Written on June 24, 1991 [Permalink]

June 18

Prepared the prints for Ashida-san to insert into the folders, and then took off to Tachikawa to order another 10 frames. Nothing to do! Can't print, with English coming up for a couple of days, and can't start carving, as I don't have any blocks yet (as usual!).

June 19

Shipping day, with Ashida-san and Shintani-san wrapping it all up well before lunch. They've got it down pat now, spreading all the stuff they need in a large circle on the floor around them, and then digging in (Henry Ford couldn't organize it better).

'Interview' in the morning with Mr. Horisawa, from Tokyo City Hall, who had called a couple of days ago. It turns out that what they have in mind is a TV show (another one!), featuring me and probably Shimano-san and Matsuzaki-san. The Department of Public Affairs have some kind of a deal with Fuji TV, and run a regular show on Saturdays at (are you ready for it ...?) 6:30 in the morning. He was here on a scouting expedition today, and decided on the spot that I would be a suitable subject for the show. He will come out again next week or so, and bring with him a producer and 'scenario writer' to prepare an outline for the show. Filming would then be done sometime later, based on what we cooked up in that meeting. The show would be 14 minutes long. Actually, this could be interesting. It may be our first chance to get something produced that actually showed the project in some depth, rather than just simple shots of me working.

June 20

70 sheets wet for the second run on Harumichi [3-5]. Still no blocks here for the next one ....

June 21

Sumi on the 70. Paper a little wetter than I'd like, and the ink a bit thicker, but basically things went OK.

June 22

Supposed to be colours on the 70 today, but no go. The paper is really wet, seemingly even more so than yesterday, and when I tried priting, I just get soggy blotches. Where is the moisture coming from? Usually it's quite a bit drier the second day, even though I keep it tightly wrapped in plastic overnight. Obviously the pouring rain outside the last couple of days has an effect. I tried leaving the stack open for a couple of hours, but it refused to dry out, so I eventually interleaved the paper with sheets of dry newsprint, and wrapped it all up for the day. I suppose that tomorrow I'll find that it's too dry ....

June 23

Not at all. The extra newspaper seems to have soaked up the water, and everything was just about OK. The 70 went without problems. It's interesting to compare this experience with a similar situation last year (printing Hitomaro?). Then, I was fighting the whole thing. Now, I'm not fighting. Puzzled sometimes - yes, but not fighting. It's just a question of finding that 'yawarakaii' feeling.

Another thing that struck me today was the method of 'stroking' with the baren. Recently, I've been laying the paper down, and then making a series of strong side to side strokes first, covering the image area. This is then followed by tight circular rubbing over the pattern. The resulting colour is smooth and even. So? Well looking back in my notebook of 'hints' and comments from the people in Adachi's studio which I collected back on one of our trip to Japan (about seven or nine years ago?) I find that this is just the way that they told me to do it. So why has it taken so long to sink in?

Obviously, there is a time when you are ready to hear things. Back then, I didn't understand anything about woodblock printmaking, and I just wasn't able to tie together the things that they told me. It was all just a mass of small details. Sitting in a corner of their workshop and simply jamming away at it would have been a better way, looking over my shoulder all the time .... Still, at last I seem to be getting there. Years later than I could have been, but what's the hurry ...

June 24

Nothing to do! Printing all finished, but no blocks here yet for Ariwara [3-6]. Touched up the hanshita. It's not a good one this time, as the photograph from the Toyo Bunko is one of the ones done at less than 'full frame' size, and all the lines are fuzzy and indistinct. I guess one of these days I should bite the bullet, head down there and order some 4x5 sized negatives (at how many tens of thousands of yen each?)....