learning printing

i've made lots of flax paper this winter.
one mould,
custom made by britt quinlin the paperwright for a zone 4
and brush gallery project,
makes a dry sheet of about 10 x 24 inches.
the mould is unweildy and tricksy to use.
but i like it. 
working with the expert guidance of melissa schulenburg
i made some collagraphs 
about weave.
my living room furniture as drying rack. 
there was no way i could abandon these to the drying rack 
in the studio for five days,
they're too new and special for me.
and living with them helps me figure out the next steps.
dog kennels re-purposed.
 my living room includes two,
for the visiting setters,
gwen, who has made a happy comeback from her bad spell, 
and tess the princess birddog.
i opened up my sketchbook
looking for pulp stories
 and found this
from two winters ago.
a pulp herbal.
shanna's covered rock holding the page.
at school
the freshman group made 
super mokuhanga self portraits,
here are some of them.
and a warwick press surprise
i found in my mailbox.
a reflection on the times,
a poem, and this lovely, lovely landscape.
it feels like almost nothing in my hands,
so light and airy.
it's been a good week.

two books

wake robin
has produced a small edition
(two)
called
NOVEMBER SONG
 carol blinn of warwick press
provided typographic expertise
and, let's be honest,
the encouragement for me to have
mark tomlinson
build two boxes for these books.
 each book now lives
in a lovely soft, barely gold box
with carol's title page and colophon--
 and are now, 
here.
shown.
there are several gatefolds
so the book stands alone
as a map of my ecotone, new york's north country
plants, metals, fungi,
and mineral laden water.
(secrets and truths about here) 
 showing off the structure
and i show off the title on the box spine.
my
NOVEMBER SONG:
cave paper covers, 
presentation box by mark tomlinson,
typographic design by carol j blinn,
and
a plethora of ecoprinted arches velin (text wove) papers
 printed in the cold seasons before, 
bound in autumn of 2013,
and ready in june 2014.
part of the HORTUS SICCUS project
by me, 
velma bolyard.
two books.