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It's a very small place, and there will be no room for much more than the Solitudes series, a Mokuhankan corner, and the announcement panel for the next project. The gallery has a VR photo online here, taken during an exhibition some years ago. (Click the red numbers to bring up the VR photo (if you have Quicktime). Drag in the image to turn around, etc.)

It is in a very good location, about one minute from the main Ginza intersection. It's just about 250,000 yen rental (for seven days), which is about half what I paid in the previous much larger places, and well below typical Ginza rates of some years back.

So here we go ... the dates will be March 29 ~ April 4, which gives me time (hopefully) to finish the 12th print, as well as prepare the first one in the new series, for explanation and order taking. (The 'starting gun' on the new series will fire on April 1st, with the first print (and case) being shipped that day.)

The big question on this will be how much response I get from the media when they receive the pamphlet that I will be preparing and sending out soon. They may continue to ignore me, as in the past few years, or maybe they will cover this one. No idea.

And now I have to start to figure out how to fill that long long thin space with an interesting display of these prints. It's about 1/8th the floor area that I had available in the previous few shows, so this is going to be an 'interesting' challenge!

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The first five block faces are finished ...

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Continued from [Seacoast in Spring - 1]

It's difficult (impossible) to maintain a stream of updates when all I'm doing is carving. The printing stages give people something to look at, but carving is certainly not something that is very interesting to watch!

But things have been moving forward steadily, and maybe it's time to give you a sneak peek at the work done so far (click for enlargement):

Some of these blocks are 'easy' (less detail) and some are pretty busy. To keep the progress of the work balanced, I've been alternating between the two types. I'm now doing the keyblock, which will take a week or so, and then when that's done, will flip these five over and do the other sides, which are very similar to the faces you see here.

So it'll be a few weeks yet before there is any chance of getting to the proofing stage.

In the meantime, lots of other things are getting done. The winter newsletter is now out for translation, the preparation work for the next series is progressing well, and my explorations in Tokyo the other day turned out to be successful.

Eh? Explorations in Tokyo? Ah, perhaps I didn't mention that yet ... You can get an update by checking out this weekend's entry in the 'A Story A Week' series ...

The thread continues in [Seacoast in Spring - 3] ...

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Carving work on the Seacoast in Spring has begun ...

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So, the Woodblock Webcam came alive this evening, after a nearly three week hiatus, and the multitude of waiting viewers got to see the first carving on the final print in the My Solitudes series - the Seacoast in Spring!

Why the three week gap? Well, getting the design worked out accounts for at least a week of that time, and as for what kind of work got done on the rest of the 'missing' days, some of the announcements that will be made here over the next few weeks should fill you in! :-)

The thread continues in [Seacoast in Spring - 2] ...

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The Your First Print eBook has been featured on the 'Lines and Colors' website.

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Very nice present in my Inbox this morning - I discovered that the 'Your First Print' eBook has been featured in a review on the wonderful 'Lines and Colors' website.

Lines and Colors is one of my favourite blogs, and even when I have one of my periodic prunings of the feeds in my RSS reader, this one always survives! Nobody working in the arts fields should miss the parade of images accompanied by knowledgeable commentary that Mr. Parker provides on a regular basis.

The quality of the work he features is very high indeed, and I am honored to be included among his choices!

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A very old-fashioned Xmas message ...

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Back in December of 1997, the [Baren] printmakers' group which I had founded earlier that year was coming up to its first Christmas. The group was at that time still very small, only a few dozen members, and there was quite a congenial friendly feeling to all the discussions.

One evening I sat down to send out a holiday greeting to my friends in the group, and before I knew it, a visitor had dropped down the chimney. 12 years later, the message is still fun to read. Here it is, partnered with an illustration that my (then) Japanese coach - Takayoshi Sakazaki - created for it. (Or if you wish, you can listen to it, in .mp3 format.)

The Night Before a Printmaker's Christmas

'Twas the night before Xmas, and all through the shop
No printmaker was stirring, work was all at a stop;
The tools were hung up in their places with care,
The workbench was clean, on it nothing was there;
The gouges were nestled all snug in their rack,
Carved blocks were beside them, piled up in a stack;
The brushes on shelves, the chisels in a case,
The pigments in drawers, all was in place.
When up to my ears, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Down to the workshop I ran on the floor,
Turned the key in the lock, and flung open the door.

The moon in the window threw light on the scene;
I rubbed my eyes wildly, was all this a dream?
For my tools were all jumping, from rack and from shelf,
They came running and dancing, each moving himself!
On the bench stood the baren; to my disbelief,
He called them around him, he must be the chief.
More rapid than lightning, the tools they all came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now 'washi', now 'sumi', now 'nomi' and 'hake'!
On 'hangi', 'enogu', with 'nori' and 'take'!
To your place on the bench, from your place on the wall,
Get to work! Get to work! Get to work all!"

I stood in amazement as they all started working,
The scene was a bustle, not one tool was shirking.
The knives and the chisels cut lines in the block,
As the baren stood watching, one eye on the clock.
While the carvers were busy, the others prepared
The paper and pigments, the work was all shared.
From the door where I stood I was able to see
all they were doing, no one looked up at me.
The woodchips were flying, two mallets were busy,
Just watching the action made me feel a bit dizzy.
Then the woodblock was ready, the chisels adjourned,
The baren sprang up "Now it's time for my turn!"

His cover of bamboo was tight like a bow,
And the oil on it glistened as he walked to and fro;
He was cocky and proud, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A brush ran on the block, mixing colour and paste,
The paper then followed, lying down with no haste.
Then up jumped the baren, his face a wide smirk,
He spoke not a word, and went straight to his work.
He slid to the left, and he slid to the right;
He pressed down the paper with all of his might.
At last it was finished, the print was pulled free;
The tools then all gathered, to inspect it with glee.

But just then I coughed, the sound was a boom;
Everybody froze solid, no one moved in the room.
The baren then shouted "It's the end of the game!"
And whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now 'washi', now 'sumi', now 'nomi' and 'hake'!
On 'hangi', 'enogu', with 'nori' and 'take'!
From your place on the bench, to your place on the wall,
Back with you! Back with you! Back with you all!"

The tools all ran back to their own proper place,
Of the night's busy action there remained not a trace.
In the space of a second, the bench it was bare,
And nothing remained but the print that lay there.
The work was well done and the printing was clear,
My tools are well-trained, and their message sincere.
On the paper I read, what a beautiful sight:
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Dave Bull, December 1997

Translation notes:

• baren (bah ren) = the printer's rubbing pad
• washi (wah she) = Japanese paper
• sumi (soo mee) = Black carbon pigment
• nomi (noh mee) = chisel
• hake (hah kay) = brush
• hangi (hang gee) = woodblock
• enogu (eh noh goo) = pigments
• nori (noh ree) = paste
• take (tah kay) = bamboo (the baren covering)

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