Phil Garrett, Greenville SC King Snake Press

Phil Garrett
Printmaker / Artist . . .
Phil has been involved with making monotypes since the mid 1980s and has a BFA in prinmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. His works on paper are in numerous public and private collections in the US, Europe and Japan. Phil has worked with several master printers in the collaborative printing process and has taught and lectured about the monotype process at universities, colleges and public schools.

Location . . .
King Snake Press is located in Greenville, South Carolina at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is an hour from Asheville, North Carolina, and approximately 2 1/2 hours from Atlanta, Georgia. Accomodations range from several downtown historic hotels, and Inns, to budget accomodations within a short driving distance of King Snake Press.

King Snake Press . . .
King Snake Press grew out of Phil Garrett's love for the monotype process, and is dedicated to encouraging other artists to experiment with the Painterly Print. It is a special place where you can immerse yourself in the monotype process without distraction or interruption.

Facility . . .
The facility consists of all the materials and equipment necessary for producing works of art of museum quality, including a 39" x 72" Takach intaglio press, large light table, drawing table, rollers, several sizes of plates and neutral ph papers to choose from.

The Painterly Print . . .
A Unique Work of Art
Essentially "a painting pressed into paper," a monotype incorporates elements of both painting and printmaking. As the name implies, each is one of a kind, a unique work of art.

When you make an original monotype, you will draw or paint onto a printing surface with printing inks. When the painting is complete the printer positions damp paper over it and uses a press to transfer the ink from the printing surface to the paper.

Because the printing surface has not been treated to retain the image in any way (as it would be with other printmaking methods), the monotype cannot be "repeated." Nearly all of the ink is removed with the exception of a very faint impression left on the printing plate, sometimes called the "ghost image," which can be used as part of the next monotype if the artist wishes to work in a series.

The monotype process is direct and closely related to drawing and painting. Artists who may have shied away from other print media can feel secure developing their expressive skills in collaboration with Phil Garrett, a printer who understands the medium and the artist.

Phil will provide guidance and encouragement whether the artist is experienced in printing. It is the collaborative printer's function to assist the artist in planning the monotype, to explain the inking process, and to perform the technical aspects of printing, registration, and curating. The division of labor that occurs in collaborative printing frees the artist to fully enjoy the creative process.

King Snake Press
Portfolio . . .

King Snake Press maintains a portfolio of monotypes that are shown by appointment.

Featured are monotypes created by Phil Garrett and Patti Brady and select artists who have been chosen to collaborate on specific projects.

Monotypes published by the press are available to dealers, curators and collectors. Slides are available on request.

Artists: Click here to learn about pricing for monotype printing