That's better....

Let's try to do everything right side up this time, eh?

The trick to making square format reduction linocuts is that one must really pay attention to which end is up! Despite marking a handy "X" at the top of my block, yesterday's post was a prime example of what happens when one gets distracted by one's own cleverness.

As Susan and Stuart pointed out in comments, the "twisted" image was not without its merits... but since I had done the same thing in each of 2 previous color pulls I had more or less lost my sense of humor about it. The "simple" compositions can be the most difficult... this edition is really the most variable one I've done in a long time. I tweaked the color part way through practically every color pass (and there are seven here), so I have some with dark center stones and some with light... some with more or less bluey-blues. Some more transparent, some less so. It's definitely a set of experiments, some of which might be pointing the way to some new ideas. (Including the twisted image thing....)

I've been keeping my digital head down the last few days and expect to continue to do so. This morning I switched back to watercolor for a bit to work on a contract project and laughed to realize my brain has become quite accustomed to thinking of color in a "print way" and not a "paint way." It's been a little like getting back on roller skates or a neglected bicycle... or going back to my manual transmission car after driving someone else's automatic for a while: a tad jerky.

I might have another one or two of these dinky things left in me... feeling a need for something predominantly green and something predominantly yellow... and then.... drum roll.... It's time for something bigger. File down those fingernails and stock up on tissues... it could be a nail-biting, stomach-flopping, tissue-soaking ride. Or not!