Changing the Garden

Here's my garden. One of the artists rearranged it and did some gardening as well. You can see the tree fern in the back. Unfortunately it's sojourn in the sun caused all it's leaves to turn brown. But it has several new ones coming out, so all is not lost. Meanwhile the philodendron is very happy. You can see it in front there in the middle.

I spent the day preparing some plates for etching. I also spent some time looking through the catalog they sent me from Graphic Chemical and Ink Co. The catalog is very informative. I learned, for example, that I can use the ferric chloride solution to etch zinc as well as copper, but not in the same bath. So I need to get another glass dish for etching zinc. I'm thrilled because I've got a number of zinc plates lying around that I never used when I was in school. I prefer to use the copper because I think it gives a better line, but I'd like to use up the zinc plates I have. Now I have that option.

I find that when I'm actually drawing on the plates, I need to sit outside under my umbrella. I can't see as well when I'm inside. The light is too strong or is coming from too many directions or something. The natural light is the best, especially in the late afternoon. I noticed that when I worked in the very first studio I shared with another artist in Spanish Village. That was in 2001. I use to sit in the open doorway in the late afternoon and draw on my plates.