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I had been planning this
next print for a long time - it used a very large
block that I had specially ordered from Shimano-san
during that Japan trip. It is a reproduction of one
of the famous 'Kaigetsudo' prints from the early
1700's, and stands 63 centimetres high.
When I look at the block now, I can see that I
had yet to learn about the larger 'clearing'
chisels that were used, and I can see the
innumerable marks in the wood where I had cleared
away vast areas of unneeded wood with a tiny 6mm
chisel, the largest that I had. Why on earth didn't
I have the brains to go out and buy a larger
chisel?
But it didn't much matter how long it took to
carve, because once I started printing I ran into
real problems. A block this large must be printed
very quickly, and with a good large brush, or the
printer will have endless trouble with portions of
the wood drying out while still inking other parts.
I certainly wasn't able to work quickly, nor did I
have the sense to try and locate a larger brush. I
still have those original tools here now, and when
I try to imagine carving and printing this
block with them I can do nothing but shake my head
in wonder. What was that boy thinking ...
(click image for a larger
version in a 'popup' window)
But I did manage to pull a few copies that I
thought were presentable, hung one up on the wall
in our little apartment, looked at it, and thought
long and hard ... surely people would be
interesting in buying one of these, wouldn't they?
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