Written on April 20, 1991 [Permalink]

April 16

Prepared the hanshita for Shun-e Hoshi [3-4], pasted him down, but didn't start carving yet. I'll have to set him aside for a bit while I get started on the poster for the Mama Chorus. I promised them last year that I would help out this year, and it's time .... They've chosen a design from a library book, and I'm to carve and print it - a hundred copies. It should be an interesting job, as the printing style is totally different from my usual 'flat colour' work. Actually, I don't know if I can do it! In any case, got started on the carving, using a thin sakura board given to me by one of the guests at the gallery in January ....

April 19

Off to Tokyo, to stop in at the Toyo Bunko, and then the Kumiai dinner. It's been more than a year since I saw the Shunsho book, and it was very enlightening to compare my pile of prints with the originals. Mine are way more attractive! Actually that's not fair - the original book was printed with few colours, in a small size, and has faded very badly. Perhaps in two hundred years, my prints won't be much to look at either .... The carving though, is amazing. How did he get the knife so sharp? Why didn't it break when he went round the tight corners? Why is there no tamari on the sumi lines? How did he get the lines so thin and even? Last week I was thinking that the hair on Ki no Tomonori was pretty good. What a joke!

I spoke to Koyama-san about switching some of the old prints in their set for some newer printings. I hesitate to think what some of them must look like. No go. Once they get something in 'stock' and catalogued - it stays. He understood my feeling, but it was obvious that there was no way that it would be possible. At least those future viewers will be able to see the progression of my printing skills!

The kumiai dinner was pretty much the same as the last ones I've been to. They have their standard formula, and nothing ever changes. Ishii-san asked me again if I wanted to join, and I signed on. Itt was a bit embarrassing, as Noguchi-san (kaicho) waived the 'nyukaikin', and Shimano-san stood up and said that he would pay my first year dues. My protestations were totally ignored. I wonder when was the last time somebody joined .....? The old ones are dying faster than new ones are joining, and I guess the end is not too far off .... These guys have absolutely no idea about P/R, and how to get some attention. We'll see if we can't perhaps light a bit of a fire under things .... later, when I speak the language better, and when I've become more accepted. New kids don't suggest anything in Japan.

April 20

One busy day - Fumi's birthday party in the morning, and the taping for 'Kyo no Dekigoto' in the afternoon. It went pretty much the same as the previous tapings, a few shots of carving and printing, an unintelligible 'interview', and shots of the finished prints. They wanted to see all the stuff done so far, and we spread them all out on the tatami mats, stood the camera up on the big workbench, and panned over the whole bunch - 23 of them. That's starting to be one impressive pile of prints! Broadcast is scheduled for Thursday night. Eto-san, the producer, seemed quite interested in the newsletter, and may be putting a bit in the program that 'Interested viewers should contact David .....' May. I'll believe it when I see it. In any case, another interesting day, and another cassette for the shelf (I hope).