Japanese Woodblock Print Workshop

At the end of January, I was invited to return to Winterthur to participate in a workshop about the materials, techniques, and conservation of Japanese woodblock prints. The paper lab was hosting, and the guest lecturer was one of the former Winterthur paper conservators and one of my old professors, Betty! My fellow Winterthur grads at the Centre were also invited: one of the perks of being local WUDPAC alumni.

Betty's specialty, and her favorite things, are Japanese prints. (She did laugh and say that Old Master drawings were pretty nice as well...) She studied for some years in Japan, working with a Japanese paper conservator, examining multitudes of prints, and learning all about Asian art on paper.

Like all good conservation workshops, it involved some hands-on learning. Betty in action.


















Woo! Very different than Western paper!


















Betty washes a woodblock book page.














Do not try this at home. There is a reason for the advanced degree.














Joan, the Winterthur paper conservator, tinkering with her camera, while the current WUDPAC students work.

Annual Christmas Photo Nightmare

Every Christmas Eve before heading to the 10:30 Midnight Mass, the Timmy takes a photograph of the Little Brother/Mum/me. He always does a terrible job, attempting to fit us tightly from head to toe in the frame. Which makes it impossible to frame without hiding most of somebody's head.

Last year, with extensive coaching, he managed not to suck at it, so I was optimistic. Too bad though, because he had forgotten everything. He took one picture and announced that it was "a good one." But Mum's eyes were closed and half of my head was missing. Good job Timmy! I zoomed the camera in so that he couldn't back up far enough to get our toes in the photo - happily, he doesn't know how the zoom works, so I could use that to my advantage.

This was the best one. To which Mum gave the file name 'Ohh noo'.

Happy Belated Holidays.

The Biggest December Snowfall Since 1906 (Apparently)

This was the view from the third story front windows, probably around 2:00 (pm, clearly) Saturday afternoon.














Word is that this weekend's snowstorm was something like the second worst storm in the history of Philadelphia and the largest December snowfall since 1906, breaking the 1906 record of 20 inches with 23.3 inches (according to the meteorologists at the airport). It was just like being back in Canada. Philadelphia even got a shout-out in a news blurb up on the CBC website.

Around 8:00 pm, still snowing, Emily and I decided to bundle up and head out for a walk, to better enjoy the Christmas-lighted snowy neighborhood. Bret and Dustin thought we looked ridiculous, so Bret borrowed my photographing machine in order to capture our fashion for posterity. My winter boots were back in Brockway (as I did not anticipate so much snow in December), but the wellies worked great, specifically because of their height.














Outside! Emily!




























A few other people were out, and we had nice little chats with them. Though they were out generally for a purpose, and not just for a pleasant excursion.
































Emily and I walked down to the park at Penn's Landing, along the Delaware River, where there is a big statue of William Penn.














Nobody else had been to the park to play around in the snow at all: we made the only tracks there, as we waded through snow up to our thighs.


















The Delaware River. Somebody had built a strange open-architecture wigwam along the shore. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, all lit up, is usually visible from the park, but we could only see enough to imagine it was there. That's how hard it was snowing.

Weekend Blizzard

More soon.

Picturesque, but Uneven

It is finally starting to feel like winter here in Philthydelphia, though somewhat sporadically. The leaves have finally turned completely brown and dull-looking, but there has been no appreciable amount of snow. I'm not in Canada anymore. Clearly.

These are from mid-November: part of the walking-portion of my daily commute.

Center City sidewalks. (picturesque, but uneven)

Blackboard Pear Note

The Centre is actually on the second floor of an old ice cream factory in Center City Philadelphia, and the 'staff room' is a small loft over the conference room big enough for a sink, mini-dishwasher, refrigerator, cabinets, and lunch-room-type appliances. There is also a little blackboard and corkboard, where notes about exhibitions, concerts, and notes of general interest are left.

Earlier this week one of the paper conservators left the best note I've read in a long time. Sadly, by the time I returned with a camera it was already gone. Fortunately it was so good that I can easily remember it.

I'm not 100% sure but feel the pear is mine, so I am eating it. If it is yours, let me know. -SC

A Room with a View

The view from the back third floor windows. I can spy into everyone's gardens.