A Thousand Pictures and Some Words

Greetings from Penland! For the first time since last weekend, I now have unencumbered hours of rest to sit in the shade of a glorious maple with a mountainscape laid out before my eyes. Sundays are my days off from work, and while the studio is open for usage during the weekends, I've come to realize that if I don't sit down to record and reflect on this experience, it will pass me by without seeping in. I desire for it all to be pressed deep into me. I want for my eyes to open wide to my surroundings, ears attuned to the whisperings around me. So, my dear reader, indulge me for a few minutes as I relay the events of this first FULL week.

(If, in fact, you're thrown off by the above image, allow for me to explain... When setting type, it's orientation has to be flipped and turned, so as to print correctly. I know, it's so confusing. A few days worth of practice has not been enough to make it come naturally to me either, but I trust that it will come inherently with time.)


This is the Craft House: my place of residence for the next seven weeks. It's neither heated nor cooled, but the mountain air has substituted the need for either. Isn't it swell?

This here is my little alcove, nestled on the top floor of the Craft House. I share the attic with about ten other young women. My little corner is so cozy. I can pull the shower curtain on my space in the evenings for a little privacy. Though teen-niny, it's really quite nice.

I am a work-study student here, which means that I have to devote about 12 or so hours/week to helping the kitchen operations run smoothly. I have mostly morning shifts, and so, round about 7 am each morning, I make my way down the rocky path from Craft House to these here Pines for breakfast set up. It's easy work, for the most part, as I prepare the dining room for students to come fuel up for the day. Part of my duty includes making coffee. Though it's nowhere close being as delicious as my beloved Urban, it'll do just fine for the time I'm here. On another note, the fare here is quite extraordinary. Fresh fruit and vegetables (some from the garden right here on-property) accompany each healthful meal. I am becoming quite spoiled.


After breakfast, I've found myself coming 'home' to the porch of Craft for some quiet reading before I head off to the studio. The porch is crowded with the most delightful row of rocking chairs, and a view I'll never tire of taking in.


I then head to the studio for the first portion of class! The letterpress building is up behind The Pines. Our building is the newest and most architecturally modern structure on campus. It's pretty jazzy. More on that in a minute.

The walk to the studio is a pretty one, with a view of the fog as it cozies into the creases of this mountainous view.


And here is the studio! Isn't it grand!? Interspersed with our work spaces are four gorgeous Vandercook presses. These hunks of metal have been around for ages-- been cranking out print pieces for countless people and projects. I'm privileged to have access to them under the instruction of Bryan Baker, formerly of Yeehaw Industries in Knoxville (and currently of the Book Arts Program in Brooklyn).

Here is one of the beauties! One day, maybe I'll have one to call my own!

This is a drawer full of wooden type. I think it's just great. In class, we've used both wood and lead type so far. While newer printers use the polymer plate technique to transfer digital designs to paper, the method we've been using here is much more traditional. Setting letters into the press one by one is tedious. It certainly requires much more careful attention. I think it's good for me, honestly. With many things, I tend to opt for quick and easy. This is a process that forces a much slower and fastidious attention.

Our first class project was to print a piece of microfiction. Following Hemingway's model, we were instructed to compose a six word story, set with lead type and then print it. This week, the other seven students and I will print an envelope to house our story-ettes.

This was assignment number two. With a partner, I printed this lovely poem by Mary Oliver about the transformation from summer to fall (sent to me this week by a kind friend). We decided that we should begin at the top with a summery green, transitioning down to a more autumnal colorscape as it drifted downwards, like leaves falling to the dirt. We then chose a few words from the text, printing them bigger and brighter. It was a fun exercise, and proved to be quite educational in the problems it presented along the way. (Here's a fun fact. For the stack of 50 prints we produced, we had to run the press 450 times. So, yes, I'm quite fond of this one.)

At the end of the day, we traded prints with another group, and were instructed to add to the existing composition. My classmate Beth and I got this here print. You can scarcely see it, but beneath our blue wash and oooo's, there lies a faint alphabetic design. We decided to bring it to completion by adding this abstract design and a column of text down the right hand side. Each word in the column contains two o's, and they kind of follow a sound association pattern down the page. It starts and ends with the word kazoo to bring it all full circle. (Get it?)

Here are some of the prints that Bryan brought as examples. They hang on the bulletin board in the studio, taunting me with their precision. I have so very much to learn. As mentioned earlier, I have the lousy tendency of being overwhelmed, rather than excited, at how far I am from my classmates and other professional printers. I am an inch deep in this ocean. I'm inspired by the endless possibilities of this art, and pray for the grace and patience I need for the process of learning it.

On Friday night, my entire class ventured into Asheville for the 5th Annual Bookopolis Show. Book artists from around the country submitted the most delicate creations of handprinted, handmade books. The details, oh the details! I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to be at an art show where it was encouraged to handle the works on display. It's touchable art. It's meant to be thumbed through, held close to the nose. I love running my fingers across the pressed pages on handmade papers. Sheer delight.

This weekend has been sunny and bright - a contrast to the wet wet week we've experienced. Check out this eye-full. I still feel like I'm dreaming. I'm sharing life with real-deal artists in an absolutely pristine environment.

Things like this teach me more and more about GRACE. I did exactly nothing to deserve this, and yet, this path was paved for me. I'm without the words I need to proclaim my gratitude in a way that would do justice to its depth.

This morning, as I took a walk through a winding wooded path, this song streamed into my earbuds. It may capture just what I'm trying to say in that ....what I'm trying to say is non-capturable.

How can I thank you, when I can't wrap my arms around You?

Let this feeble thanks be heard.