California, here they come!

My contribution to Baren Forum Print Exchange #40 is officially out the door. Thanks to overnight express shipping it will arrive on time tomorrow afternoon. If I had time to spare there are certainly things I would have changed but all in all I am satisfied with it. Getting it done on time was a HUGE priority for me - much more important to me than getting it absolutely perfect - and so in this regard I am very pleased with myself.

Now I need a shower and some sleep. Maybe not in that order.

Not only was it unduly difficult pasting down the tissue paper drawing of my black plate, it was hard to carve. This may be the last time I do this with a reduction print. Little stray corners of paper kept getting in the way and snagged my blade, made the cut difficult to see, etc. I need some input as to why this was so difficult for me. Here's the block (tissue paper and all) with the black plate almost entirely carved and on the right is the black block fully carved and ready to go.

I had a hard time carving this second block. Not only was the tissue paper a mess but the wood itself was hard to work with. I am using maple which is a very hardwood but for some reason it splintered easily and behaved more like a softwood when I was carving the second pass (black plate.) I don't know what that was all about. I don't think the wood splintered as easily the first time around. I don't know if it was a result of the gum arabic used to paste the second drawing, the ink & oil used the print the first phase, or my imagination. Who knows. Survey says.....

....needs a little touching up before pulling the official edition. Dang that splintering wood! I had to carve the block down fairly deep and bust out the rifflers to smooth over the snags.

Finally it was ready to go though.

Audrey was very patient, allowing me to work out in the honeycomb all day (she wasn't in school today, poor baby)

and Noah as always had fun watching it come together.

Well, now what do I do with all my free time?