Barack Obama Postcards - Part 2 - Printing the Blocks

0/3 - This is it. I have to finish the printing tonight. I recarve the portrait block, willing my dull knife to work with me, praying for a steady hand to carve carefully around the eyes and nose. It works. 

I decide to carve out the face of the old block and use as the background. (I hate wasting blocks!) I was originally going to print one portrait block to save time. Really though, I always saw the image as 2 color, despite the challenges I knew I'd have lining them up. I know the extra time is worth it to be completely happy with the design.  And a big part of my focus in printing is staying on my learning edge - I know the practice of registering (aligning) the blocks will be good for me.

I take a big risk and cut off the block around the face, not even leaving a line. Now I have to line the blocks up well enough so that the red block forms the outline of the face. The heads of the two blocks are not the same shape, so I don't know exactly how this is going to work. I rush over to the IPRC to find out. 3.5 hours. 

Luckily no one else is printing this day, so I set up on 2 printers, knowing I am being a total hog! I need to see the alignment before I can print either block as I may need to carve more, and this seems the best way to do it. The background red block has to be square with the text, so I set that up first, run a few tests, then try to align the second block. This takes several hours, as I carve more, adjust more, print more. Thank goodness for lots of scrap paper at the IPRC! 

At one point I imagine Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and the unknown people involved in the civil rights movement. They fought and died for equality, and finally this amazing, inspiring African American leader has a good chance to be President of the United States. I have to honor this, and honor them, and him. I pray for patience, and a good eye to shift the pins holding the paper just that millimeter more that makes the image work. I keep calm and stay focused.

Finally, I am close. I print all the red blocks, yea! The friends I'm meeting for dinner both call that they are running late, so I print a few of the second block to show them. After a picnic dinner in the building lobby (long story, it's raining hard and we're all broke), and the art opening at Launchpad Gallery (the Dreams show is excellent), I come back at 11 PM to finish printing. 

11 PM is not my best time of night to solve registration issues, and it takes a while and a lot of scrap paper. I have to keep carving more off the portrait block - the shoulder needs to fit in the curve exactly. For some reason I am patient and trusting this whole day, and I accept my process as it is. It takes what it takes and I keep going. 

The BBC and I keep company. It's not as bad hearing about the American financial crisis from British announcers. Finally, just after midnight, I am done printing - 5.5 hours.  12:30 am, I head home, riding my bike in the dark after the rain. 

I love this print. It is so much better than I could have imagined - the heads not being the same size works perfectly and I wouldn't have planned it that way. I learned so much doing this, technically, and about trusting my creative process. I appreciate my commitment and focus. 

Senator Obama, thank you. I hope this honors you and helps your campaign. Godspeed, and of course, God bless America.