A couple of printing sessions that were more chaotic than usual. Missing pliers meant that I couldn’t get the lid off a blue ink tube. Some leftover black from the previous day seemed a good option. Later, I found another foil-wrapped leftover, a mixture of blue and white.
If Jack Frost has trapped the sun in a block of ice, then that would be the only light source. My first plan was to have a cool grey bluish sky with a bright yellow sun shining through the ice. Now I like the black background better. It still needs some tweaking…
Made a start on a linocut, Jack Frost with the sun trapped in a block of ice. Or is it? Anyway, the repetitive action of cutting small lines isn’t good for the shoulder wound so I’m staying away from the lino today.
Cups, plates and bowls
Tidying some space around the house. The last chimney improvements added a fine layer of dust to this dinner set that has been sitting around for years. Might inspire some still life drawings, or some pasta sauces that will be good in the wider bowls in the corner.
Linocut test print. Two human shaped trees with a spiral of leaves.
There’s often an imaginary gallery in my dream landscape. Various prints and drawings appear on the walls, some of which I recycled years ago. A few months ago, this woodland scene was on display. I didn’t like it but it kept getting in the way of my dreaming walk around the gallery. Maybe if I make a version in the real world it’ll disappear from my dreams? Cutting the lino took a long time. A drawing would’ve been much more direct but it wouldn’t have looked right.
I’m very fond of folk tales and legends. The thought of making pictures of tree spirits didn’t appeal, there are enough around already. I suppose this is a depiction of the life force of the planet we live on. We don’t think about our connectivity until it’s under threat.
The theory of bad workmen blaming their tools comes in again. Blunt cutting tools won’t cut fine lines exactly where you plan them to be. Badly made rollers/brayers won’t pick up ink smoothly. I thought I’d use a second roller to add blue to the upper corners of the tree. It didn’t pick up any ink at all…
Back view of a print in progress Lapis lazuli?
Sometimes a tiny detail isn’t in contact with the paper. A wooden spoon or the edge of a coin is useful to rub that section more closely. My usual beach pebble had disappeared so a piece of lapis lazuli was employed instead.
I found two offcuts from the corners of a previous linocut. Some little sketches could be tweaked to fit. The test print with an ink pad on a postcard shows there are some angles that need curving.
Linocut card on fabric treeLinocut of a circle dance in snowBlack version of linocut snow dancers
It might look more cold and blizzard-like with a black sky? Originally I was pondering the lack of snow in our future, as well as the unpleasantness of dancing in slush.
The image is inspired by Adam and Eve’s carving on the west front of Lincoln cathedral, not far from the mouth of hell. My Lincoln ancestors were stonemasons.
A little mindless biro drawing with added shadowsOther versions of the sketch
I tried to draw a larger version of my little doodle, it looked too stagnant. Instead, I enlarged the biro drawing by 283%. Much better.
Drawing transferred onto lino
I didn’t plan to make this print, the doodle happened over breakfast. The sun’s face will have a beard made of flames, sparks, leaves, feathers, petals and whatever else comes up.
I finished cutting a lino block for future birthday cards. At some point I felt the fine v tool go into the end of my finger. No blood, no pain until the following day. A week later a little v shaped scar has appeared!
After printing a few test copies I went out to deal with some weeds in the garden. It seemed a good idea to clean the green juice off the shears when I’d finished. I sliced a bit of thumb while scrubbing the blades, which caused lots of blood to leak everywhere – same shade as the ink used earlier. Maybe a risk assessment before attempting any further actions…
berry daines 