April in Paris

I was in the darkroom for a couple of days having fun with Bodie Ghost Town.  Still not done with that last roll!  There were too many that looked interesting enough to develop.  I had planned on getting back in there another day, but then I received a returned phone call from the curator of Latitudes Restaurant in Auburn.  Next month is their theme "April in Paris", and do I have any France photos?  Well, as a matter of fact I do!

I only have just a little over a week to get them ready; they need a minimum of 15 framed images.  The next day I went thru the framed images I have left in my studio, which were 9, and then I called the Kerry Terese Salon to let them know I was coming in to possibly remove some of my France photos. Yesterday I stopped by there and I really only have about 4 large framed France photos left.  The rest were 8x12's and that wasn't going to work.  In the meantime, I had started looking at my France negatives to see which ones I could print.  I scanned in St. Michel in Paris which came out rather nicely, after the third print at 11x17.

Yesterday I began taking each photo apart, cleaning the frames and glass, changing out the mats if it needed it..  I'm still not done with that chore.  However, today I am working at the High Hand Gallery, so I won't be working on them today.  My studio is a mess!!  Here's St. Michel (Saint Michael).

Black and White Film Developing

Sunday I spent several hours going thru my negatives.  I mean several hours.  I have 8 million negatives too! ; )
Today though I did mix up the last of my developer and the other chemicals to work in the darkroom for a few hours today.  I ended up continuing with my Bodie Ghost Town 2011 series.  I would like to finish up some 8x10's of that last roll and then I will move on to the Blue Moon Series of "Collectively Speaking".  I did gather up some images that were either restaurant scenes and also street performers from my negatives.  Then I moved on to noting some digital images and placing them in a folder so that I will have them in one place and I won't have to peruse my digital files again for that particular upcoming show.

Getting back to Bodie Ghost Town, I worked on five images.  Only two were great in my opinion.  There are still 16 images from that same roll that appeal to me that I want to develop and I plan on continuing with that tomorrow.  First thing in the morning though I will head off to Sacramento to buy more chemicals and paper.

This afternoon when my developer looked like it was totally spent, I cleaned up my mess in the darkroom and continued with cleaning out my closet of cameras.  I have decided to sell two of my cameras that I don't use, and that still leaves me with 10 cameras!!  Two of them are my husband's but I think he gave me his film Minolta camera.  Maybe I can get a credit from the camera store which definitely works for me so I can buy my supplies.

This afternoon I also watched some videos on YouTube pertaining to the Platinum Paladium process and several others hosted by Ted Forbes of 'art of photography'.  I watched one of his on white balance, light meters, books to read, and film.  I love it.  If you haven't tried it you should.  Whatever subject you want to know about, it's there for your pleasure.  We can all use refresher courses and there's always room to learn and keep up-to-date on whatever subject you want.  I told my husband I could stay in my studio all day long and just come out for food! ; )

Cyanotype and Gelatin Silver Prints

As a follow-up on the Cyanotype scarf that I made, I'm posting an image of what the layout looked like when the scarf was laying out in the sun getting toasted!  Thought you might want to see that.  I wore my scarf on Friday to the High Hand Gallery when I was working.  I stopped by again on Saturday to bring a framed photo back and brought up my Blog to show some of the artists working there what it looked like.  They really enjoyed seeing it.  In the course of the conversation, they got me to thinking that maybe I could, on my own, treat scarves myself and make them - might be less expensive, that is if I decide to go that route.

I plan on going back into the darkroom today to start working on my next project which is the Blue Moon Gallery's August show titled "Collectively Speaking".  Because each artists work is very different from each other, each artist is asked to create three pieces of a same scene or theme.  I have a couple of themes in mind as I'm perusing thru my European film images:  restaurant scenes and performing artists, both of which I captured during my trip.  I'll keep you posted on that progress.  I need to submit the jpeg's by May 1st.

I also have the deadline for the California State Fair's Fine Art "Call for Entries" taped to my wall as a reminder.  That deadline is April 20th.  I haven't really gone to the website for the complete information yet.  Something I'm still contemplating as I've never entered the State Fair competition.  I know my nephew has and actually won first place a few years back.  He's really good!.      

