About 20 years ago, I was a student at the Atlanta College of Art and monitor of the Printmaking department. We did not have majors at that time, but my interests were drawng and printmaking. I had the great fortune of being taught by Professor Norman Wagner, a master printer, and master printer Wayne Kline, owner of Rolling Stone, who allowed me to intern at his lithograph studio. The science, the beauty of the papers, the smell of the inks and that luscious gum arabic, has stayed with me. I’ve always thought that printing ink ran through my veins. Not blood. At the time, my goal was to graduate and attend the Tamarind Institute of Lithography and become a master printer. But, as life happens, it did not come to fruition.

During one of the semesters there, a visiting artist, Keiji Shinohara, came to demonstrate printing from a woodblock using water based inks. Being monitor of the department gave me the opportunity to talk with him, listen to him, watch him the entire time he was there, not just when he was demonstrating his artistry. He was printing, by hand using a baren, from blocks that were carved hundreds of year ago by master block carvers. He talked of the brushes he was using, the cherry that the blocks were carved from and the inks that were made from pigments ground by hand. His goal in life was to spread information about these blocks and the remaining carver left. He said there was only one master carver left and that he was very old. There were no apprentices coming up to replace him. What a great and sad loss this is to the world. I gave the print demonstrated that day to a dear friend of mine who would appreciate it in all of it’s beauty. This print still hangs in her foyer. The process was the most beautiful thing I had ever experienced and it left an extremely strong impression, as you can probably tell. haha.

Well my cupid struck again and today I received in the mail this book:

I was discussing this site, which showcases the work of Susan Bosence with him the other night and how this artist had recently passed. He suprised me with the book in the mail today. I don’t know if he understands how my heart leaps when I look at works by true masters, such as this, but I hope that he knows how loved I feel by him. I love you so very much and thank you for your enduring support!

After college, my first marriage, and going into a completey different career direction, I decided to donate my studio to the college (*sniff* even my lovely 600lb Vandercook press and mahogany blocks) but I did keep my sweet little proofing press and some of the lead type. It has waited patiently for me from garage to garage, marriage to marriage, and now is set up once again in a printing studio in my basement. Susan’s invaluable book gives recipes for printing inks and I cannot wait to play again. I feel so humbled by those that share their crafts and their love in this world.

Thank you to all.