Everything old (is new again)

Detail from the first of my postcards using an old torn up print, an envelope and another old ink blot on paper

This week I have been busily ticking off my 101 things from my ‘to do’ list before I go away. It always seems to happen that the number of projects increases when I’m working on a strict time frame.

So this was the week that I had to make a postcard image for an exhibition in New York, a postcard for a local exhibition in Mullumbimby and find a screen print for an exhibition in Japan.

For a moment I panicked. How can I get new work made when I don’t have time? At this point, I always go for a walk….so I’m walking and I’m thinking how, what, when etc and realised I don’t have to invent the wheel (again).

The New York exhibition is for the 10th anniversary of A Book About Death. It will possibly be the last of this exhibition, and as I co-curated the Australian ABAD version of it back in 2013 I definitely wanted to take part. But the 500 postcards had to be printed and at the gallery in two weeks. Ugh!

I realised I could just use an image from an artwork I had already made, as it was about death. Ok then I had to find the USA printer - I googled all sorts of printers but couldn’t guarantee it would get there in time. Then I tried good old vista print and rang them up. They walked me through the whole process, including the priority mailing and bingo it was done. It has now arrived on time and will be part of the show. Hooray.

Next was the screen print for Japan which had really strict size restraints. I found a screen print I had made several years ago and it fitted the bill perfectly. Tick.

Last was the postcard for the local exhibition at c.a.se. Mullumbimby. I had an old print I had torn up and was sitting on my desk for a week. I’ll use that. But it didn’t sing. What to do? I’ll cut up another old print so I did that and it was better but still not doing it for me. So that led me to find another reject from some new work, team it up with an old print, reconfigure the two together and there it was. Tick Tick. Phew!

I’m now starting this week ready for the next lot of to dos…but I know that if I just keep working my way through the list without panicking, everything will get done.

Detail of The Sea’s Breath - the original print.