I drove to Tuscaloosa yesterday--- just a leg in the journey towards learning all things letterpress. The director of the Book Arts program was kind enough to chew the fat with me over coffee, to give me a thorough tour of the classroom and equipment and to introduce me to students past and present. He showed me some incredible work completed as part of the program: one-of-a-kind pieces that marry together a diverse set of interests and talents. That's what Book Arts is all about. It's about converging interest in words, story, design and craftmanship. It's as hands on as you want to be in the process of writing, making paper, pressing each page, creating cover art work and book binding. It's the start-to-end process of having an idea and flushing it out. Oh, what a fine art it is!In my palm above is pictured a lump of blue jean fibers, ready for its next step of the papermaking process.
I hold it loosely.
The theme of my recent days has been to do just that. I've been chasing down experts in the printing field for months. Making calls, reading forums, visiting with those that know and are willing to share. I've been here, there and everywhere on the search for my own entree in to the art. And while I'm on the hot pursuit of knowledge and experience, I do it all with some trepidation.
I read this in my journal, as written just a few weeks ago:
The letterpress idea is still jazzing me up, though I'm confronted with my inadequacies every time I try to design something. I'm such a dive-in, learn-later kind of girl. But, I desperately long to be careful, more fastidious, more thoughtful on the front end. I want to learn how to do this the right way. Proverbs 19:2 says, "Desire without knowledge is not good. How much more will hasty feet miss the way!"
So, I am learning patience. I am thankful for the rungs of the ladder that have allowed me to make the climb to this point. I have built a castle in the sky. Now, I pray for the tools I need to build the staircase up to it.
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