| The moment of truth: we're showing
our friends Helen and John the
first two sheets from Rough Patch. This is the first time
anyone else has seen our efforts and, aside from Barbara,
who has to face, on a daily basis, my angst and moodiness about
every project I take on, Helen and John are generally the people
I go to for encouragement, inspiration and advice.
 It
seems to be getting the seal of approval, at least to judge by how
long they spend poring over the sheet, turning it around when they're
halfway through to read the pages that are printed upside down (because
of the way it will be folded to make the book).
We have all just sampled Barbara's stuffed peppers, vegetable crumble,
trifle and a few glasses of red wine, so perhaps this isn't a fair
test.
John, who started his career in the printing industry, examines
the registration strip of colours at the edge of the sheet in great
detail. I think he is impressed.
Helen, who had seen the rough version of Rough Patch a
few months ago and encouraged me with my first faltering steps,
says she can see that it now has a flow to it; it's not just a collection
of drawings, it's now telling a story. |
Field
of Vision