Greetings, All! Greetings, No One!

Just what the world was aching for, another blog in search of an audience! An *ambivalent blogger,* no less, fully aware that there's too much navel gazing, tweeting and focusing on ephemeral moments and that anyone in THE KNOW has long ago abandoned blogging in lieu of faster, shinier self promotion... And yet, even with this awareness, one who will gleefully post food pics. I know it: Run Now. If it makes you feel any better,  I hereby promise NOT to share links about social media itself.

Primarily, I'm starting this blog to chronicle my printmaking, as well as share the groovier aspects of my (admittedly somewhat mundane) existence -- cool, local creativity, general visual stimulation, food awesomeness, unexpected randomness (doesn't everyone have such an annoying umbrella disclaimer? As if we're all on the verge of running into kind individuals with three arms or talking llamas. "This blog is about orchids, man's inuhumanity to man + WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT. AND I'M ZANY, BELIEVE ME.").

But so: today. I spent the day in my dear friend's studio, using her printing press. Like so.

It was an extremely productive day! Sixty prints from one unhappy woodblock, with intoxicating oil based ink (mmmmm), a record for me. I was RAWTHER proud of myself. Bought some celebratory sushi for dinner +red wine, for a good day's work. Shall we venture closer?

This relates to the title of my blog. It's part of what will be an extended project on Cakeasaurus. His existence is simple. He takes your cake. He's quite good at it. He's stealthy. He has astounding focus. For his size, he's remarkably nimble. His conscience, however, is undersized.

And here we have a nod to the fall-out. Because repercussions always exist, no? Children with lost cake anxiety. What's to be done? There will be PSAs, surely, and pill development. Pharmaceutical reps waiting in the wings. For now, all I can hope to do is identify the condition. And so we have it. The prints are wafting about in the studio. They should be dry, come next weekend, ready to be editioned.

Cakeasaurus has been roaming about my head for a few years now. Here are past cake prints, to give you a better sense of his demeanor:

and also:

So you can see, he's also kind of self-satisfied. Focused on his quest for momentary pleasure, subject to some degree of self-aggrandizing. And yet, how not to like? The rebel holds appeal, even as another voice says, "Who does he think he IS?"
  
And so, a fabulous weekend ends on a good studio note, with pool time wedged in between printing press and sushi. Next up, the work week plus the chaotic and wonderful (or horrid, depending on your viewpoint) Ann Arbor Art Fair, with the streets teaming with marauding art/craft seekers, who lumber across streets in defiance of street lights and oncoming traffic...

Coming soon: sharks.