About Turtle Light Press
Turtle Light Press is a small press that publishes artist books, fine art prints and note cards as well as haiku books. Rick Black founded the Press in 2005.
The guiding principle of Turtle Light Press is that beauty can be a form of solace. At Turtle Light Press, we endeavor to help readers regain a sense of calm and peacefulness through beautifully handmade books, fine art prints, digital paintings and an array of note cards, including sumi-e note cards and Jewish note cards.
You can take a break here from the fast-paced information highway by reading one of the winners of our Haiku Chapbook Competitions, admire a Japanese sumi-e ink painting, or read about one of our musician note cards. For us, it is about the love of the craft — combining words and graphics to create artwork and books that will resonate in a deep way.
Our limited edition books can be found in the Alexander Library’s Special Collections and University Archives of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and in the Artists’ Book collection of The Newark Public Library in Newark, NJ, as well as in many private collections.
Please visit the Turtle Light Press online store to purchase artistic photos, limited edition poetry books, handmade haiku chapbooks, Japanese ink brush paintings and a variety of note cards. To learn more about Rick Black, the founder of TLP, please view his bio here or on the Turtle Light Press website.
To learn more about our artwork, please view our store gallery!
About Turtle Light Press’s Name
Turtle Light Press is named for a wedding gift to Rick and his wife, Laura Ahearn. When they first opened the box from her godfather, they weren’t quite sure what to make of the object inside.
Upon further inspection, they realized that it was a ceramic turtle with a light inside it. They placed it in the hallway of their home and it has been lighting the way at night ever since. When it came time to name the press, Rick thought of the turtle light. Everyone seems to be rushing around and there is a real need to slow down. The idea of light emanating at night seemed to suit the books and artwork that he wanted to produce – it was a perfect fit.
Here is a picture of our mascot:
A turtle light, the mascot of Turtle LIght Press