Cyanotype Prints

My granddaughter was here yesterday and we had a lot of fun working on the Cyanotype silk scarves I had ordered from Freestyle Photographic supplies.  They were $18 each, but I found out they are $2 less when you order directly thru www.bluesunprints.com.  The scarves are 9" x 54" in size and come in white, fuchsia, and lime green. If you want yellow, you run the scarf thru a rinse of a phosphate detergent like Tide, All, or even TSP.   The design left on the scarf would be that particular color I just mentioned, and the rest of the scarf would remain blue.

Our first step was to figure out the design.  We had combed the house the night before looking for ideas and 'things' to place on the scarf for a design.  We mostly went with plant leafs and flowers, but we also added other objects such as:  Chinese coins (some were transparent), blown glass 'blobs' for lack of a better word, an animal cut out, feathers came out pretty cool too.  I used a knotted yarn for a border which came out pretty cool surprisingly enough.  We did find out that smaller or thin twigs didn't come out as well.  We still need to do some more testing on what to use.  We decided to stick to 'themes' and go from there.  Bluesunprints.com does give you ideas, like cutouts of images, downloaded images printed on clear plastic such as sheet protectors, and of course negatives.

Next we ironed the scarf to remove some of the wrinkles from being packaged.  Then I put together some cardboard to fit the length of the scarf in order to stabilize it so we could place our objects (because later you move your piece of 'artwork' outside in the sun).   We used tack pins to hold the scarf down  I'm telling you all of these steps as we did not find any videos on the Internet, including YouTube, demonstrating the scarf process. Next we wait 10-15 minutes for the sun to do it's trick on the scarf.  I would suggest you do this process on a non-windy day.  We had a little breeze once in a while and we had to re-position some of the pieces back on to the scarf.

After time is up, bring in the scarf, remove the pieces, and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.  Hang to dry and then press.  They came out really cool I must say.  We are planning on wearing them today, or as my granddaughter said, "...they're art, and we're going to an art gallery!".

Dick Blick Art Supplies

Perusing thru the Dick Blick catalogue www.dickblick.com (now that I have a gift certificate!), I found the Strathmore cards that I'm out of.  It's more economical to buy the box of 50 v. 10 pack.  If you buy the 10 pack locally you will pay around $8.  The 50 pack is $19.00.  I'm also finding that their wood and metal ready-made frames are a great deal also.  Less than Aaron Bros., as well as Delta Mat & Moulding.  I'm not sure why I didn't order from them before.

Dick Blick also carries the brand Krystal Clear bags for storage of your individual cards as well as for matted prints.  I remember I did have a problem with this particular brand in that one of the sizes didn't quite fit the artwork.  However, I usually buy my bags from www.clearbags.com.  You get a pack of 100 for the card size for $7.00!!!  Their west coast supplier just happens to be over in Placerville.  I've never been over there, but I probably should do the drive and save the $15 shipping charges.  I have another artist friend who said she would be interested in going over there with me sometime.  I'll have to take her up on that.  In regards to mounting your photo onto the Strathmore card, artists can get really wrapped up in the 'special glue' to use and various other processes, placing them in between books to set, etc.  I've been through all those and the bottom line is:  two sided acid free tape works perfectly!!  Quit wracking your brain over it.

Photography Contests

Between things going well, and then the weather not so well...we had snow, it was a long weekend.  I am not a fan of the snow, but luckily it was only 3 inches worth and it was gone by 1:00 p.m.  That was Sunday.

I have been cutting mats off and on and that's about it.  I promptly hand carried my two entries to City Hall on Saturday.  When I got home I told my husband, "My stuff paled in comparison to other entries!"  I mean there were some very large format size artworks lining the walls.  We were told if you get a phone call by 8:00 p.m. tonite, that means we are calling you to tell you your work was selected.  So 8:00 p.m. and beyond comes and no phone call.  I figured as much.  The next morning I go back into town and there's a sign on the door that says something about the photography.  I walk in and I said I'm here to pick up my artwork.  And she says, oh did you see the sign on the door.  I said, yeah, sort of .  Well, we had to split up the show into two groups since there was an outpouring of photographers!!  So the photography will  be in a separate show in July and August.  So does that mean my photography was selected?  I mean, come on, am I in or what?? ; )  Yes you are in.  Just bring back your two pieces the first part of July.  We will also be sending out an email to remind you.  So, to make a long story short, this is why I don't do contests.  It's too much emotional ups and downs, photography (or any artwork for that matter) is subjective to whomever is looking at it, admiring it, or judging it.  Too much chaos for me.

