Well today officially ends the sabbatical, and therefore this blog expires. This last print of Bernie Maddoff was printed this morning, two hours before I headed off to teach —first time since December. So much happened. So many experiences. I also printed a horrible block of LBJ, and realized, after four subsequent blocks, that the first was the best. Go figure. With luck the scoundrels will live on.

The folio of prints, Stampati a Venezia. Eight prints, and seven quote pages, all bound in a Kivar case.

LBJ is turning out to be very difficult. I have two abandoned blocks, this one which I printed, and I am working on a fourth. He has a characteristic face, but... I don't know. 

Oops, forgot one!

Some more paintings from Venice. The Rialto market and Pescheria (red awnings) is an amazing place. Talk about wonderful looking fish! Every day from 7am to noon. Weekends it's a flea market.

Top LBJ is the current block. Rejected block is of the sketch at the bottom.

Ponte de le Colonne, Venice. W/C on Fabriano paper. 9" x 12". Third studio watercolor done since returning from Italy. New LBJ engraving continues. Different, and probably not better than the first. Some of these people are hard to do. J. Edgar Hoover took three or four different blocks before settling on the right one.

Back in the States, and working on a new engraving of LBJ, after the first one, which took a painful amount of time, didn't come out to my liking. These three—stampati a Venezia—are from top: Frank Hamer, Newt Gingrich, and Leona Helmsley. Finding it harder to get to their good side. Hamer was renowned as a successful lawman, and Texas Ranger, who brought down Clyde and Bonnie. However it seems that they never gave C & B a chance to give up, and after riddling them with bullets, Hamer stuck his gun through the back window and gave Bonnie a burst for good measure well after it was obvious she was dead. Gingrich is just an egotist who is also a hypocrite, and Helmsley berated staff for the smallest offenses. Ended up printing an edition of five of the eight blocks I had in Venice. Five I shipped, and three I did while there. Set a plate sheet with each print which has their name and a salient quote. Gave one set to the Scuola Internazionale di Graphica, and have four that I have assembled in an embossed kivar folio case. They look handsome, but have mistakes. But given that I learned all this in Venice, with some old and damaged type, I find it a great record of my time there. Will do the entire Scoundrels series, 25 images and accompanying quote pages on the Longwood Vandercook, with type set on the computer but letterpress printed from polymer plates, with the goal of an edition of 15, in boxes. We will see. I think I am therefore halfway through this project. I am done with over 25 blocks. They are printed on Fabriano Rosapina paper, from resingrave blocks.

Residency ends today, as does consistent internet access. Will try to post some more pictures before I return.