Now that I had experimented a few times with the unknown, the confidence to try something new was not as daunting. I've been meaning to spruce up my house for about a year, but for whatever reasons, it hadn't happened. After having thoughts and thoughts and dreams of doing up the wall/s, I took it upon myself to just go for it. I've always wanted to create a wallpaper rather than buying one, just to get that hand-made touch to it. I love the light and dark shades that are not so perfect.
Something to do with nature, I think. I research and sketch out something I want to work with. I go out and buy a big fat potato, some cutting instruments and colours. The idea of getting the potato is to create my block out of it. Yes! And so I cut the potato from the center, draw my design with a pen over the flat side and start carving it out. It takes a lot longer than I think and so I keep it in the fridge overnight to use it the next day, when I have natural light falling on the wall.
Day 2. So I'm all happy with the block, I mix the colours and make a batch (which I hope will be enough for the entire wall), I move the bed, clean the wall and assemble the ladder. Time to start. But wait, where is the grid? How will I make sure that the block prints on the wall are aligned??! Something I overlook in my planning stage? Yes. But then a brainwave. Using a measuring tape, I quickly write down the measurements of the wall and the potato block and I add space and subtract space until I have the numbers. Once I've marked the wall, I make the grid using threads. Horizontal and vertical.
Time to start. I brush some paint on the block and move the carved side towards the wall. I push it gently to make sure the paint transfers on the wall. And it does, beautifully. The first print is on the wall! Now I have just another 462 more impressions to make. Again, I under-estimate the time. The natural light is faint and I am only half way through. So I decide to wait and complete it the next day. It turns out exactly as I imagined it in my head and for that, I am thrilled!
I do think I needed to plan a litttllee bit better, but I also know there are challenges sometimes and one has to be quick enough to alter their plans to make sure the quality is not compromised!
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