Sunday was also High Hand Gallery's Artful Sunday, so after picking up my artwork from City Hall, I headed over to the gallery and helped out setting up.  Considering that the weather went everywhere from rain downpours, to a little bit of sunshine, to hail, and back to overcast, we had quite a few people braving the elements to come out and visit our gallery.  We had live music, candle making and car stamping classes going on too.  I was there taking photos for our Facebook page.  I got home just in time to see it start to snow again!  Ugh!  It didn't last long though.

Today I'm working on paperwork for High Hand Gallery.  Oh, by the way, I lost my address book last Friday, and in the process of tearing my studio apart looking for it, I found a $150 gift card to Dick Blick I got two years ago and totally forgot about!  Some good things happened this weekend!  I need to order some supplies! ; )

Portrait Photography

Still cutting mats, and still finding ?? prints I had printed out and forgot what drawer I put them in!  Hah!  This just gets more fun as time passes on.  When you're not sure of a printed image - as to whether or not you liked the paper you printed it on, or was it worthy of being printed, it's a good idea to just leave it alone for a while and then go back to it.  I wasn't sure if the Velvet Fine Art Paper was the right choice for one of my black and white digital images of the hillside of Oia on Santorini.  Now I look at it, and I'm thinking...wow, not so bad after all.

I've always enjoyed portrait photography and I like to do it in the individual's home or space they are comfortable in.  I like spontaneous.  If I were to do it in my studio I would have to move a lot of furniture around which wouldn't be so easy.  What I'm getting at is I'm getting in the mood to do that.  Just black and white film, black back drop, subtle lighting.  Now I need to find a guinea pig! ; )  Here's a funny story I've never shared.  I did a boudoir shoot for my girlfriend years ago.  She wanted to surprise her husband for their anniversary.  So I load up on film, we're using my four poster bamboo bed and also I had several Shoji screens as back drops.  She would change into different outfits as we went along.  I'd tell her what poses and she would have some of her own.  It was very casual and spontaneous, and took about an hour and a half.  We were laughing and having a good time.  When we got done, I told her I think we got it!  Your husband's going to love these!  Then I said, "Dang, why do I feel like I need a cigarette!!"  Too much!

Celebrity photographer Jerry Avenaim did a color photo spread on Jeff Bridges in the Rangefinder Magazine two years ago.  I just loved those.  They were mostly of the face and shoulders, different facial expressions, mostly black background, subtle lighting, very simplistic and yet striking.

Here's the black and white Oia, Santorini image I was referring to.  Now, back to mat cutting!!

 

Double Mats

Rain, rain, rain, and more rain!  That's good, just not good for satellite reception!  However, Hughesnet was having a bigger problem, mainly the satellite.  We had no Internet for most of the day.  When we did get reconnected, I spent most of my time uploading the images to the High Hand Gallery's Facebook page.  Just now it took me forever to just sign on to my Google blog.  IT gadgets and gimmicks can fill up one's day and you're still not getting anything accomplished!

So as I'm cutting mats the last couple of days, I'm showing them to my hubby for his input.  His take was that I need to cut double mats and do the photos justice!  Grrrrrrr, that 's not what I wanted to hear.  Dangit I hate cutting double mats - it's HARD!  To make a long story short I bought four more colors of mat board yesterday.  I'm still working on them.

Monday I finished up my gelatin silver print of the Mountain Quarries RR Bridge for the Centennial contest.  At least I thought I had, and again my husband says right off the bat, "...that frame doesn't do it justice."  Just like that.  "You need to frame it in just a black frame."  And then he leaves.  Hhhhmmm.  So I change out the frame to a plain black anodized metal frame v. the rustic brown and black wood frame.  I have to admit, it does look crisper.

I'm going back to cutting mats for the time being.  This image from Oia, Santorini is one that I am cutting an under mat of white, then an over mat of gray that matches the gray in the photo.

Re-sizing, Uploading!

This morning and up until about an hour ago I was still working on those photos for the High Hand Gallery.  Re-sizing them for Facebook, and also re-sizing to be used for postcard size!  The uploading them to FB is the real pain.  Did I mention we have satellite??  Oh, yes, I did.  I gave up and will try early in the morning.  That seems to be the better time for it, unless it's raining and storming which is what's supposed to happen tomorrow.

