Making Plans

making plans, making lists, making adjustments

there's never a clear path with creative work, neither in making space for it, nor in the doing of it

still, i plan

I've come to know that if I don't plan to do something I'll never choose a "when"

this week I had the plan and the when but things happened and the when changed

but not the plan

the burlap printing-plate I made a short time ago finally hit the press, not once but four times

the first inking was a bit messy as I'm a bit rusty

still pretty good though 

and I'm delighted with the detail

all those raggedy threads in all their printed glory

the second print (same inking) was better

still good colour but the dark patches evened out a tad

the last, a "ghost" print

the ultra-pale effect pleases me greatly... good for layering I think

against my usual "jump-in and do it" nature, this session was full of note taking and documenting

press pressure noted, the different print-making papers used, notes on the brayer, the effectiveness of tamping ink on with a rolled up felt

I also realized there are economies of time to be had... standardizing plate and paper sizes for printing on the small press would streamline so many aspects of using it

years ago I wouldn't have had any of that idea but now I absolutely see the value in it

still though, one can't be too rigid with creativity so it will be more of a guideline than a rule

in the meanwhile, I'm still working away at different samples of ideas to bring in to the on-going work that stemmed from the kintsugi experiments

much of it is "in-process" but I did finish one the other day

ink-painted paper

petite brass staples spaced around a circle

the spaces filled in with dark brown straight stitches, criss-crossing back and forth

the paper, though beautiful, is too soft for stitching and peeled away here and there

a navy blue Sakura pigment pen sorted that out well enough but lesson learned

I was inspired to look for brass leaf though, but couldn't find any though I did come home with copper leaf

a new sample in the offing... 

and one of the week's Haiku:

carefree summer days

with a lightly blowing breeze

laughter on the wind

on being a child, on the beach at the cabin...

playing on the sand