I have been printing the map for seven weeks. It is being printed on two separate 18 x 24 inch pieces of paper that will later be joined together, so when a press run of 375 sheets in a color is finished, another 375 sheets remain to be printed with that color, from a different block, for the other half of the map. The printing of each stack of 375 sheets takes two days.
There is just enough room on the drying rack to accommodate 200 sheets. The first day’s printing is gathered off the rack on the morning of the second day to make room for the second half of the press run. So far three colors have been printed on each sheet: the blue of the water, and two colors of the land, plus two colors for the cartouche (see Aug. 5) on one of the sheets. That makes eight press runs printed, with likely six left to go.
I am currently mired in re-cutting the land blocks for a third and final color from them–the topographical layer. Having been mulled over for some time (see June 16), I have decided to go with contour lines rather than hanchuring . At this point the map feels like a marriage of cartography and printmaking, with the partners being more-or-less equal. While the contour lines do follow the lines of the land, some artistic license is taken, mostly because the wood-engraved integrity of the lines is essential, and over thirty years of practice informs it.
At the moment, the compass rose has grown into something unexpected. It began as a classic four-pointed directional cross, but with the moon at it’s core. Now the lines emitting from it seem to be inspired by the distorted rays sometimes seen when a lowering sun finds it’s way through distant clouds. I hope this somewhat surreal compass rose doesn’t distract from the neighboring cartouche. I also hope the contour lines will not distract from the printing that has been done thus far, as the map is looking pretty good. I am thinking of a light gray for the contour line/compass layer, and had hoped to do some proofing yesterday, as Jean Louise was here, but it likely won’t happen until next week. When the re-cutting of this block is complete, of course, another remains to be done for the other side of the map…