I switched back to my toned darkroom prints and pressed them in the dry mount press for good measure.  They came out just the way I was hoping.  I have yet to dry mount my darkroom prints.  Hinging them seems to be working so far.  Sometimes I use the clear corner mounts.  Got the mat cut and just happened to have a vintage-looking frame for this historical image of the Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge.  I'm still going to let the image dry overnight before I put it together - just for good measure.

Now since I have so many of my European prints completed from a couple weeks ago I'm going to start cutting mats this afternoon.  That should be soothing - cutting mats and listening to Tony Bennett! ; )  Then maybe switch over to Louis Prima to wake me up!!

Berg's Brown/Copper Toning Solution

I mixed my newly delivered toner this morning and am going to tone a couple prints of the No Hands Bridge.  I'm heading into the darkroom shortly.  If you haven't tried any of the toning solutions - it's not that hard.  Before I get started I will have to re-soak my prints as they were developed and dried last week.  They will soak for 10 minutes, then they will be ready to immerse into the toner.  I want an antique look to the print, so I will only keep them in the toner for 30 seconds.  Previously I had done test strips at various times so I would have something to go by.  I'll head in there as soon as I finish writing.

This morning I headed down to the High Hand Gallery as I needed to take some photos of all the new artwork for our Facebook page, as well as for the upcoming cards that are mail out to our patrons.  The gallery has been changed out as of last Wednesday and it really looks great.  We have a couple of new artists too.  this month's theme is "Spring Forward".  It took me a good hour to get numerous shots:  close-ups of the individual artwork; group wall shots; and also got a couple of some of the visitors at the gallery today.  Because I'm height-challenged, I use a ladder sometimes to get a full on look at the artwork.  Some of the shots are taken with and then without a flash.  It's better to take the photos during the day when the sun is out - it wasn't out today, but it wasn't night time either.  More light gets in there during the day.  Now I get to download the photos onto the computer and start working on them, posting them to FB, and sending them to the other gallery members who require them!

Mat Cutting

Yesterday my new artist friend arrived and we started right away learning how to cut mats.  She had purchased, what I would cal the portable mat cutter.  It's the two-piece version:  the ruler on one side of the metal piece and the groove for the blade on the other side with the hand held blade cutter.  It's a little harder to use because you have to try to keep everything in place while you're moving.  She had a good idea to get a piece of plywood to use as a base, with a raised edge to help contain the mat board.  She mastered that in no time and we proceeded on to putting the window mat and backing mat together.  Then I showed her how the larger version of the Logan Mat Cutter works, which is a little different and easier to use.  She's going to practice at home to perfect the cutting as it does take time.  It was a successful morning and we had a good time together.  I felt like I'd known her forever.

Before she had arrived, I was working on some written instructions on how to mat, how to frame, etc.  The High Hand Gallery is offering art classes and the night before at the meeting it occurred to me that I could probably give lessons on how to mat and frame.  Newbie artists always have a learning curve with this, so it is something I could perform at the gallery.  So I think I will continue to write up the instructions, finish them, and that would give me my background for the class and a hand-out.

I previously mentioned that I was in the darkroom and printed out three 11x14s of the No Hands Bridge.  When I went to pour out the copper toner I was just about a month and a half too late for that batch.  So I ordered more from Freestyle and I'm expecting it today.  Then I can tone the picture and mat and frame and I'll be done with that project!

Robert Doisneau's Kiss by the Hotel DeVille

This morning I'm going back into the darkroom to print out the 11x14 size No Hands Bridge.  I got it all set up last night.  I just need to pour the chemicals out into the trays and I'm ready to go.  I'm also going to tone the print in a brown/copper toning solution to give it an antique look.  It's due a week from Saturday so I need to get on it.  Just in case, I'm going to go ahead and print out the digital photo that I decided I wasn't going to enter into this centennial event. I want to be sure which one looks better!

That's pretty much what's on my agenda today.  Tomorrow I have invited a new friend up to my studio who is also an acrylic artist and she wants to learn how to cut mats.  So that will take up my day.  Tonite I'm headed down to the High Hand Gallery for our bi-monthly meeting.  I usually help with the re-hang of the new artworks that is happening right today, but my ribs are still really sore and I wouldn't be much help this month.

