I found a very old lino offcut which was exactly the right size for a little print. It was quite difficult to cut but not too bad after being warmed to soften up.
The image is loosely based on an etching from 1525 by Urs Graf.
When I inked the lino there were still some mistakes. I cut deeper lines, using tweezers to remove the tiny pieces. I liked the idea of a little rocking card, so some of them are printed on circles…
Twenty five years ago I took a few photos of my firstborn’s hand on my hand. Since then I’ve made drawings from the least blurry pictures, and transferred one of those to a little piece of lino. Sketches and lino blocks go missing during house moves and home improvement projects.
Finally, after years of dithering, I have cut enough of this lino to make a test print. It might benefit from more little dots in the background and a different colour ink but that’s for another day.
Linocut, 7 x 15cm approx. After the test print I noticed she has a nosebleed. Maybe this is a long lost part of that Lincolnshire folk tale about roses drinking blood.
I enjoyed cutting a little raincloud lino block. For once, patchy inking helped the image to shine!
Linocut on Japanese paper, 12 x 12 cm.
Full cold moon; a time when we’re naturally accelerated, energy is flowing and things will naturally come to a conclusion. Time to consider that ridiculous ten year project which we can now let go of.
Today’s full moon coincides with a general election. There was a double rainbow in the sky when I went out to vote.
Test printing some little postcards. Were we promised unicorns as part of the Brexit outcome? Nobody can remember…
Linocut, 10 x 5.5cm. Linseed ink on Japanese paper.
After a lot of dithering I’ve printed a couple of birthday cards that might dry in time for the post collection.
I did like the idea of the time whizzing around the universe… Maybe later…
I saw a group of swans chasing each other on the Mill Pond near Pembroke castle. One rescued another from the violent attentions of a third swan. Third swan floated away looking reasonably dignified. Then the first two stroked their necks together and caressed in a heart shape.
From my scruffy sketches and some blurry photos I cut a lino block. I wasn’t pleased with it, put it aside and didn’t see it again for about five years.
Made some test prints, it’s not that bad really.
berry daines 