I have given this post a Tag: Lithographic, Printmaking. Although there are four other posts on this subject here at Gevluef. Use Search, “Horsechestnut” to get the others. UC Santa Cruz has a lot of limestone for fine art printing. It is a major collection, and a reason to go to UC Santa Cruz – or not. They have a landfill.

I saved quite a lot of horsechestnut seeds from Seattle which I brought with me on my vacation to Taos and Chico California. During my vacation I determined the seeds would most benefit the lithography studio at UC Santa Cruz. At UCSC there is an excellent collection of lithographic limestone for printing Art. The infused fresh water would be good for them since they are fine porous limestone and they absorb water from the printing process. So, I mailed the horsechestnut seeds to the UCSC lithographic studio. That was the beginning of the problem.

It was the summer session at UCSC in 2001 and the Teacher’s Assistant received my collection marked as “ART SUPPLY.” He opened the package and the plastic tub containing the seeds. Then he said quietly, “I’ve been had!” He didn’t even look at the paperwork; he just threw everything away as if he wanted no part of it. There were over fifty seeds in that collection. That’s enough to make sweet water for lots of printmaking sessions. But the highly valued seeds went to the landfill instead. I have to make it clear to the reader that I intended the seed collection to be used at the lithography studio. When I am asked if I put the horsechestnut seeds in the landfill, I tell people, “I can’t do it.” If you are from Santa Cruz and blame me for this problem, I am sorry. I have had horsechestnut seed infused water in my body. I have some concerns about the landfill. I have to deal with the unexpected outcome of the landfill because the TA wasn’t interested in learning what the seeds were.

I imagine that the seeds have made the landfill fresh and sweet, and that the people in Santa Cruz have trouble with it leading to the body. They were thrown away in 2001, so there is an entire section of the landfill affected; but, that they were buried long ago. There are some things to consider about this problem, but you must think that our cash-bills have horsechestnut seed as a fundamental element in the cash design – perhaps it is the ink or the paper.

The TA eventually found out that something went wrong and learned about the seeds after the fact. He has visited Seattle Washington where the seeds grow in the wild. At this late date, I have had the expectation that he introduce horsechestnut seed into the lithography studio like I planned; but, I have not been satisfied as to any progress toward my original intention.