When I first started to 'develop' my skills in photography, I didn't know a lot of other famous photographers.  I knew Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell, but that was pretty much it.  In my early conversations with my NYC photographer friend, Dave Beckerman, we discussed Robert Doisneau's famous Kiss by The Hotel DeVille photo.  The public thought it was 'real', but in all honesty he would hire actors and stage these scenes.  He was born in France in 1912 and lived until he was 82 (1994).  He was trained as a lithographer and worked as an engraver; then was hired as a photographer for the automobile company Renault.  Following that stint with Renault (he was actually fired), he then worked for both French and American magazines and chronicled Parisian life in black and white.  Doisneau's famous Kiss photo should not be confused with the kiss photo in Times Square on V-J Day 1945, taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt for Life Magazine!  Doisneau took a humorous photo of Pablo Picasso sitting at a kitchen table, with croissants that branched out with four finger-like extensions in front of him on the table making it look like his hands were really huge!  Very subtle indeed!  Here's Doisneau's Kiss...

 

Canvas Prints

Yesterday I delivered my new artwork to the High Hand Gallery and that was a relief!  Set up the matted and framed Artful Bra Poster on an easel in the gallery too!  Today I'll follow up making the greeting cards to match the new artwork to take to the gallery.  I'll take some of the older ones home for now.

I called Big Canvas Prints and spoke with Barbara.  She clarified a few of my questions, since I'm a novice at canvas prints.  In regards to signing the image there are several options: 1) I could send them my digital signature and they would place it on the image in the lower right corner; 2) some of the clients sign their prints with a Sharpee, either on the front or the side; and 3) some send them a Certificate of Authenticity to include with the canvas print.  In regards to option number 3, they would drop ship directly to my client (if that were the case).  I also asked what would be the largest I could print with my images at that size and she said 70" wide x 40" high, and a lot of other sizes in between.  I also asked her about the extra blank canvas on the edge, and that is the portion of the canvas that they use to 'stretch' the canvas.  If I wanted, they could trim it for me, or I could trim it with scissors.  And finally, yes that was the glossy.  It's not a high gloss and I really like the way it looks.  It's almost matte looking, until the light shines on it.

Here is the other color digital print that I framed from Oia, Greece.

Big Canvas Prints

Guess what I got in the mail yesterday?  That's right!  I received my two gallery wraps and they look beauteous!  They are both 16x24, came with a hanging wire, however, I'm not real sure if I'm really happy with the finish on the back.  I had ordered the 'mirrored' edges and I like the way they came out.  I think the blank canvas where the image ends could have been trimmed some.  Other than that, I'm pleased.  I also can't figure out if it really is glossy as I ordered, it might be.  I am definitely happy with the finish.  The lady who took my order said she had mistakenly clicked on the matt finish, but that she would correct it to glossy, which she did.  The colors were true to my original image.  They were both packaged in Styrofoam sheets, with Styrofoam packing material, in a heavy duty cardboard box.  No damages.  Awesome!

One of the issues I had with the gallery wraps was:  how do I sign it?  Should I sign it on top of the UV finish?  Inside?  On the stretcher frame?  I didn't sign them, but what I did was add a card with all the information and stapled it to the back off the extra canvas.  I think I'll email the company and ask them what their clients do in that respect.

So, then I decided to 'try' cutting some mats.  It was a little painful at first, but since I'm right-handed, I was using my right hand and arm, and just used my body weight to put the pressure on cutting.  First I started with the poster for the Artful Bra event for practice.  That came out really nice.  So I proceeded to cut the mats for two images from Santorini that I asked my husband for his opinion on which frames to use.  One of the digital images is black and white and I put it in a black wood frame with a little line of gold in it, with the white mat board.  It looks very sophisticated since the lines in the actual photo are clean and striking.  The other color digital  image is framed in a grey 3" wide wood frame with a white mat.  It is mostly whites and greys and a little rust color in the gate and urns.   I took a break for dinner and then finished up late last night.  Today I'll take them down to the gallery for the re-hang that starts Tuesday.

I thought I'd share the black and white image.  I titled it, "Oia Ocean View".

Slippery Ice!

