Monday, April 16, 2012

Lordie! 600 prints 1200 miles (x2) Happy at Home!!!

I have done a lot of crazy things in my life but this one has to be around the top 10...maybe top 5!!! Drive 1200 miles with 5 blocks and 600 sheets of paper with the plan of getting blocks on print in 3 days. What a fantastic and totally undoable plan!!!
But wait...

Day one seemed very long and I confess after it had passed I wondered how far we could get. We were working about as far as our bodies could withstand and yet still a big chunk of prints to print.
Well, we ate so I thought maybe if we don't eat tomorrow...nah, we didn't go that far.

Day One we probably put in around almost 8 good hours but we were bound and determined to top that on Day Two. We met for breakfast nearby, loaded up with fuel (calories, I mean) and headed off to the Atelier Meridian, in the midst of downtown Portland, Oregon. At the end of the day we had collectively printed around (exactly) 144 prints.

Day One also entailed setting up the presses, getting the "system" tweaked so that three printmakers could work on each press, pressure just right, packing material just so, ink about there, and so on. All fell into place and we went into production mode.

Day Two we had decided (ordered with no exceptions and no whining) to meet for a hearty breakfast early. We began printing around 8:30 AM and I believed we washed our hands for the last time at around 7:00 PM. By the end of the day, we had 266 prints pulled, a true marathon of a day!!! Our grand total was now 410 and in my mind, no way in you-know-where that we would be able to finish the next day. Bodies were sore and bruises appeared but our resolved and good humor never left us.
A well earned full plate of blackened salmon was the highlight of the day. I can still taste it...

Here are some highlights in photos. I'm still editing the video and will post that next:
Team Barbara, Sharri and son Don

Terry Peart with Sharri LaPierre in background, apparently doing absolutely nothing? whaaaaaaat?

Ah yes, looking like a happy city

Full rack and then some, rack held 36 prints twice, we miscounted at least 6 times

Sir Doug Haug inking da block

Lady Terry Peart pulling a print

CODE 111! At print 111, we finally got Terry to say "perfect!" so every perfect print from then on was "coded" 111

Terry and Barbara miscounting, er, counting I mean, the finished prints.
I have no idea what Sharri is doing...

We took a .057 second break to pull some infamous roller art prints. Soon available on an Etsy store near you!
That's it for today! Day Three blow by blow yet to come. Editing the video so you can see 1/600 prints pulled by each team. Still catching my breath.

6 comments:

  1. You all did an amazing job! It's fun to see glimpses of the finished prints in these photos. I'm so looking forward to getting a set!

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  2. Maria... Thanks for the additional report. You all managed to smile in all these photos! And what wonderful people at Atelier Meridian to let you all 'play' on their cool presses.

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  3. What a fabulous team! I'm actually envious of your bruises and aches... who WOULDN'T want to be tired from too much printing? Thank you all for administering our city so thoughtfully and efficiently. (All city governments should function so well!) I can't wait to see the finished product in person.

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  4. Thanks to Maria for driving 2400 miles...up to PDX and back to to LV...quite a feat in itself! I understand she had a little run in with the Hells Angels in the rest stop...not really, but she did run when they pulled in....smart girl.
    I am finally rested up so think Maria is getting there...Doug stayed in Oregon for the weekend to sight-see and hope he had a good time, Don armed him with spots to see and I contributed a couple of AAA Maps, hoping he would not get lost. Terry left us after lunch on Friday, she bailed to have a birthday dinner with her Mom...I guess we can forgive her for that! Mom's are special, after all. Looking back it was fun...but at the time it was really work!

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  5. Job well done, can't wait to see the video and the final product...thank you guys !

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  6. Carol HetheringtonApril 17, 2012 at 4:46 PM

    Wonder Woman (does she wear a cape?) and her team of Super Printers leave me speechless. This is true dedication to the art of the relief print and I thank you all for completing this impossible task with such good humour. You have completed this City of the World by giving it the spirit of community. I can’t wait to get my copy and every time I look at it I will remember the sheer energy and drive of Maria and the super human effort given by you wonderful volunteer printers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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