Little updates

It has been a little quiet around my blog since I finished the last major run of printing on my book. It has been nice to have just a short break.

Of course I have been working on other little things after the printing was complete on my book. I am in a great workshop at MCBA, learning about photopolymer photograveur from Paulette Meyers Rich – an amazing artist and person. The class is full of great, creative people, and I am so excited to learn more about this medium and technique. I would really like to create more of my work in this way. And considering that my new job will allow me some extra funds to pay for the supplies needed for this medium, I’m certain I will continue with it in some form.

Yes, I said that. I have a new job. I start in just under 1 week as one of the studio managers at Anoka Ramsey Community College. It will be great!

Of course this means a lot of changes in my life in the upcoming years…as if there haven’t been many changes already. I think the hardest so far is having to step back from all the free-lance jobs I usually take on without really thinking. Time will be much more precious now.

And of course I will still be trying to finish this little book! I spent a lot of time at MCBA yesterday, and managed to get the pages organized, sorted, and the edges trimmed.

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I still plan on working on this book as often as I can. Though my progress on it will slow down considerably. The work I completed yesterday was amazing to finish. Those steps were the last that needed to be completed at MCBA, and represent one more massive step complete in this book’s process. The rest I can complete on my own, wherever I need to be.

Today is the first Wednesday this summer that I haven’t been volunteering at the library. First up today is working on pottery with my dad. There is also a photo job scheduled later today, other little errands, and some work on weekend plans. But the sun is out, and I think today will be a good day.

Prints 16 & 17

On Friday I printed the map.

The map shows up on every page of this little book.

I somehow managed to mix the perfect shade of light grey ink.

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Today I printed the title page and colophon. That took four runs, and four shades of blue ink. Somehow I only managed to photograph three, but you get the idea.

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This little book is far from done. Next comes binding and making covers. But I am so excited to be this far, to do my last press run today.

Prints 15

Today was a massive day of printing. I finished 6 runs…and the end of the hashtag words in the book. Still to come is the map, title page, and colophon, but this, today, was a huge accomplishment.

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I also started a new class at MCBA tonight, that is so amazing, it deserves way more than just a little mention here. Much more to come on that.

Tomorrow begins the month of August, typically true summer weather, and a new journal challenge I decided to try participating in. I am trying to squeeze every creative moment I can out of this summer. It some how never feels like enough though….. I am still working that out.

Today was not a printing day.

It was a photo job day. A fun photo job that took me farther out of my comfort zone than I expected, and sent me to a place I can’t wait to get back to with a film camera.

The rest of this sunny day included a great lunch date, time for yoga, and a bit of work at home. I am procrastinating finishing and framing prints for an upcoming art show. Maybe next week I will get to those.

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Prints 14

On Friday I finished three runs before it was time to be done. I can really feel myself getting closer to the end now. Sunday I stayed up late getting the negative ordered for the last few polymer plates I have to remake. Things are coming together. It will be a few days before I can print again due to a photo job and an appointment to get my hair dyed. But I am honestly quite happy to have a short break.
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In other bits, this weekend felt wonderfully long, and I was able to spend a lot of time with John running off to new places, and old favorites. It was lovely. We also managed to finish two of the many yard work projects we have going. Cheers to a new week!

Prints 13

I know my printing time has been gradually decreasing over the last week. Each color run I finish completed the hashtags for one more page, meaning each run I do there are 32 pages less to print on than the time before. Today was the first day I really noticed that it was taking me less time to print. I finished two color runs in only 3 1/2 hours. I still have 8 more color runs, plus a large run for the map, and three short runs for the colophon, and title page. I am making up the colors as I go.
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Prints 11

I made it past the half-way point today!

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Also, it is Holga Week! It has been awhile since I have brought my Holga with me. So, I have it in my bag this week. Today I photographed my letterpress project with it.

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Maybe I will get a photo of the river tomorrow with it.

Prints 10

I managed to squeeze in two word runs instead of only one. Both were runs that had multiple words switching between pages, requiring a lot of organization. I am a bit uncertain about the blue color I mixed yesterday. I hope I feel better about it today when I see it again. I am actually getting very close to the halfway point of printing. Of course a couple of other large deadlines are creeping up on me…closer than I would like to admit. But I do keep making progress, and that is what counts!

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