Today I was reminded of a feeling that I have not felt for a very long time. Well, I guess it's more like a sequence of feelings: The feeling of working really hard on something, not fully knowing what the finished product will look like, and then seeing it for the first time. It's true this happens with the newspaper when I don't know what my picture will look like printed, but today made me realize I have not done anything with my hands for the longest time. There's a satisfaction that comes along with the process of painting, sculpting, or in this case, silk screening, that can't come from snapping a picture.
I carved this design two years ago from a linoleum block. It's nothing special, trees are my go-to subjects when creativity seems to hate me, but learning how to block print and relishing the moment when you lift up the paper to see the ink evenly seeped into the fibers was an experience difficult to forget.
So now what? I will definitely look into this silk screening thing. It looks pretty simple. The hardest part seems to be transferring your design on to the panel. Otherwise, it's just a matter of applying the right amount of ink and pressure and you've got yourself a badass shirt. The possibilities are endless!