Caboose

This is it

This concludes the individual pieces that I will publish on the blog.
As I have been publishing online, I have also been building the Growing the Garden printed book, which will have all the individual comments, photos of the blocks as you have seen them, photos of the printed pieces, and of course the usual "map" with all the participant's names and their location in the Fantastic Garden.

Some have asked what info they will receive with the prints. Even if you did not pre-purchase the printed book, all participants and backers will receive the information sheets with pictures of the 4 panels, the 4 panel map of the participants, and my usual comments about the project.

Everything is on course to be sent back to participants and backers of the Kickstarter project alike in the next month or two. Today I am finishing up the block chase which should make things a bit easier in the printing process.

Next in line for the preparation tasks are to continue to tweak a few blocks that look like may be problematic (did I not say to carve deep?), and perhaps I may get to actually proof a few of them this weekend just to make sure they will behave properly.
Videos and photos upcoming. Here are the last two blocks. I balanced the Kookaburra between the live and dried trunks of one of the Palo Verde trees. I always mean to cut down the dry stuff but love the contrast between yellow and green trunks...and the birds love to perch on them!

Melissa Read-Devine - Sydney AUSTRALIA
http://www.readdevine.com
"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree", a well known nursery song sung by Australian children. This one is typical, sitting patiently, watching for a tasty snack to slither or crawl his way. Watch out if you are having a BBQ in your garden - these guys are notorious sausage thieves!

Maria Arango  Diener - Las Vegas, Nevada USA
http://1000woodcuts.com
"Cricket and the Two-Tailed Lizard"
Cricket was a feral rescue who loved playing in the garden, much to the chagrin of lizards and birds, mostly. We named her after her favorite prey, crickets, which she chased under the hollyhocks. But she also often brought us lizard tails...still twitching after being torn from their rightful (annoyed, surely!) owners. Cricket (1997-2013) is now a very happy inhabitant of the Fantastic Garden and has a best friend, a two-tailed lizard. 
I imagine the ongoing game goes something like this: Cricket chases lizard, lizard sheds one tail and escapes with the other one intact, everyone happy. Lizard grows tail back. Next game, Cricket chases lizard...

Print Party?

Well this year there is not going to be a print party, exactly. Oh I have fun, no doubt about that! I'm a one-woman print party animal! Flamenco music will be playing LOUD in my studio to keep me "in the mood", and strong coffee and energy bars will be served often.
But just too much going on right now to travel to my friendly helper crew in the Northwest or anywhere else. I will miss them dearly...I will pay the price with sore shoulders, no doubt, and nobody will be yelling "printmaker down!" when I collapse on the floor to stretch my back. Aaahh, good times for sure!

So here is the deal, I will begin printing next week and, even employing the mighty power of all the available Marias put together, printing will continue for about three weeks. Daily. Lordie, good thing I've been hitting the rowing machine daily during the "training" phase.
Want to drop by? Sure! I can use press crankers, print hangers, paper placers, and large roller wielders. Drop me a line 1000woodcuts at gmail dot com and we can chat about it.


Fantastic Garden Headquarters: http://puzzleprints.blogspot.com