Boardwalk Bar part 18

 I decided that the next logical step would be to ink up this block and see what I had.  I knew I had enough paper and ink to do the job, so getting those ready was my first step, once I got to the Studio.  Got out my printing tools, and started the process.  It wasn't easy.  First proofs are always the most difficult, and the slight curvature of the block proved to be more a problem than expected.  This now has me reconsidering the use of other pieces of lauan for making more prints.  Although my clamps and such have improved the situation of this wood some, some areas of the block were just hard to ink.  

For the purposes of printing, I used a sheet of newspaper on top of the Japanese okawara I printed this boardwalk print on.  However, I decided that I wasn't getting the best results, so I ended up removing the newsprint and just rubbing the paper directly.  This turned out not to be a problem, and I had no tears of the paper occur.  I ended up re-inking a lot, which may be because it was the first proof, or maybe because of the slight curve, or maybe both.  I wouldn't say the resulting proof is perfect, but it is good enough for practicing colors.  Results are below:

My plan right now is to go back to the block when it dries and cut a little more.  Most of this is details that filled in as part of the inking, though some of this is some minor changes I may make.  Although I blotted the block before I left, I probably won't try to cut anymore until a week has passed, to give it a little more time to dry.  Same for the proof- probably want to wait at least a week before I try coloring it, so I put that in the rack to dry.  

For music today I planned to go with all Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, what with two albums worth of material in my storage box.  In both cases, the desired album was the second one on the disc, so I had to skip to the later section each time.  The first disc I tried started with 100 Days, 100 Nights, an album I know well as I actually have an official copy of my own (see June of 2019 on the blog to find out more).  However, it came with a bonus track I didn't know, so I started listening to it there.  All well and good, but the next song stopped and I couldn't get the disc to play after that.  Remembering what happened last time, I put in one of Molly's discs (Doolittle, from the Pixies, written about back in June of 2023), let that play, then put in my Sharon Jones disc, and listened to Dap-Dippin, With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, their first album from 2002.  No problems.  When that ended I advanced to the 13th song of a second disc to listen to the 2014 album Give the People What They Want (a title I believe was used by the Kinks for an album they put out in the 80's, but you can't copyright a title).  Both albums sounded like typical Dap Kings albums, but I like that so it wasn't a problem.  I guess I slightly preferred the second album, but I'd listen to both as music to make art to.