Love in Vain part 8

 

Back at it one more time.  Not much left on this latest block- mostly words, and I find letters to not be much of a challenge.   A lot of people ask me how I do all the lettering, which has to be backwards as per the way relief prints work.  I've done this so long that I can block print backwards just as fast as I can do it forwards, and cutting out a shape is cutting out a shape- whether a letter is backwards or forwards makes no difference.  

But first I had to take care of something else.  Actually got an email from Molly last night, partly a response to my questions about the upcoming holiday craft fair and open studio at the building, and partly some issues she has had with the alarm system that she wanted me to ask about next time I was there.  That may be because I actually know the people in the office, or it may be because I'm generally there during the day when the office is open, while Molly is there at night when no one is around.  So I stopped by the office and took care of the alarm questions. Then I got to work in my Studio.

I had brought with me my Jazz/Blues book of discs, and from that I selected a home burned collection of Duke Ellington, from a double disc set called The Essential Duke Ellington.  Going from 2 discs to one, obviously I couldn't include everything, so I picked my favorites (tend to be earlier ones) and put as many on a blank disc as it could hold.  Not really blues, but I do like the big band sound as well, and these are mostly instrumentals anyway.  (occasionally there are some vocals, but in this era of big bands, vocalists were just another instrument in the band, and never were the band leaders, who were typically musicians who took the responsibility to be in charge, and were responsible for hiring all the parts, selecting arrangements, and playing with the band itself)  And if you don't know what Duke Ellington sounded like in his prime, you need to go listen to some and come back here after that.

I started where I left off- the lyrics that I was illustrating.  I had a word or two left in the upper line, so I did that, and moved on to the lower line.  Lettering is not exciting, but methodical, and eventually it all got done.  The disc wasn't over yet, so I went on to the other bit of lettering that remained- the designation/logo of the Illinois Central railroad.  As I wrote before, I chose that as my railroad as it was the train that passed through Carbondale regularly, and it was one that stopped in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Johnson's home base.  The disc ended, so I cleaned up, took the above photo showing today's progress, and went on to my next stop.

I think this block is done being carved, but I took it home with me to look over.  If it is done, or I can finish whatever needs to be done there, my next time in the Studio I'll be starting something new.