You begin with a laugh but end up just wanting to be cosmos blowing in the wind

We have started to move into our studio all the printmaking equipment.

The presses are cumbersome, large and very heavy, one walks around pondering how this is going to turn out, goes without saying, anxieties levels are high. One to just get them out of the door of our old studio to the new location about one kilometer down the road, all going in a box trailor.

Bill decided to dismantle the Gordon platen press, its top heavy and sitting on an insecure floor made of timber, this has to be well thought about, the navigation of this one out the door, it's our baby and our business. I can't bare this stage, wish I could wave a magic wand and it was all assembled in its new environment.

But it's not the case.

So here we go, 6 friends and a heave ho, only for me to catch my hand between the press and the door, doctors and bandage, I'm ok but just very sore, and lucky not more damage to my hand was done.

The platen all in pieces arrives at our new space happy and settled.

No 2, the etching press.

Six friends again lifting it off the stand it was on, fine, shunting it out the door takes many angles and enquires, but it's through, now onto the trailor, one big heave ho and its shunted onto Bill's foot causing incredible pain.

Bill keeps going with the move only to find the next day that he has shattered the big toe bones and the wound is open.

Two days later, our new studio lies dormant, we ended up going to Hospital for two days, Bill having his big toe operated on, all the bones are shattered and there is a gaping wound down the side of his toe.

An open fracture.

We both look at this as a forced rest, we have being going flat chat on the buildings works for six months now and even though its been an exciting process its has been demanding on us juggling everything else that goes on in our daily lives as well.

So I get stuck into my reading, finishing off books that have been piled high beside the bed and Bill dreams his on an island with a blue cap on.

It worked, we feel relaxed by just changing our thinking. Mindfullness. 

We return home with Bill now wearing a boot that would be very fashionable in Japan and vowing never again to move the presses.

At the moment it could be nice being cosmos blowing in the wind.

hillendpress.com.au