Transition is never easy. And wow, am I doing a lot of it these days. 

In the time between my old job closing, then the temp job, and finally the new job, I started the trash printmaking projects. In part because I NEEDED art in some way, and also as a distraction from the stress of transition. In the two months of that position I churned out some fantastic drypoint and collagraphic plates. All using a craft press! Great stuff.

In the end I got the job that I wanted. I won’t go into details of the position, but I met a friend and told her about it and she said, “That’s the stuff you were born to do.”

I think she’s right.

As I transition into this new job, in a new city, and back to riding the train, I’m finding that my art process is changing too. I’m back to working in my sketchbook and I’m carrying a pocket notebook again. Little ideas are doodled out and ideas jotted down. But I’m having a difficult time finding time to be online.

I’m working on my schedule to ensure that I continue to make art in my off time, but hey, here’s an awesome thing- the job includes making art as part of my daily work.

In the time between leaving and starting again, I visited a friend’s studio, a thing we’re planning on doing regularly. We worked on Gelli plates and used stencils and die cuts to make prints. I tapped into my stash of rescued cardstock and printed a lot of pieces. One of the things about gelatin printmaking that I like is the ability to layer so many thin layers of acrylic on top of one another.

I brought my layered textured images home and promptly turned a large amount of them into a new art journal. I’m hoping to get a gelatin printing station set up in my studio. I consistently find it more satisfying than painting. The ability to layer colors and get a shape to pop is interesting to me. The look of all the super thin layers of paint over one another is satisfying. Anyway, I’m thinking of buying some gelatin and making my own plate, but that has to wait for things to settle down. For now, I’m happy to just have a position where art is part of my everyday.