Written on November 5, 1990 [Permalink]

October 31

Mrs. Hashizume, in the Oya-ko English class today, asked me to prepare a set of all the prints to date. Apparently her mother wants to buy them. I don't know if this will become a subscription, or be simply a one-shot deal. It'll sure help the bank book for the trip!

Phoned Yamada and ordered some paper for making little folders for selling the prints in LA and Vancouver. There's no way I want to use the big heavy folders I've been using for the subscribers ...

Can't do any carving with no blocks, so catching up on odds and ends. Got the envelopes ready and labelled to mail the next newsletter, prepared the prints for Hashizume to pick up next week, and wrote a little bit of stuff for the Spring newsletter. Newsletter photos still not ready.

November 1

The photo store called to say the prints were ready at last, so I dashed down and picked them up, and then did the final layout of the newsletter. In the morning I'll get it off to Sun Print. With three weeks left before we go, there should be plenty of time to get it all wrapped up before we leave.

November 2

First thing in the morning, dropped the newsletter copy off at the printer. He says it'll be ready on the 16th. I sure hope so. Last time he was more than a week late, and if he does that again, I won't have time to get it ready before leaving.

Two blocks also arrived this morning from Shimano san. One colour, one sumi. Of course, pasted down the transfers and got carving! It's good to have the sumi block on hand. That means that I can get started on next year's stuff as soon as we get back. Right now, I'm just about three months ahead - with Hitoshi [2-10] nearly finished, the next print isn't due until February the 15th! I certainly don't want to wait until the middle of January though, before starting it. It feels great to be ahead of the game, and I'd like to stay that way.

November 3

Babysitting today (Michiyo is working at the Sangyosai), but got a bit of carving done in the evening.

November 4

Kid's hanga day at the Kominkan. It went much better than last week, with just about everybody getting a very good impression. This time it was indoors because of heavy rain, and that made it a bit easier to keep things going. The blocks didn't dry out as quickly as they did last week out in the sunshine. After everything was all over, there was a bit of a party upstairs, and I had to 'say a few words' to the assembly. (mumble, mumble, mumble) This kids hanga thing is obviously going to become an annual institution.

[ Cat Bus picture ...]

60 sheets wet in the evening.

November 5

The moment I've been dreading.... another solid black kimono. As it turns out, they're 'OK'. None of them are as smooth or deep as the black that Matsuzaki-san demonstrated for me a few months ago, but at least they are relatively clean and even. I tried what I could remember of his 'formula': lots more water, lots more sumi, lots more nori, lots more 'ude. I'd better start getting better at these black ones, because there's a lot more to come.

Finished the carving of the colour blocks. As I wrote in the little sheet that is to accompany this print to the customers, I didn't alter the carving error on the brown block of the original print. Michiyo thought that I should 'fix' it, but I feel more comfortable leaving it in place. It adds a personal touch.

Took the negatives for next year's set down to the photo store and ordered 10 enlargements. If I wait until we get back from Canada for this, I'll end up getting delayed by new year ..

November 6

Colours on the 60. Had a bit of trouble settling on a colour for the checkerboard pattern. The original is so faded I can't make out what it originally was, and my first few attempts looked funny, but I finally settled on a vague light brown.