Katie Bassett is a Brooklyn-based designer and printmaker. If you like what you see in our Supply Shop, you have Katie to thank! As Aviary's lead graphic designer, she's responsible for curating everything you see the store, and she has also created several beautiful packs. Here’s a behind the scenes look at the creation process of one of Katie's most popular creations - Type stickers (available for free in Aviary).
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Growing up, I was always interested in arts and crafts: painting, glitter, ceramics, you name it. Fast-forward to the era of the iPod and downloadable music, and I fell in love with gig posters. I'd wander around stores looking at CDs, posters and book covers and think, “This. This is what I want to do.” In college, I spent my extra electives taking every printmaking class, from silkscreen printing to wood block printing, etching, and more.
1. INSPIRATION
After graduation, I moved to Nashville to intern at Hatch Show Print, a legendary printmaking studio. Letterpress dates back to the mid fifteenth century with Gutenberg and the printing press, and in the 600 years that it's been around, its purpose has shifted from informational trade to artisanal craft. Hatch Show Print merges the past and present, upholding tradition and craft to the highest standard, while creating unique and beautiful designs. They've crafted handbills and posters for hundreds of artists performing in Nashville, from Elvis to Louis Armstrong to Mumford & Sons. You walk down the streets of downtown Music City, any day, any hour, there's a honky tonk with its doors open and a musician strumming. The history, tradition and quirk are alive and well in this city, and Hatch Show Print is right there in the middle of it all. A Nashville staple. A classic.