I didn't say anything yesterday in my blog about my major fall yesterday morning.  I was taking the dog out on the leash first thing, the sun's out, and I'm looking down at the deck wondering what the heck is all over it.  It looked messy with blossoms.  Well, yes, there were blossoms, but they were also covered in ICE!  And the last thing I remember is thinking, "...I'm going to have to blow this deck off!"  Hah!  That's AFTER I blow myself off the deck!!  I hit all three stairs going down and landed really hard on my left ribs.  My dog is halfway down the driveway and doesn't know how to deal with the dangling leash, I'm crying, and I'm calling her back to me because if she sees a deer, she won't come back.  My husband can't hear me because he's still sleeping.  I'm hosed, right there at the bottom of the steps.  My dog's licking me in the face now, worried.  I finally get the strength to get myself up and go back in the house and wake up my husband.  So yesterday, I basically, laid low.  I'm still very sore, but I guess I'll live.  When we got in bed last night, I told my husband, this is just like what Gilda Radner said, "It's always something!"

So my dilemma now is that I was supposed to cut mats today.  Yeah, right.  Well, I'm going to try and see how it goes.  If I can't then I just won't have any other 'new' work.  I have some standard mats already cut, but these are digital sizes, I might have a problem.  I have those two canvas wraps that I'm hoping to get in the mail today or if not today, then Monday.  I can still use some of the new stuff I have hanging in the gallery now.  So I guess it's all good.  I'm not going to worry about it.

Joan and I got the okay on the poster I did for the Artful Bra Show.  Awesome!  I'm going to draft up a chart on the musicians we're hiring for the year that I've also been working on.  And I can also finish posting our events on TheLoomisNews website.  It's not like I don't have anything to do.  I think I'll print out some images for postcards on the new art work I'm bringing in to the gallery this month and make cards.  I'm INK RICH!!

Ilford Galerie Gold Fibre Silk

Wild and crazy day yesterday.  Storming and raining outside, mad printer in the studio inside!  It was really a lot of fun to print out images from Santorini yesterday.  I was having a heck of a time printing the images the sizes that I wanted.  It was like, 'what the heck is going on here'!  So finally it comes to me, '...what if I use the program that came with my Canon T2i to print?'  Oh, yeah, now we're talking.  I couldn't believe that it made all the difference in the world.  Then I really started going to town printing.  Because I was taking pictures in Santorini - and just about every other stop we made - anywhere between 10 - 12 Noon, I increased the color saturation to 20.  That seemed to do the trick.  I don't like to manipulate my images, but I guess there's always some room for improvement.

I had also taken some pictures in monochrome.  I like to try out different papers.  So for some of these black and whites, I printed on Ilford Galerie Gold Fibre Silk, which gives the images a warm look.  The surface of the paper has a rough feel to it.  I love the way it looks.  Then I tried printing a monochrome image of the Santorini hillside on the Ilford Smooth Fine Art Paper.  I didn't like the result.  Sometimes it looks pleasing - other times not.  Then I reprinted the hillside image on Epson's Ultra Premium Glossy and those were much better on glossy.  I dry my images in the same racks I use for my darkroom prints.  I layer them with the light weight papers that are used in between my non-glare glass.  I save them just for 'stacking' purposes.  Comes in handy.  Digital prints also need drying time.  If you don't let them dry for a day or two and you immediately mat and frame them (with glass), the remaining moisture in the print will later fog up the glass - and that ain't good!  It means you have to take them apart, clean the glass and re-frame them.  

Today I'm waiting to hear back from the High Hand Gallery's powers that be, as to whether or not the flyer has been approved.  I hope so, I don't want to do that again.  At least not now.

I had to 'warm' this image up so you could get an idea of what it really looks like on the Gold Fibre Silk.

Quick Note

It's all ready 10 a.m. and I'm not even dressed or showered!  I came out to my studio at 8:00 a.m. to continue working on the poster for the High Hand Gallery's Artful Bra Show.  I started late yesterday afternoon and worked on it until dinner time.  I am not a graphic artist.  It's very frustrating for me.  I made one poster in my Microsoft Digital Image program.  Then I tried one in word because it had better selections on backgrounds, but when I went to print it out, the layers printed individually!  I just went online to look for a 'free' online graphic program and found several, but here again, you have to be a graphic artist to use them.  I might go back online and try Paint, I have used that one before.

Yesterday late afternoon my Epson ink arrived!!  Yaaaay!!  I'll also start doing some printing today.  I'm going to be pretty busy until I finish this darn poster.  So until later.  I've got to get busy!