Supermarket Fireworks

With the narwhal project winding down, it's a good time to start thinking about the next woodcut.  Have a few possibilities, but I believe the next project will be a new supermarket print.  I wrote recently about running across a "fireworks" display in my local supermarket, which qualifies as an unusual thing, which is one of the reasons for selecting a scene for this series.  (Today also seems like an appropriate day to talk about such an image.)  One thing that makes it unusual is that most fireworks, fire crackers, or any recreational explosives have always been illegal in this state.  In fact, I've seen ads promoting pop-up fireworks stores just over the state line, usually around this time of year.  Some research I did at the time showed that our previous governor had legalized certain items as one of his last acts in office, though not really "fireworks", or what people expect of such things.  Anyone who buys fireworks from their local supermarket deserves what they get, and from what I read, what they will get is some oversized sparklers.  Of course a lot of products don't live up to the hype that comes with them, but that's not part of this series.

Also interesting to me was the prominent "no smoking" signs near the display, which was in the middle of a seasonal aisle, not regular items found year round, but things that have limited time appeal.  Lot of beach stuff, as one might find in beach towns- pails and shovels, folding chairs, coolers, etc.  Some stores will carry packages of ping pong balls, but no rackets or nets, since only the  balls are needed for a popular drinking game that almost every beach rental will have.  I don't believe any supermarket allows smoking anywhere inside, so the signs are mostly to promote the "explosive" nature of the products.

So I have started the process of sketching ideas on paper. Above are two such examples from earlier this week.  These go with a standard cardboard display containing the devices.  I had copied down a lot of names on the items, but I won't be using them directly. That's more to see what kind of names are used and to create names with similar appeal for the products of my supermarket.  (you'll see those when we get to that stage of the block drawing)  Background shelves will have the other seasonal items.  One thing that I've been playing with so far is the presence of smokers who look guilty for having accidentally set off some fireworks, and I anticipate that something will be launching from my depicted display.  Another idea is to have a bakery section nearby, with a display that includes a cake decorated with lit sparklers.  Not that I have seen any of these items in a supermarket, but "what if" ideas are allowed and have been part of many prints.  Actually I have seen sparklers on a cake, which we did once at an on location critique group, part of a plan to honor a member who had recently gotten married. This was not a good idea, and I don't recommend it.

Looked spectacular, but the house rapidly filled with smoke and we feared setting off an alarm and bringing the fire department. (got the windows open and cleared the smoke rapidly so it didn't happen)  And quickly the top of the cake was covered with ash, so we had to clean all that off the icing before we ate it.  But after that it tasted fine.  If my inclusion of such a scene convinces people not to try it themselves, then it was worth it.

Been busy with a lot of projects the past week, but woodcut classes start next week, so it seems a good time to prepare a new block and start sketching out the idea.  As all that develops, you'll see it here.