in which it's all about houses indeed

i didn't get to buy lino blocks in the shop last weekend. all the more time to adress exhibition preps. i got going early sunday morning and chose to draw again the orangerie, a suburban beauty next a fishing pond in the borough of viane.

i hopped on the bus on monday and found my way to a sun smothered orangerie, jolting me into a state of bliss, just like the first time. later running into an aquaintance, visiting her house and studio, walking...  it was, by all means, a perfect morning.   

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to get myself sorted, i drew up a plan of my hometown and its adjoining villages. 
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at some point in 2014 i walked all those villages to shoot material for the project. 
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i've decided to include every village in the exhibition and i will honour their existence by making a new drawing for each one. there are fifteen boroughs, besides the city centre, adding up to 16 for '16!
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as i progress, i will colour in each village. yey!
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fyi, the blue line is the river, and the black dotted lines are railroad tracks. we live on the red x. ☺
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the week dragged on, leaving me little else besides office work, but in between tasks and chores my mind, soul and fingers wandered. by the time i got round to selecting project drawings to work on and from, the warm glow of recognition blanketed me.

i did find time to pour a {third attempt} gelli plate. this one almost came up trumps. chock-full of powdered gelatin it has just one slight underneath crack and a more important one to the side, which will hopefully make no difference when printing. 

i tried an old lino cut and various first prints. the gelli plate is a mesmerizing printing stratum. you can budget friendly pour it yourself and if the plate fails, which it did on numerous occasions, you simply start the melting process all over, adding gelatin. 

i'm so glad i didn't lose my nerve through several melts and cures. i'm finally upon joyful, experimental results. 

it is a great variation on a theme for me, while not straying too much off centre. and while waiting on new lino, he? 

please start an excellent week on monday, on the celebratory 2nd day of the dead. 

on these colourful memorial days only, i wish i was living closer to mexico. 

i'd love to dance 'tween some graves and celebrate. 

or have a picknick in a graveyard, in this mild weather! 

come and join me? X