Monday and on Saturday I learned …

I am back now from my wood ‘engraving’ week end … where I was reminded more than once it was not wood cutting! Furthermore it bore no resemblance to my previous attempts at pencil rubber cutting and more recently lino cutting. So there were some hard lessons to earn.

I was as usual the dunce of the class; all the other students had years of experience as artists and or teachers. Me, despite my wizened appearance was the new girl and green! Noting that I thought I was on a woodcutting course.

I was like a fish out of water; caring more about the temperature of the water for my green tea at break time!

I was already feeling a little vulnerable ; batting off remarks like ‘mmmm I like your style, its ummm unique’

I was fast running out of jovial retorts.

I was in awe of the other students who began and continued to produce delicate delights like  feathers and leaves in filigree designs. Brown, spotted trout gliding down stream, a tiny mouse peeking from a lacework of leaves  … a dolphin leaping from the ocean depths in a shower of tiny droplets of water.

The weekend went on, we began to print our works and experiment  with depth of colour and shade etc.

It was at this stage I began to wonder whether me and wood engraving were ready for each other … the jury is out.