The Liminal Time
I keep pushing off writing this newsletter, because there's just not much to talk about. January is a quiet, hidden month. We're all recovering from the mad holiday dash, and haven't quite found our footing in the new year yet. Many traditions talk about this time as a time for hibernation, to take a lesson from the seed that is resting dormant until the proper time to emerge. Austin Kleon talks about how January is a hangover month, and that any resolutions should be saved for February.
So I've been taking that lesson to heart. Following this cycle of getting cold doing things outside and then heating back up in the sauna (and quickly getting cold again by jumping in a snowbank!). The days area already getting longer, and soon enough the season of firsts will be upon us - the first robin, the first daffodil, the first bike ride - so I'm content to be dormant for a little while longer.
Ink on Paper
I've learned that I really, really like woodcuts. I like the idea of linocuts, but carving lino usually ends up frustrating me for some reason. But carving wood is another story. I don't know if it's the sound, the extra resistance, or just the "feel" of it, but I'm hooked. I'm currently working on a Lake Superior print, and here's the cut just before a test print:
Last fall at Art on the Mountain, another artist came to my booth and loaned me a shoebox full of 4-color postcard blocks from probably the 60's or 70's (he helped a printer move out of a shop way back in the day). I finally got around to printing the first color of one, can't wait to see how it turns out!
On the Bench
Figured that I talk so much about sauna already that it should have its own section in the newsletter.
To the Finns (and this is echoed in other sweat bathing cultures), the most important thing in a sauna is löyly. It's not just the steam that's created when you throw water on the hot rocks, löyly can also mean "spirit" or "breath." It's the only spirit you can feel. It's the "life" of the sauna, and every sauna has its own unique löyly. I've heard it's customary to "greet" the first löyly of a sauna session, and that's a practice I've adopted as well. Just a simple acknowledgement, a casual "hello," but it helps to ground me in the moment, nurturing a little sacredness and wonder in my world.
Upcoming Events
Pride Fest (Marquette) - June 13th
Juhannus Sauna Village (Hancock) - June 20th
*More to come on this!
Other Rambles
I came across a random post on social media that talked about how, broadly speaking, gold and other precious metals and jewels are actually quite common. They're products of chemistry and physics. Anywhere you have exploding stars, you'll find gold and platinum, and anywhere you have carbon and pressure you'll find diamonds. But materials that are the product of life? Wood, silk, etc. - these are rare indeed.
I guess there was stuff to talk about.
See you out there,
PB