Remember last post, where I went on that I like the idea of a scheduled project (x whatever a week, etc.)? Also remember how I said I signed up for a sketch a day because I figured it’d be short term enough to hold my interest?
Well I tapped out on day 10. I found the prompt incredibly stupid (sorry, did though), and that kind of killed it for me. I have been still checking it out every day and the following prompts, I may pick it back up because I’ve liked some of the other ones, but that one just killed my gusto for the project. Maybe I was looking for a reason (probably). I did find it dumb though, not to put too fine a point on it. I still like the idea of keeping up with a quick drawing a day to get me in the habit, so it’s something I’m going to mull over some more.
I felt like I had to post that here for accountability (to myself).
I have been carving blocks though, and I’ve been loving it. I have yet to do test prints of any of them. I was inspired by a little project out of Sam Marshall’s Linocut book, so that’s what I’ve been working on. In fact, I love the idea so much I’ve already committed to doing it once a year, commemorating the previous year’s garden. This one is a bit of a cheat because I have photos from the past few years gardening (since it was the first one, I’m telling myself), but going forward it’ll be only images from that year’s garden. Something about this little ongoing project (there it is again) I really love. I’m not sure I can think of a better way for me to commemorate the garden.
All these blocks are small; 8×8 cm. The cosmos block (bottom left hand corner) has given me inspiration for a larger reduction print in 3-4 colours. I’ve only ever done two before, and that was years ago, so should be a fun little experiment. I’m hoping to get to that once I test and print these. I’m in the process of clearing off my sewing table, which moonlights as a printmaking table, then I hope to get down to those test prints.
I really like the idea of a reduction print, and I have a series in my head that I want to do based on varying pictures of mine. There’s something wonderfully ephemeral in a block that you literally destroy to create the print.