Here's a photo I took while sitting at my outside worktable this afternoon. Across the patio from me you can see a temporary booth set up. This booth belonged to one of the exhibitors at the Glass Guild Sale that took place this weekend in the Spanish Village main patio. There were many people who attended the sale both days. And of course because it was a glass sale, our little patio with the glassblowing going on was a big draw. I'd say at least five hundred people walked by my worktable this weekend, almost all of them on their way to watch the glassblowing.
As is frequently the case, most visitors are so interested in watching the glassblowing that they don't stop to talk to me. This weekend seemed to be an exception. Lots of people stopped to ask questions and make comments. I enjoy interacting with everyone. So many people who do stop to talk like to know what we're doing. I frequently explain various techniques to them, how I make jewelry, how I create etchings, how the creative process works for me, what my art background is, how I feel about the weather, if I'm the one they pay for the glass they want to purchase, how do they get to the zoo or the carousel or the minature train.
By the end of the day, I'm sometimes very tired, but I love having a studio at Spanish Village. I find it so much easier to work in an environment where there is activity going on around me. If I count on working at home, I am just as likely to do errands, play with the dogs, sleep late, or go shopping. Having to show up and work in my studio is a wonderful routine, not at all difficult to keep to. I wasn't sure when I first started out, but I like it. Sometimes in the early morning, or when I want to concentrate on a new idea, I sit inside, but my favorite is to sit outside. We're lucky that we can almost always do that. Right now, of course, I'm sitting outside in my shirt sleeves, but I'm determined to dress warmly enough to sit outside all year.
The artist who has been allowing me to use his print press stopped by with his wife this morning. She had never been to my studio. They are both active supporters of the arts and network throughout the city, and I value their comments. He gave me some suggestions after looking at my latest plates. He noticed that I'm having trouble with the resist chipping. He suggested I make sure I clean my plate very carefully and that I keep the hot plate at a lower temperature when I apply the ground. Actually, that's a problem I've had all along, and I thought I had solved it by applying the ground more thinly. However, then if it's too thin, I wind up with a great deal of false biting. There's still lessons to learn.
My next goal, besides solving my technical problems with etching, is to get some pieces of sterling and etch on them. Silver bracelets would be very nice. Of course, I'd have to change the etching solution that I use, but I could manage that. Anyway, in the meantime, I'll finish the ones I've started and try to aim for next Monday to print some proofs. I had hoped to do some printing tomorrow, but I don't have enough plates ready.
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