It was one of those weeks, and the current
linocut sat neglected for way too many days. Between the too-dry inks on the page and struggles to get just the right ink consistency for the next pass things didn't go entirely as planned. I got some decent prints, but I also lost several to slipping and other annoying maladies. One more color to go, but unfortunately it's going to have to wait a few days again. Keep your fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I've been keeping up with my "100 Thumbnails" project. Let's see, it's October 11... I have 39 sketches at the moment, and there are still a few hours left in the day.
It's starting to get a little more challenging, as the weather is changing and the available daylight hours for sitting outside with a sketchbook (my preferred thumbnail-making routine) are waning. Thank goodness the DM had a gig last week at Adams Mountain Café, so I could sit in a corner with a pencil and a glass of scrumptious spiced tea for a couple of hours! I don't often draw interiors, so I tell myself it's "good for me" when some complicated view of a corner or furniture turns my 5- or 10-minute sketch to a 20- or 30-minute analysis. The point IS to learn something, after all!
Another challenge that comes with the season change is adjusting to the end of our farm share. We picked up our last bushel box of produce on Saturday....
(sigh).
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| Yeah, this is how every Saturday has looked in our kitchen since June. |
We'll still be able to buy some fresh produce now that we have a little local food market in town, but our Saturday morning ritual will shift. No more rolling out of bed and wandering down the street for coffee, apple strudel, farm eggs, and our box o' veggies. This coming Saturday is our last farmers market day, and I'll be doing a brief hands-on printmaking adventure at the Shed Fest celebration in the afternoon. And then? We'll have to come up with some other routine. As long as it doesn't involve shoveling snow, I guess I'll adjust. Like the ink. And my prints. And my thumbnails. Eventually.
The linocut print looks great so far - can't wait to see it finished. It perfectly captures the landscape of southern CO.
ReplyDeleteAnd the thumbnails - even as small, quick studies, they're good, and just fun to look at. I'm glad you post them to your blog.
I like the way this print is going, it looks great despite the difficulties you are having. As for the thumbnails I might take up the challenge myself next month.
ReplyDeleteI so feel for you about the produce! we have a 24/7, 365 market here but it IS Florida :) can't say enough about your prints and drawings-I tend to drool over all of them. Thank you for posting so much of your life; not only instructive and a visual treat but generous of you as well.
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are crossed for you but I know you will come through. Your thumbnails project is going great guns - I love looking at them.
ReplyDeleteSorry, perhaps somebody already asks you this question. What kind of inks do you use?
ReplyDelete:-) Thanks for the votes of confidence, everyone! I'll hope to be worthy of the cheering section.
ReplyDeleteBarbar, last year we were in California in November/December and were both delighted AND chagrined to find their markets in full swing. It sure made the remainder of the winter HERE feel like it went on forever.
Anonymous, I mostly use the Daniel Smith oil based relief inks.
I think you can always rely on a cheer squad here.
ReplyDeleteAnd the colours of your linocut are lively and full of light. Just the thing to keep your going as the winter closes in. (Not here, of course!)
I love sometimes how random searches produce some of the most interesting discoveries. I was looking into linocut techniques as I was considering trying my hand at it again. An image popped up of a bighorn ram which caught my eye, and low and behold, I found your sites. My husband is on the board of the Rocky Mtn Bighorn sheep society. I have quite a few goat and sheep pics I would like to try my hand at converting to a print from our years of scouting, herd counts, and so on. Add to that I was sitting here going through my CSA pics from the year considering doing a post on the short Colorado garden season. HA, sometimes you never know what you will find.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog here, going to have to spend some time browsing more pages! Thank you!