Written on November 23, 1989 [Permalink]

November 18

Off to Sekaido in Tachikawa, to order some more frame sets. I'll need them for the coming display this Thursday. The lady from the women's group that is sponsoring the 'mini culture day' at the Community Center came round yesterday, and confirmed that I am to hang my stuff and, if I wish, give demonstrations of printmaking. Of course, that's exactly what I'd like to do, as not only might it attract a customer or two, but I'm running out of copies of many of the prints. A chance to take a day off work on Horikawa, and do some printing, is welcome. I normally have six classes on Thursday, and would have had to turn them down, but as that day is a holiday, the morning ladies English group has booked off. The other classes don't start 'till 5:30, so I have time to do the demo, and then zoom home to teach 5 classes ...

Looking around in Sekaido, I noticed a new type of baren on the shelf, a 'disc baren'. It's made of plastic, with a ridged bottom sheet, and as it looks like it might be useful, I picked one up. It would have been perfect for the kids demo last month, and may be useful for printing the sumi ban. Interesting that it only cost ¥2,000 and the new one from Gosho-san will set me back ¥50,000.

November 19

A couple of hours on the kimono pattern, finishing the flowers, and moved on to the next pattern, doing most of it except for a small section around the neck. Prepared 40 sheets of paper for a run of Dainagon Tsunenobu [1-3]. I'd like to keep carving and get back on schedule, but the stock situation is now critical. Recently, I've sent out a couple of prints that really shouldn't have gone. I'm sure that the customers aren't quibbling, but as my printing skills improve, I should be sending out prints that have been printed more recently. This is one reason that I'm not printing in batches of 100, like the 'big' boys do, as there is no sense in making that many copies, when in a short time I'll be making substantially better impressions.

November 20

A beautiful clear cold fall day, so off to Saitama-ken with Michiyo to pick up the baren (after she finished her tennis game!). As before, he was very congenial, and ready to 'talk prints' all day, if we had had time. The baren looked great, although not exactly what I had asked for. When discussing the order, he had recommended an '8 strand' type, but I had settled on a fairly strong 12 strand, thinking mostly of using it for large colour areas. It seems to me that he had agreed, but it turns out that he had gone ahead and made an 8 after all. It was interesting watching him tie the cover on. I've now had a chance to watch Seki-san, Matsuzaki-san, and now Gosho-san tie them, and they all use different techniques. The two printers work very rapidly, obviously taking a completely utilitarian point of view - get back to printing. Gosho-san works very slowly and methodically (at least while I was watching), and he seems more concerned with obtaining a picture perfect appearance. And it was! He also uses a stone to rub the skin instead of the standard Japanese scissors.I had taken my carving knives with me, and left with him the 'funny' ones that Usui-san had sent from Nagano-ken incorrectly last summer. I didn't want to make a fuss about them, but Gosho-san thinks that they will be happy to exchange them for the type that I want. He hauled out trays and trays of his knives for us to see. It seems as though he is more of a collector that a print maker, and obviously has a desire to own every type of tool that has ever been made for printmaking. They are all branded with his name and mark, as is every corner of every box and package. An enjoyable visit, and my first made-to-order baren!

Of course, when we got home I tried it out on the 40 sheets. It works fine, although it will certainly take some getting used to. I think that I'm tending to try and press too hard, and I think that as it becomes more familiar, it will do the job with very little pressure. The sumi (three impressions) turned out very well. When they were done, I prepared 40 more sheets to be ready for a printing of Tenji Tenno at the demo on Thursday.

November 21

Printed the colours on the 40, with no major problems. It's fantastic having such a selection of barens: the new one, the thin one from Seki-san, the 'shin-baren' that I bought from Bumpodo three years ago, the wide flat one I bought about seven years ago, and the little ¥2,000 plastic one from Sekaido last week. That one is a real surprise - it works like a dream! Next week when I get some time (hah!) I'll make some kind of box or case for them all, rather than just chucking them in a drawer (like the professionals do!).

In the evening, while Tsutomo-san was visiting, printed the sumi on the 40 Tenji Tenno [1-1]. I had promised myself a while ago that I would recarve the poem on this block before making any more copies, but I can't wait any longer. If any new customers sign up now, I have no copies to send them. It needs re-carving, as it was done about a year and a half ago - good for the time, but the more recent prints are much better done, and I feel that this one should match. There's no way that I can keep going back and re-doing all the work as I gradually get better, but this particular poem sticks out as being different (to me, anyway).

November 22

A total day of English, but one bright moment - the Takkyubin man brought a package of blocks from Ita Kane. Thank you Shimano-san! I didn't even have the time to open the box and see how they are!

November 23

The demonstration day at the community center. Arrived there at just after 9:00, set up, and started in on the Tenji Tenno colour blocks. For better or worse, very few people attended the event, and I don't think I talked to 50 people all day. The printing went very well, if 'somewhat' more tiring than usual, as the table was a good 20cm lower than my workbench at home. It was too low to print standing up, and too high to print sitting down! I got through all but the last block before it was time to pack up and come home for the evening classes, which ran 'till eleven, when Michiyo hit me with a translation (it's due tomorrow). A productive, if exhausting, day.