Phase III ~ The Finish

I had held out hope that I would now be standing in my new darkroom, happily making prints. I can say that I am sort of standing in said new darkroom, although not yet printing. I will be painting what is left of the small area left after the first gallon of paint disappeared. By week's end the new room will be painted, with the final flourish arriving next week when my old friend Harry arrives to make the water and new electric lines connected, and the sink frame and work tops framed in.

This project provides the mixed blessing of a fabulous new foundation for my artwork, as well as the physical demands best suited for a much younger man, with much more energy. Before the project began I had only cursory expectations of ever producing a meaningful portfolio of palladium and gum prints every again. Printing a couple times a month in someone else's darkroom is not all that conducive to printing such a portfolio, in one lifetime. With this facility I will be able to produce four prints per day should I choose to do so. Gums of course take weeks to accomplish.

I have written here on the subject of hand coated printing processes, mostly focused on the prints I had already printed, all of which were printed thirty years ago. The few prints I have been able to make in PJ's darkroom have begun the conversation on work being produced now. That conversation will be ongoing once the new darkroom becomes functional. I will be able to address more specific issues and practices being applied, with print examples to show. That makes it a bit more meaningful than theoretical discussions.

If you do see this post then thank you for your visit. I hope to make your visits more meaningful and enjoyable as time goes on. I am currently printing an "Arizona" portfolio. The images are from two historical towns in Arizona, Tombstone and Jerome. With sufficient patience, it is possible to capture photographs of historical locations and period characters in Tombstone sans pretty much all evidence of modernity, leaving an image that fairly replicates what would have been seen a century ago. One of the images I will be including in this portfolio is a photograph I took inside Paul & Jerry's in Jerome, Arizona, in 1986 during a visit. The locals would recognize the patrons sitting at the bar, as being the "old timers". 

Salted Silver Print

" Paul & Jerry's" ~ 5"x7" ~2/5

Jerome, Arizona

 

Phase II

After three weeks of steady work I am at the finish line to completion of the new darkroom. Body aches and self-inflicted wound as they are, the finished printing room will be worth the blood and tears in bringing it to life. This is a true work of love for me. Only a distant dream over the past thirty years. This is way better than a shiny new wagon. But then I'm just old.

Phase I was building a new workshop building, with sub-floor and roof. Three parts. Done. The past three weeks has seen my building shelving and other accommodations in the new shop to hold all the stuff from the old building, then clearing it out to bare frame to be insulated and sheet rocked, with sink frame and working counters. The final phase arrives next with when my contractor friend returns for finishing the darkroom. Final piece to it all is building my Solar Printer, in my new workshop.

With my daily focus on building things, I have had little opportunity to print, with exception to a couple hours last week on Saturday in PJ's darkroom. That netted me one new print I had yet to print. Tomorrow with the light in my favor I will get it digitized to post. What I can tell you is that by the end of the year I will be printing regularly, daily. There will be prints to show, new things learned, as I will be ready to print in palladium, not just tone in palladium. That is going to be a very nice upgrade for me.

My thanks to you for visiting my blog, and returning. Soon, there will be a new stream of images to check out and possibilities to explore. Stay tuned.