Written on April 30, 1991 [Permalink]

April 26

Another busy week... faxes flying back and forth from the Mainichi newspaper with corrections, etc. on next week's column; the carving for Shun-e hoshi well under way, with most of the kimono done; the carving on the chorus poster also coming along; and 30 more copies of Ki no Tomonori [3-3] printed (not without problems). There's also appointments for two visits in the next few days, Dan Fletcher coming tomorrow to learn how to print his own patterned paper for making kimono for his dolls, and then the Kawanaka family on Monday, for a 'get-acquainted' visit.

The problems in the printing were with the sumi again (what a surprise!). Lots of sumi - blotches. Less sumi - white patches. Do I have to use a calibrated eyedropper each time? I think I managed to get the 20 copies I need to make up the full 100 for the month (actually it's about 115 that I need - 100 for customers, 8 or 9 freebies, and 5 or 6 for my own files).

An interesting note came in during the week from Mr. Sugimori, one of the new 'Serai' customers. He responded to my descriptive sheet accompanying the Tomonori print with a five line poem of his own. I don't understand it very well, but it should make a good item for the next newsletter ....

A letter also came from Usui-san the knife maker enclosing a few 'odds and ends' blades that he had around, and commenting on the last newsletter. I think that we'll try this summer to spend a week or so up there. I'd like to see something more of the steel making, and get to know him a bit better. We wrote a letter asking if he knew of somewhere we could stay ....

I guess the most interesting contact this week though, was the article in the Japan Times about David Stones in Aichi ken. I almost choked on my granola when I turned the page and saw a photo of a gaijin printmaker hunched over his bench. Another printmaker ... English printmaker ... David ... Japanese wife ... It was like reading an article about myself. Some of the quotes are word for word the same as what I have been saying myself: 'keep the craft going' ... 'love to help others get started' ... Of course, I called him up right away, and we have arranged to go down there to see him on or about the 13th of next month. He sounds very personable and cheerful. I sent him a package of information about my project the next day, along with a couple of prints. It'll be interesting seeing his stuff. I don't know beans about the 'shading' printing style that he seems to use (going by the tiny picture in the paper), and maybe I can get some advice on this poster project!

April 29

Finished the carving on the poster block yesterday, and took some transfer copies for pasting on the colour blocks (plywood boards, this time). It's a bit awkward, as the outline block was too narrow to hold the entire image, and some of the lines have to be drawn on the boards by hand. I'm going to try and get away with eight colour blocks, and probably ten or eleven printings. Don't have any idea at all what it's going to look like .....

Saturday was the visit from Dan Fletcher, the American doll maker. We went through the usual routine, and he tried printing the colours on Ki no Tomonori. He wasn't so bad, but I think that now that he realizes how much work is going to be involved in getting to the stage where he can make presentable 'fabrics' for dressing his dolls, he may reconsider his plan for doing it himself. I don't know if he'll actually take this up or not. I think we'll hear more from him in the future.

Today was the day for the Kawanakas to come over. This one was good fun. They were here from about 10:30 until about 5:00, playing games and puzzles, walking in the park, and printing CatBus copies for everyone. They seem like pretty straight ahead people, and we hit it off well. I still don't really have a good picture of just why he started collecting the prints. He is a typical salaryman type, working for a giant corporation, getting home at midnight, etc. What is the attraction for him? His daughter Tomoko is apparently quite interested in learning how to make better prints than she has been able to produce in school, and I'll have to try and give her a hand. (Correspondence training ...?) Everybody's handmade print came out very well, and I think I've got enough ideas for the column on them in the next newsletter. It's too bad that they live just too far away to drop by more often ....

April 30

Letter from Yamaguchi-san with the bill for an upcoming shipment of 200 sheets of washi. They are apologetic, but the price is going up again - to 515 yen this time. When we started with them just two years ago it was 360 yen. I guess they are having trouble finding sources of good kozo. Just what I need. Bad dreams about woodblocks one night - paper the next. Should I start looking for my own sources of supply? Didn't have much luck with the cherry trees .... yet.

This weeks Monday Mailing (one day late because of the holiday) was to the gallery in the new Tokyo City Hall.