Another week goes by and, honestly, I still have no idea what the fuck I’m doing. I was so ready to start printing today — but, of course, that’s not quite how things turned out.
I arrived at the studio feeling centered and determined. Nothing could throw me off. I had a solid plan: finish my guide, get Bebeto’s approval, and print 20 gradients (aka layer 1). I did knock out the missing elements of the guide, plus I cleaned up some messy edges on both layer 1 and 2. So far, so good.
I got some feedback on my guide from peers, and finally checked in with Bebeto. He suggested I do three test prints using black ink on journal paper (cut to match my guide, not the final paper size) so I could properly compare the alignment of the layers.
So that’s what I did. I carefully cut three sheets to size, then printed all three layers according to my guide.
When I checked the results on the light box, layers 1 and 2 looked great — almost perfectly aligned. But layer 3? Off. Both vertically and horizontally. It clearly needed some twisting and adjusting. I could see the problem… but had no idea what to actually do about it.
Should I try measuring the offset and reverse-engineer the guide marks? No clue. So I asked Bebeto again, and he suggested a different approach: next week, I should print on vegetable paper and use needles to align the corners, then mark the board from there.
I get the gist of what he described (after asking him about a million questions), but I don’t fully understand how it’ll work in practice. I asked if he could help me with it next week — fingers crossed this method does the trick. I’m definitely feeling frustrated with how long this piece is taking. It’s been over three months!
As for the studio vibe, it was mellow today — the usual mix of quiet focus and background chatter. I caught a few stories, exchanged some small talk, and got some tips and curious glances at my test prints. At one point, I overheard a conversation that echoed a theme I’ve been thinking about — and writing about — a lot: the joys and challenges of sharing a studio.
How valuable it is to have access to this kind of community. And how hard it can be to navigate the artistic process alongside others. I’ve been sitting with this tension lately. On one hand, art is how I express myself, process emotion, and quiet my brain — and I often prefer to do that alone. But it’s also a chance to build something together. To share, exchange, witness, and connect.
Still figuring out where I land between those two ends.
Check out last week’s studio log:
Context note: “Xilo is a nickname in Portuguese for woodblock printing. It’s a prefix related to wood, and it has Greek roots.“
‘Till next week, crafters!
