then creating tape marks that outline the ends of where your roller will travel.

Step 4: Proofing

More proofing is generally needed to get to a stable ink layer with a blended roll. The colors will blend more and more with each proof, so using the first proofs as a guide for the final print is ill advised. It is a good idea to see how the first couple proofs look (as with any print), and then make adjustments by adding or subtracting ink from one end of the ink slab.

Step 5: Printing the Edition

Once the ink slab and block are a satisfactory blend of colors, edition printing can begin. Printing will be the same as with any block printed with oil based ink and a baren, but take greater caution with rolling and ink adjustments as the edition progresses.

If the colors are beginning to blend too much, portions of the ink slab will have to be scraped away, or simply begin a new slab. If this is done it will require more proofing to get back to the original blended roll.

Tips and Troubleshooting:

After a blended or rainbow roll has dried for a day or two you can come back with the same colors but roll from another direction. This will allow you to achieve a mixing of colors or value that is doesn’t follow one linear direction.

Josh, Chris & Ema ready for business

The Southern Graphics Council Conference was in Philadelphia this year so we packed up a few products, a couple of freebies, a boat-load of peanut M&M’s and headed east. There were great portfolio exchanges, exciting demos & interesting lectures… of course we missed most of them. Every year we pour over the line up and have big plans to sneak away from the booth to catch a demo or lecture but we are far too busy (and we thank all of you who stopped by)! We did have the pleasure of talking to folks at our booth, forging a few new friendships and seeing old pals. It’s always good to meet fresh faces and chat with old hats. It was great to share the isle with Takach Press, Gamblin Artists Colors, Canson Inc, Four Winds Fine Art and Crown Point Press. The conversations were fun and the company very appreciated.

Josh setting up the McClain's booth

View of Philly from the top floor of Loews Philadelphia Hotel

Experimental Broadsides on the Vandercook Press at UArts with Bobby Rosenstock & Erin Sweeney. It was a FULL house!

Loews Philadelphia Hotel

Loews Philadelphia Hotel, sky high

A great gate and environment somewhere in Philly...

Going Home

Places we patronized while in Philly:

Loews Philadelphia Hotel (where many conference happenings were) – Loved the big beds and numerous pillows and amazing top floor views.
Sole Food (the hotel restaurant) – Good drinks, good food, good breakfast.
Spruce Street Espresso – DELICIOUS espresso & drip joe (a biggie for us Pacific Northwest coffee snobs).
Morning Glory Diner – YUM for breakfast!
Aki Japanese Fusion Restaurant & Sake Bar - We all LOVED it.
Time Restaurant – Good onion rings and good beer on tap.
Tattooed Mom – we went to see dirty printmakers of america vs. basturds of print society, a conference wheat pasting bonanza! Crazy fun environment!