17 October 2005

Under the Same Moon



"Everyone everywhere loves the same moon."

I'd be way out of my league trying to carve that sentence in wood, but I wanted it in the art, so I used an archival-quality pigment stamp pad and a cool little rubber stamp alphabet to print it.

Drying these prints flat was really tough. I got a lot of help from folks on the Baren Forum and ended up using illustration board and blotters. I came out with some wrinkles, but given how this paper was looking while it was wet, I'm pleased with the flatness I managed to get. If you click on the scan above it will take you to the Flickr! web site where you can click on a button that says "All Sizes" to see a larger version. Then you can really see the wrinkles!

I wouldn't recommend this paper for moku hanga. I may have been rubbing too hard with the baren and I may have had the paper too wet - I'm too inexperienced to evaluate these things very well. But even if both those things are true, I didn't rub any harder than I've rubbed when using Rives and the paper was definitely not "wet-wet," just damp, so it must be pretty unforgiving paper.

I'll be shipping out 31 of these prints within the next couple of days for Baren Exchange #26.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie,

It's true! Every now and then the moon does a trick to your breath away. Last night the full moon came over a hill in the park and it hovered on the skyline looking hugely pregnant. It sat for a moment, glued to the horizon. Just then a jogger ran through the view and was entirely dwarfed by size of the moon. We walkers turned to each other in amazement - did you see the moon? Wasn't it amazing!

Lovely print.

Unknown said...

U have a beautiful blog!!

Cin said...

I love everything about this, most especially the concept. Wonderful Annie B.

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie,

As usual, I'm the last on Baren to see and comment on anythng because I get the digest version of baren forum, and I am not always at home. In any event, I love your Moon print, even if the paper did not cooperate.

Carol in Sacramento

Anonymous said...

Hi Annie,
After 9 straight days of rain, I've been basking in moonlight these past few nights. What a surprise to check into your blog and find the moon! Gorgeous - the whole block - color, design and thought. Kathy

Annie B said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone. Tom, you and I saw the same beautiful October moon, you in Australia and me in New England! How amazing is that! and how many other people saw it too, all over the world.

Wish I was going to be in the all-moku-hanga exchange with you and Carol. Can't wait to see all those prints.

Catnapping said...

this turned out great.

i like that you included the moon. this is the month of ramadan.

brava.

Anonymous said...

I love the thought of the same beautiful moon being seen by everyone ... this is a beautiful print (wrinkly or not!)

oshareneko said...

Those are lovely.