A small, neat sign centered above adjoining storefronts at 81-83 Spring St., reads "McAdam Painting Co." Painting does go on in the space, along with etching and printing, but those activities are the realm of two other occupants of the buildling - Ningyo Editions and Drive-By Gallery.

At first, this traditional-looking sign seems incongruous with the contemporary-looking studio and gallery signs on the front windows. (The paint company still operates out of the basement.)

On reflection, though, there's a kind of serendipity to it, since the curators and artists who now occupy the space often create and sell works of art that use images from everyday life in playful ways.

This mini-art complex that sprung up on Spring St., just outside Watertown Square, was begun by David Curcio, an artist trained as a woodcutter and printmaker. Four years ago he decided to settle in Watertown, after traveling and teaching in Japan and Italy. It wasn't exactly a radical decision, though, since he grew up in Newton and his family owns Stellina Restaurant, a fixture in Watertown Square for 24 years.

So why "Ningyo Studios?"

"It comes from a print I did in Japan," Curcio said. "I wanted a name that didn't have any definite associations, one that wasn't my name, or the name of the street – which is done all the time now."

Curcio and his business partner, Ed Monovich, who lives in Belmont, come across as casual and down-to-earth – yet also busy. It's not surprising, since they're still settling into the storefront adjoining the original studio space and planning a gala opening and exhibit in both storefront galleries on Nov. 18, called "The Elegant Drawing Show."

Both sides of the building have the same layout: a large studio space in the back room and a small gallery in the front room. But otherwise Ningyo Editions doesn't fit into one – or even two – categories in the world of art.

It began as a studio for Curcio to do his own art work, making etchings, woodcuts, and prints, as well as to do some teaching. He has a master's degree in printmaking from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and now teaches a Japanese woodcut class at the New Art Center in Newton. 

Then an artist-friend who was a painter wanted to learn how to make a print. And other printmakers wanted to rent his etching press. Today, Curcio rents out the press to several printmakers who work on their own.

"It's an expensive piece of equipment," he said. "Not everyone has one." 

In April two curators managing art galleries in Boston's South End were eager to escape that area's rising rents, and approached Curcio about subletting his front room. It's now the Drive-By Gallery, managed by curators Kathleen O'Hara and Beth Kantrowitz.

And, finally, earlier this year Ningyo Editions expanded into the adjoining building, creating a second large studio space and another small gallery in front for showing works by "visiting artists" invited to use the studio.

"We're not interested in having a stable of artists or being gallery owners," explained Monovich. "We like collaborating in a concentrated way with a few other artists. We want to bring forth new ideas."

Curcio admits that it's hard for many people to understand printmaking.

"It's got that technical side to it," he said.

Admittedly, there are quite a few different printing art forms. Basically, though, they all involve transferring of an image first etched or engraved onto a flat, nonabsorbent surface, such as a copper or glass plate, onto paper, cloth, or another absorbent surface using inks and an etching press. Prints can be a single impression, called a monotype, or multiple impressions, called "multiples" or "editions." After printing, they can be colored, or otherwise embellished, creating one-of-a-kind works that look more like drawings or paintings.

The finished art works, however, aren't hard to comprehend. Several small, framed prints hang on the studio's walls. They're playful, delicate, and sometimes fantastical, such as a stand of birch trees on a white background that seems like it could be an illustration for a nature book – except that the tree's trunks have all morphed into deer's hooves.

And in the middle of the room there's the huge, instantly recognizable etching press. Similar to a printing press, with a large flat bed, drum and wheel, it would have pleased Ben Franklin.

Ningyo Editions and the Drive-By Gallery want to participate in the local community, too. This past June they put on a show featuring 11 local artists, which raised money for the MSPCA. A half-dozen local businesses, including pet and pet supply stores, gave financial support, and food was donated by eateries such as The Deluxe Town Diner, Sevan Bakery, and Red Lentil restaurant.

"We're hoping to bring something new to Watertown—and Boston," said Curcio.

In a quick tour, we also go into the new adjoining storefront. There, one of Ningyo Editions' first visiting artists is working at the huge table, gently etching images onto a copper plate. She's using the studio for ten days, preparing for the show to open on Nov. 18.

"The other studio is now just for publishing," said Curcio. "Lately I've been doing a lot of sewing in here."

Sewing? To explain, he removes a sheet of paper from a large drawer. It's covered with a mix of techniques: printed floral motifs sewn around the borders, two hand-drawn historical figures in the center, and small inked-in objects floating here and there.

"I take a lot of my inspiration from folk art," Curcio said.    

Curcio and Monovich both spend an average of four hours a day doing their own art work. They don't show at Spring Street, though, but in other venues in the Boston area, because they want to keep their roles as artists and studio managers separate.

"It's funny," Curcio reflected, " people will go to see art in a gallery or museum on a trip to Europe, but not always where they live."