13/31

In printing class, we carve different things out of a soft rubber, a hard rubber, and linoleum which is the hardest. "Gale, can I use some of the linoleum?" I ask. "Yes, let me go grab it." she replies. I pull out the scoop tool, the and the thin push tool and sit down at the paint incrusted table. She hands me the thin piece of linoleum, and instructs me to put it on the special plate to heat it up to make it easier to carve. I stand there with my hand pressed onto the linoleum listening to other conversations, and forget everything else I have to do. I just take a deep breath and relax. Adrian and I are making a Colorado print, so I am carving a 5280 to put on. The linoleum feels warm, so I grab the plate but a get a small electric shock in the process and jump back. Every single time I grab the linoleum, I get shocked and no one else does, and I think the warming plate hates me.
I pick up the pencil and try to tune everything else out so I can work on drawing 5280 backwards on my piece. It is all laid out, and I pick up the scoop tool. I get a couple good carves, and then it starts to cool and harden, but I don't want to go back up so a stay in my chair and dig the carving tool in harder. My hand grabs the handle and attempts to carve the linoleum, but it slips and cuts off a part of my fingernail. I still don't want to go up to warm it up, so I try to be more careful. It is getting harder, but I put more energy and effort into carving. My hands are cramping up, but the heating plate is not worth it for 30 seconds of easy carving. One last time I grab the handle and try to get a good grip on the piece, but it didn't work and I didn't move my hand out of the way in time. The blade slips and all of the force I put into the handle went right into my finger and a puddle of blood pools on my fingernail. I jump back in pain, but try not to make a big deal out of it because Gale would freak out. "Gale, I am going to the bathroom." I run out before she has time to respond, and head for the front desk. I grab a bandaid from Miriam and grab some paper towels from the bathroom. The paper wrappers fall into the trash as the bandaid is put on, and I head back to class. I see the tool that pierced my skin, so I grab the pull tool so it wont touch my hands and I get back to work.