Catherine, Alex, Josh and Ema
Robert "Bob" McClain and his wife, Yoko, collected original prints during their visits to Yoko McClain's family in Japan. They would bring both prints and art supplies back, to enjoy themselves and to sell to friends. In the late 1970's, Bob realized he could create a business that would allow him to promote moku hanga (the Japanese style of printmaking) plus give him more time to make prints himself. During the 1980's Robert McClain Japanese Prints & Supplies quickly became recognized as the leading supplier of superior quality art materials for Japanese woodblock style printmaking in the U.S.
In 1991, after Bob McClain's death, Elaine Chandler purchased the printmaking materials part of the business. Elaine renamed the business McClain's Printmaking Supplies in honor of its founder. A very well known and respected printmaker herself, Elaine taught moku hanga workshops and promoted Japanese tools and materials to other instructors and schools around the country. In 1996 she sponsored an exhibit of contemporary woodblock prints by prominent artists from the U.S. and Canada that toured schools and galleries along the west coast. Elaine also expanded McClain's to include materials for other forms of relief printmaking, including linoleum and wood engraving supplies.
In February 2001, Elaine sold McClain's to Alex Prentiss, a former student. Alex's background is in library science, retail sales, and technical writing and illustrating. On the art side, she is an experienced letterpress printer, book artist, and woodblock printmaker.
A few months after Alex purchased the business, Catherine Kumlin joined McClain's. Catherine shows and sells prints and jewelry at The Spiral Gallery in Estacada, Oregon and teaches a beginning moku hanga class. Ema Aultman joined us in January 2006 and in May she graduated from the Oregon College of Art and Craft with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She is the editor of McClain's Newsletter. After graduating from the University of Oregon with an MFA in printmaking, Josh Hulst was hired in July, 2007. He is part of a print co-op and his work can be seen at the Chump Change Gallery.
Under Alex's leadership, McClain's continues to offer the same high quality service, tools and printmaking materials that have made it a leading supplier for relief printers both here and abroad for over 30 years. Our purpose is to help relief printmakers find the materials and support they need to reach their printmaking goals.
Thank you for your support!