Christmas card progress

I'm using traditional Lino for this print, rather than the Japanese Lino that I have been using, to see which I prefer and which is easier.

I follow linocut artists on Instagram and watch YouTube videos to learn different techniques and styles to aid my progression with this form of printing. 

Everyone has different ways of approaching a print but a popular choice is traditional Lino, very lightly sanded and stained beforehand with acrylic paint, making it much easier to see where you have carved and where you haven't and slightly less slipping of the cutting tool achieved from the sanding.

Image reversed and transferred to the stained Lino

Black pen added 

Starting to carve

Although I have lost some of the clarity of the thin lines I was hoping to keep crisp, I'm relatively happy how things are currently going.

A new baby

When Bertie left us she left a huge hole in our hearts and in our lives. We picked up a new baby at the weekend to try and fill some of the gap left at Berties loss. 

Introducing Tuplip Tallulah, our 12 week old, black Miniature Schnauzer puppy. She's named Tulip for me and Tallulah for my husband, but she'll just be called Tulip in general day to day life.

We first met Tulip when she was 6 weeks old..

And then again at 9 weeks..

On pick up day she weighed a hefty 4.4 kilos and was the biggest puppy of the litter.

She's gorgeous but oh boy have I forgotten just how much hard work having a puppy is!

Christmas card designing

For a couple of years I've designed and printed a Christmas card to give to family and friends. 

This year I thought I'd start a bit earlier and have been working through a design. Usually I spend so long thinking of an idea that I just end up going with it, but this year I thought of a design and worked through it, altering it each time to finally end up with something that I'm happy with. It's been a really enjoyable process that I look forward to repeating.

I took inspiration from a number of different resources, taking elements from here and there and I'm now ready to prepare my Lino and start carving and that may be when it all goes wrong.

Design 1 and 2

Design 3

Design 4 and 5

Final design

Ready to go

French teacup collagraph

I took this photograph some years ago whilst visiting my friend in France. Having been inspired by a linocut artist Yassir Malik who I follow on instagram I thought id have a go at producing a collagraph print lovely based on the teacup photo.

French teacups, original photo

Evening carving

Finished plate

Pulled print

There are bits that I realised were not carved into when they should have been and although Ive altered the plate I have yet to have a go at reprinting it. All in all though pretty happy with the outcome. I ended up with a couple of good prints and will have a go at hand colouring one of them at some point.