Progress V

Here’s the final print. It all came together quite well and I am pleased.

Progress IV

Remember that song from the 60’s sung by Dusty Springfield? It goes something like, “wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’…”? Do you remember all the lyrics to that song? …the part about doing the things he likes to do and wearing your hair just for him? makes my skin crawl but that’s another blog entry. Anyway, that’s where I am with this piece right now. Wishin’ I’d done a few things differently, thinkin’ it looks okay so far, hopin’ those bluebirds aren’t too blue, prayin’ it’ll all come togehter with the next, and final, run through the press.

Progress III

Last night I printed the skin tone, and the redish-brown breasts of the blue birds. I decided to underprint the entire figure for a more consistant black when I print the key block. This was the third pass through the press. When it’s done, this piece will have had five runs through the press. Registration is my greatest challenge and with each pass through the press I worry a little bit more about whether, when the print passes through the press the last time, everything will line up. Sometimes the black lines in the key block covers any imperfections in the registration. Sometimes the registration is hopelessly off and those unfortunate prints end up as proofs at best and in the recycling bin at worst. Sometimes the registration is perfect and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Because all three of the these options occur with each and every edition, I generally print twice as many as I hope to have in the final edition. This time I’m working with twenty and hoping for an edition of 10.

Progress II

On a snowy, spring Friday I printed the next color. It’s not the best photograph, (I really need to set up a place in my 100 square foot studio to photograph my work, ha!) but I think generally one can see what’s happening. Usually at this point in the process I love what I see…the freshness of the color especially. As the print develops I pass through several love-hate stages. My next decision is whether to underprint the entirety of the figure on the left, except for the areas that will remain white. If I choose to do so I will need to carve another block, which is not entirely a bad thing as it will give the green-blue ink plenty of time to dry.

Green-blue + orange.

Progress

I’ve been spending time in my studio lately working on two projects. One is hush-hush for the moment, (I don’t want to jinx myself) and the other is a relief print of an image I’ve been toying with for some time. Following through on an intention to document my progress I submit the following:

My working sketch.

The key block.

The orange block.

I’ll be posting additional images as the print develops.

New York Haikus

Wedding in New York
Beautiful bride, handsome groom
Sure hope they make it

You know I’m kidding
Of course they’re going to make it
Can’t you take a joke?

A night at Ustavs
Saris, flowers, rings on toes
A blend of cultures

Candlelit wedding
An altar of white roses
Hope they don’t catch fire

Food, spirits, music
Fancy moves on the dance floor
The Best fam’ly rocks

Dance the night away
Mom takes a turn on the floor
Her new hip works well

Open bar, dance floor
Brothers and sisters can’t help
but be obnoxious

If the day should come
When my children choose to wed
You can pay me back

After the wedding
A visit to the Waldorf
Looking for Brad Pitt

The party’s over
Let’s get out and take a walk
First we need Starbucks

A stroll down 5th Ave.
Pashminas are everywhere
I think I’ll buy some

Blend with the natives
Try to catch a friggin’ cab
Fuggetaboutit

Buy a subway pass
How many tries does it take
So aggravating

Time for all to leave
Goodbyes are never easy
Lets do this again

Life goes on

I am adjusting to my empty nest. Oh sure, I’ve had days when every time I’ve turned my head I’ve been confronted by sweet reminders of my days with little ones…finding an ”I love you mommy” note in an old handbag, hearing a song on the radio that my daughters used to dance to as preschoolers, unearthing little green army men in a garden. As suggested by my sister-in-law I have allowed myself to become a sloppy, blubbering mess while perusing photo albums. I’ve also called on friends who have listened to me wallow and name each and every injustice, real or imagined, that I’ve foisted on my kids. And in a few moments of clarity I’ve patted myself on the back for a job well done. I’ve also made some interesting discoveries. For instance:
My teenage children were NOT the only people in the house who subscribed to the “leave it where you drop it” genre of housekeeping.
A fist full of wasabi peas and a glass of wine is NOT a balanced meal.
With practice, it IS possible to watch several television programs at the same time.
An unmade bed isn’t all that unsightly.
The pile of towels on the couch will eventually get folded, and if it doesn’t, well a wrinkley towel is just as absorbent as a nicely folded one.
Moving forward, I’ve spent more time in my studio and with fewer demands on me, I’ve been able to work at odd hours and well into the night. I’ve decided to show a few pieces at Gallery 110 in November and am working diligently to complete one last piece before then. When I began the piece I considered doing a series of blog entries entitled, The Anatomy of a Relief Print, illustrating my process, step-by-step, but somehow getting the piece done on time seemed more important. Maybe next time.
I think I’m going to be okay. It’s like the extra room has allowed me to puff-up a bit. I’m taking up more space, (um… figuratively and literally…what was that about wasabi peas and wine for dinner?) and that’s a good thing.