Boardwalk Days part 20

 A potential problem with all prints is inking those borders, especially if there is nothing else really in that area.  The problem comes because the brayer is about 4 inches wide, and the process of inking is much easier if both ends of the brayer can be resting on uncut wood.  Besides the aesthetic value of having large shapes of black throughout the print composition, having some large black shapes around provides a spot for the brayer to rest while narrow areas (like border lines) are being inked.  One thing I noticed about this latest boardwalk print is that there was one potential problem area.

There is an area of open sky in the left side panel, above the bicycle rider and below the airplane.  It may be possible to ink both those interior boarder lines (the diptych format for this series) with the rest of the brayer resting on Convention Hall in the right panel, but I'd rather be safe and have something on the left side as well.  I considered putting a cloud over there, but I haven't in any other boardwalk prints, and don't want to set a precedent here.  I could just leave an uncut area that takes ink and is taped over for the purpose of printing, but that becomes a last resort.  What I came up with instead was the idea of putting some flying birds over there.  Gulls are a frequent fixture on boardwalks, and I have occasionally used them in prints for that reason.  I remember once being followed around on a beach in Ocean Grove (right next to Asbury Park) by sea gulls, as I was searching for shells for my 3D class. (I suspected they were hoping I'd give them some food) So why not just borrow from a previous work?  All of my previous boardwalk prints are either in the basement or the show in Ocean Grove, but there is a copy of my tower piece hanging in the dining room where I live these days, and that includes some gulls flying and walking around near the bottom of the composition.  Copied a few of the flying ones into my sketchbook before leaving for the Studio this morning.

It was a sunny day when I arrived, plenty of parking.   No Molly, so I could listen to music, but had not brought a book of discs with me today, so I had to rely on what I had there.  From that pile I selected my Bob Marley disc, which is mostly Babylon By Bus, along with a live song from another album to fill the space on the disc- written about back in October of 2021 if you want to know more.  Had a few tasks to take care of once I got there.  First was putting in some flying gulls in that empty section of sky.  Just placeholders really, as I will probably go back later and redraw them with better detail.  But it looks like they will do the job I want them to, so I think the idea is sound.  The results of today's sketches can be seen below:

I like it enough that I will probably add a few gulls on the ground, which will likely come from the same print. 

Next up was to prepare a block for the next Robert Johnson print.  I have an idea (lyric and image) for the next print, assuming I find a suitable model.  I don't know when that will be, but I can get the wood ready for when I do.  I still haven't heard anything from the organizer yet about the show, but I may as well be ready.  That includes whether this piece is meant to be horizontal or vertical, so for now I guess it's my choice.  Vertical seems more practical, and most of his work in the past used the portrait format, but the one of mine that he said he liked best was one that was landscape (or horizontal), so for now I have a choice.  This new one seems like it will be best as a horizontal, so that's what I prepared today.

Simple enough, I used the other horizontal block to roughly trace the size of wood I would need, and then the metal straightedge (also a ruler) to measure out the proper size rectangle for the print image, as well as leaving space for the block printed lyrics that I will include in case I need them someday.  As for what these will be, I'll save that for when I start drawing the actual block.

My other task for today was to finish labeling the three prints I am sending to Virginia. The proofs are printed and dry, the editions are numbered, but I hadn't titled or signed them yet, so that was done today.    I still want to try to remove a few spots of ink, but before then I may try to contact my potential purchaser and let her know they are ready to go and verify how she wants to proceed.  Took a photo of the done works so I can send that to her later:

That was enough for now.  I do have plans for each block, so next time I go I know what to do.