Written on August 7, 1989 [Permalink]

August 1

Started Kiyohara no Motosuke's [1-5] kimono pattern. It's a bunch of little spirals which I expected would leave me dizzy, but actually it didn't turn out so bad - so far. After a few days of it, I may have a different viewpoint! Prepared 30 sheets for a run of Dainagon Tsunenobu [1-3].

My main carving knife is starting to wobble in the handle, and it seems that it has finally (after 6 or 7 years) become too short to use. Michiyo phoned the 'famed' knife maker in Niigata prefecture, whose name we got from the baren maker in Saitama. He said that he normally doesn't sell direct to carvers, but because I was in a hurry, etc. he would send some. The blades sound awfully cheap (¥900 each), and I hope they turn out to be useful. (The knife I have been using cost me about ¥4,000 all those years ago). While we were at it, we also ordered a soainomi, which should save me lots of time when clearing the colour blocks, and a few small aisuki chisels.

August 2

Getting a little worried about the woodblock situation. Shimano-san said he could deliver the next set by the middle of July, and there has been nothing yet. Maybe he thinks that I'm bogged down on Semi Maru [1-4], and don't need them, so I sent off his copy ...

A letter came today from Mr. Katagiri in Shizuoka, thanking us for the print, and full of effuse praise ("... much better than I expected ..." - well, thanks!). It's good to get the feedback, and if I ever get time to start up the subscriber's newsletter that I have been planning, I'll be able to use things like this in it.

Also today, the first payment using the post office money transfer system came through, from Morimoto-san. I received a little slip identifying the customer, and a sort of accounting paper. I don't know where the actual cash is, but I assume it's in some sort of account at the post office. It looks like an easy method, and cheap for the customers.

Got the frame off my wall, put in a copy of the Tenji Tenno that I printed yesterday, and hung it up in the bank at the Ozaku branch. They gave me a great spot, right by the door, where most people will probably see it. We put in a little note with our phone number, etc...

Printed the sumi on the 30 Tsunenobu design.

August 3

Printed the colours on the 30 - with a fair number of problems with registration. Again, I tried printing the colour blocks before the black kimono pattern, and it's just too difficult to get them in the right position without the black in place as a guide. Many of these are not good enough to send out, but at least I'm back 'in stock'.

August 4

Carving, carving. It's an interesting coincidence - the weather map has shown a steady supply of typhoons coming this week, and Motosuke's kimono pattern looks just the same! Maybe the weather will clear up when I've finished it!

Prepared 30 sheets for another stab at Semi Maru [1-4].

August 5

Printed the sumi on the 30, and scratched out a few more 'typhoons'.

August 6

Colours on the 30. These have turned out a bit better than the initial batch a week or so ago, but the black is still not what it could be. I'm beginning to think that a paper with stronger dosa may give a better impression to these thin, black lines. Whenever I start printing sumi, I warm up by printing on some white copy paper before attempting to print on the expensive washi. These warm-up copies are frequently much clearer and cleaner than the 'good' copies, and I think that it may be due to the fact that the paper is thin and 'hard'. Next time I'm in Tokyo, I'll pick up some different paper, and give it a try ...

August 7

Off to Tokyo. First stop - Muse, to arrange to buy wholesale the 'back-board' for the folders. They will give me 30% off the retail price of ¥210, which is OK, but not fantastic (Sekaido occasionally gives a 20% discount). I ordered 50 to be shipped out by parcel service.

Next stop - Matsuyoshi, for some pigments. Some of the small sample packages that I bought from them some months ago are almost empty, and now that I know which ones are most useful, I can get some larger quantities. I showed them the hanga set I carried with me, and they suggested displaying a print in their shop, along with contact information, etc. etc. Of course, I accepted with thanks. Tomorrow, I'll send them a sample print.

Next - off Matsuzaki-san's, to deliver his Semi Maru, and just to visit. He was printing Christmas cards (again!). We chatted for about an hour and a half. I discussed my recent thoughts on the dosa, and paper thickness, etc., and he agreed that my paper might be partly responsible for my general feeble impressions (but I doubt that it would give him any problems!). I enjoyed talking with him again, and feel a little sad that I'm stuck so far out of town and away from these guys. It would really help my work to be able to 'absorb' things from people like him on a more regular basis ...

Before I left he pulled open a drawer, pulled out a few prints he had made, and gave them to me (has he been talking to Seki-san?). They are beautiful - the 'O-hisa' print that I saw him printing at the Mainichi demo, and a couple of Yoshitoshi prints, one of which I have enjoyed in book illustrations, but never thought to own! The printing quality is very high, with very smooth, even colours. I also asked him for help making contact with a carver. I was specifically thinking of Ito Susumu, who is doing very high quality work, perhaps the best around, but he is apparently sick (I hope not dangerously!). He said he would set something up, and would call me later in the month.

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Last stop - Yamada paper company. I bought 100 sheets of the yellow torinoko paper for making folders (¥80 as compared to ¥120 at Sekaido), as well as some more tracing paper for hanshita making, and a few sheets of a thin, strongly-sized hosho paper for some sample printing. This all made a giant roll, that made me stagger on the way to Tokyo station, and left me weaving down the road from Ozaku station on my bike.