Small Prints and Long Roads

Some days the gnome work is slow and quiet. Other days, it’s a 45-minute drive up the road to leave a few statues tucked gently into the world, not knowing if they’ll be found tomorrow or months from now. Lately, it’s been a mix of both.

Zephyr and Victor have been getting some attention — not the loud kind, just a few refinements here and there. Small test prints have become part of the rhythm now. I’ve found it helps to hold these figures in-hand before casting, to see how they feel in the real world before committing to something bigger. A new resin printer joined the studio recently, mostly for this reason. It’s already busy.

Coming back from Victoria last week — where one gnome quietly took up residence — we stopped at a cafe and saw a poster for a “Fairy/Human Congress.” It was real, not imagined. Earnest, handcrafted, and utterly sincere. A small reminder that, all over the place, people are still engaging with wonder in their own ways.

Right now, there are 39 gnomes out there. Some of their markers have turned red — missing, moved, or maybe just gone to sleep. It happens. But there are new ones heading off too. One might be going to Iceland. Another to Europe. The map will shift again soon.

This isn’t a grand update. Just the in-between. Test prints, tiny adjustments, a few quiet placements, and a surprising flyer in a small-town coffee shop.

The rhythm continues.