Pushing myself

Russian Doll Block
Originally uploaded by m.Lee

My little Russian darlings are complete and will hopefully be covered with a layer of ink at some point today. While I know this design is quite simple this was not an easy piece to carve at all because of my bright idea to use a different type of wood than normal. I always, with very few exceptions, use a soft yet sturdy plywood called Shina that I mail order. It is what I am used to and I am pretty good at handling it. Students that are nervous about carving wood use shina for the first time and are shocked by how well it carves, better than linoleum if you ask me. But a friend sent me some hardwoods to experiment with many months ago and I figured I might as well try it now. I'm thinking this was a mistake. This cherry plank is very beautiful but it is also very hard. Not a good thing for somebody eight months pregnant in the middle of the summer heat. And I carve standing up, I don't get proper leverage when I try to carve sitting down. Carving this piece in shina would have been so easy compared to what I went through to get this cherry carved. But it is done and I am pleased. Maybe it will be worth it when I see it printed.

I have this snake drawn on one side of a 6"x6" block that is carved. I was planning on carving it when I realized that the position is wrong so now I really should erase it and redraw it moved over a tad. I can't find an eraser anywhere in my studio.

Yesterday Maeby made off with the anglefood cake that we had to go with the extra yummy locally grown strawberries. I'm sad and it also made her fart later that night. Wonderful! The baby is moving around more and more. When Jon feels her moving his eyes get all big and he looks both excited and very scared. Me too except I can't stop feeling her like he can.

I have a doctors appointment that I need to get ready for. I want to get some packages together before I leave since the PO is just across the street. I overslept.