A Very Long Day

 

I'm not kidding- this was a very long day.  I was awake and up a little past 7 am, so I could get everything done that I needed to before leaving.  Left on time, drove to Ocean Grove, got there just before 9 am, and my day was just beginning.

Nichole arrived just moments after I did, so I let her open up and turn off the alarm.  I took two trips to get everything in, though some of that was for later.  I rearranged the furniture there in my classroom, then set up my still life.  Some of my favorite props are still in storage, but after looking at drawings of similar past projects, I was able to find enough other things to have a similar still life set up.  For the first time in weeks, I had 4 students, but still there was room for people to pick spots as they arrived.  Simple pencil line drawing, but as they discovered, what should be simple shapes are not always so easy to draw.  Just did the one drawing over two hours, and all were surprised that they did fine, but at the end the drawings were the proof.  Told them that next week was the last week of our first 6, and we would use charcoal, so they are prepared.

I cleaned up my classroom, opened the door for someone who was banging on the door at the top of the ramp, and talked to a few people already walking around.  Brought some things to my car, then headed downstairs for item #2 of the day, the open studio event.  There were a number of barriers around the basement, but nothing I couldn't push through, so I went to my space.  Found some sandpaper and sanded to backs of my newly cut wood blocks, then it was time to draw.  I will save details on the new block for a post of its own.  During the three hours or so that I was down there, I had maybe 10 people wander through, which was a good as I could have expected.  In general, people were very impressed with the building, both for the artists and the structure.  A lot of questions about classes, but I could only tell what I knew, which wasn't much.  As an example of a print and its block, I selected something I had there, the new version I did a few years ago of Moving Day.  As usual, people were impressed that I was doing woodcut, a process that seems difficult and challenging, but I know that its all about drawing, the division of positive and negative space, and that the technology hasn't really changed in 500 years.  They were also impressed that I did everything as a mirror image.  This was emphasized if they saw a supermarket block, and realized that all the lettering was backwards.

Around quarter after 3 I put away my materials, locked up and turned out the lights, and headed upstairs.  Time for item #3, closing reception for the tenants show, up since February. Not a lot of people there, other than the people who were also there for the open studios, which was also still going on for some.  Cheese, crackers, and thick sliced soppressata, and assorted beverages, was out for those who wanted it  Some people asked about my woodcut prints, and one guy even wanted to see the Studio and any prints I had there, so I considered it an extension of the open studio and did so.  Maybe he'll take a class in the future- he asked about those.  

There was also a cake, but Nichole wanted to wait until Joe, our open studio organizer, was present to cut it.  He had people up in his space for the open studios, and wasn't ready to come down.  But eventually he did, and thus we had item #4, the final toast and the taking down of the artwork.  So I had a toast (non-alcoholic, since that is all we are legally allowed to serve there in Ocean Grove), a piece of cake, and then it was time to start taking down the artwork.  I had brought all my packing material with me (plastic, bubble wrap, etc), but I couldn't remove my pieces from the wall from the ground, so I waited for help.  After we were done with the celebration, Nichole brought the staircase/ladder around, and Tony volunteered to go up and take the wires off the hooks.  He handed the works to me, and I carried them quickly to the art classroom I had used hours earlier.  Nichole had given me permission to keep things there overnight, but I wanted to take care of it on the spot.  Two pieces were wired to hang on the hooks, so I quickly removed those wires and gave them back to Nichole.  I put the color piece down in my studio. as once I get my paper, I'm going to try printing some new copies for the sale I have lined up.  

I carried the rest of my stuff to my car, and now I was finally ready to leave.  Was home by about 6:30, which these days is still daylight.  Brought into the house what I could carry, left the rest in the car for now.  Saw that my new paper had arrived, but I was too tired to open the package.  I can wait until tomorrow.