winter tracks
My prints for the gocco swap are finally in the mail. As the organizer, it's a tad embarrassing to admit that I was eight days late in sending off my goods. I was set back by a self-inflicted bout of last-minute-itis paired with technical difficulties. Despite the delay, I'm pleased with the results.
I originally set out to make a print with multiple screens. I hadn't ever done this before and wanted to stretch myself a bit with the swap. But the image I had in my head I couldn't wrestle onto paper.
Then I happened upon the tracks of pigeons near a bridge I often cross on my morning walks with the dog. I knew I had found it. 
I snapped a dozen or so photos and somehow figured out the very most basics of photo-editing to invert and clean the image for the screen. Then I ran into some problems. I printed the image on my HP inkjet which, according to many, works just fine. But I couldn't get the image to burn onto the screen. I ran through all of my bulbs and still a blank screen. A panicked order was placed with Wet Paint for more supplies and I set out to find a photocopier so that my image would be ready when the delivery arrived.
A few days later I burned the screen without incident and started on the printing. My inks are stored, with most of my craft stuff, in my mostly unheated attic. I quickly learned that the inks aren't as cooperative when they're cold, which really should have been obvious. While I was frustrated by this at first, it ended up adding an unexpected element to the printing process. 
The shimmering blue I mixed from silver, white and konjou blue ended up relatively solid for the first part of the print run; but when I reinked the screen, subtle variations of blue became apparent across the following prints. The more I printed, the more I imagined the prints to be like those actual tracks. With time and temperature the snow would melt, revealing more and more of the surface beneath. Fitting too, I think for the mid-winter theme.
If you haven't yet, check out the flickr group for the swap. The creativity of the group continues to amaze me. While I imagined that there would be a range of things produced and shared, I didn't expect that so many would also share their processes in making their items - in many cases the photos have links to their blog posts about the inspiration and actual crafting of the images. Be sure to check these out too.
Many have asked if there will be another gocco swap. I'm planning on it. There won't be a seasonal theme though -- I now realize that the notion of mid-winter was the last thing many wanted to think about, especially those in the southern hemisphere! I tend forget that winter doesn't last for six whole months in much of the world... I'd love to hear feedback on this swap and also suggestions for the next one. In the meantime, many, many thanks to all of the swap participants for making this swap a success!!
