Written on August 19, 1989 [Permalink]

August 14

A postcard today from Fujimori-san. It seems that he just wants the one print that I sent, and not a subscription. I can't very well ask him to send it back (!), so I guess he's our first (and I hope, only) 'single print' customer.

Carving, carving, carving - and finished the poem.

August 15

Spent the whole day carving the border outline. Every time I do this, I promise myself that I will make a separate block for the border, to use for all the prints ... maybe next time ...

In the afternoon, a phone call from a Mr. Tanaka, in Fukushima. He saw the 'Foto' ... Sent off a Tenji Tenno sample pak. Twelve?

August 16

Trip to Tokyo. It's been a long time now since those flyers went off the the TV programs, and I really can't believe that they don't think that this is an interesting project. Maybe they don't read their mail? Maybe it never got past the girl who opens the packages? The other day in the newspaper, an article mentioned the name of the public relations director for NHK. so I went down there to see if he could give me the names of some of the people who might be in a position to consider my stuff for inclusion in one of their programs. He was a bit puzzled by my request, but came up with the names of two producers. He wouldn't get involved directly, but suggested that I write again, this time using the names.

Next stop - Ota Ukiyo-e Museum in Harajuku. They apparently have some Shunsho books in their collection, and maybe (maybe!) they would let me in to see them. As I expected, the answer was no, but they promised to think things over, and give me a call if they could find some way ...

Started carving the colour blocks. There will be six colours, on two pieces of wood.

August 17

Mailed letters and print samples to the two NHK producers. Also sent off prints to a couple of the customers (I have to keep perusing the customer notebook regularly to see who is due).

Paid the ¥120,000 (gulp!) to Kogado for the 50 folders. This money came from the print sales, and I think that sales will support all the print-making expenses from now on. With 12 customers, I think it will. The next 28 customers will support us!

August 18

The next four blocks arrived from Ita Kane today. These blocks should have been here last July 15th, according to the schedule arranged with Shimano-san. I hope he's not going to be this late very often, as I don't have any stock of blocks on hand, but use them as they come. If we get a bunch of customers waiting, and he doesn't come through one month ... I also hope that he can wait a few days for the payment, as that money for Kogado yesterday pretty well cleaned me out ...

I used one of the blocks for the second colour block for the current print, and finished it. Also prepared paper, and printed the labels for the 50 new cases - using some of the paper from Yamaguchi-san that is just too thick for my regular print work.

A phone call today came from an American gentleman who is currently visiting Japan (as a tourist). I don't know how he got my name, but he wants to visit a printmaker, and get information on supply sources. I set up for him to visit tomorrow morning (with his wife).

Went to the local copy machine and ran off 50 or so of each of the poem labels that go in the print folders. I've been running them off in ones and twos as I need them, and it's been wasting time ... Prepared 10 sheets for a sample run of Kiyohara no Motosuke tomorrow.

August 19

Our visitors today were a John Suttle and his wife from Oregon. They also brought along a young Burmese man they met on the train (pretty boring for him, I think!). They were very friendly, but only spent a few hours with us. He mostly wanted information on what tools to get, and where to get them. I think he hasn't done much of this work yet, but seems willing to get going and try some. He apparently got my name from some kind of tourist office somewhere in town. Do they collect newspaper clippings for sources? After they left in the afternoon, printed the sumi on the 10 Motosukes. It seems to be a relatively easy one to print, unlike the Semi Maru.

August 20

Ran the colours. No big problems, but somehow it seems a little like a kids colouring book. The colours don't seem to be balanced together well ... The grain of the wood blocks is also showing through strongly, not a long stripy grain, but little pores all across the surface. The pigment seems to fill these pores, and then transfer to the paper surface leaving a dark mark. Will they gradually fill up as the block gets older? ...