Completed print

The Botanist

At last, the linocut is finished and editioned, so that i am happy with 10 of the 18 or so prints made. The print is 20cm square and is a reduction print made from 2 blocks and will be on display at the Cynon Valley Museum from 20th January till 24th February 2018.

The Botanist Linocut

This linocut is developing slowly. It is made from 2 blocks, one for the blues and greys, the other for the yellows. This is so I can keep the colours cleaner and to avoid muddying which can occur with linocuts with 8 or more colours such as this one. This causes its own headaches with registering the 2 blocks and deciding which colour to print next. There are only 3 or so colours to go so should be ready by January!

Hedge laying Linocut

The hedgelayer

Following on from 'The Botanist' post this linocut will be called 'The Hedgelayer' In the foreground are the tools of the trade laid out on a table. The topmost is a Staffordshire or Warwickshire billhook, below this an English pattern axe and then a generic Southern Counties billhook. In the background can be seen a hedge laid in the Midland style where the cut stems or pleachers are offset from the upright stakes and finished off with woven hazel known as hethering.

I intend to make the print from 2 blocks, one for the blues and greys and one for the yellows and browns.

New linocut ideas

I have decided to make a new series of prints that are about pastimes and craft skills. This is the first attempt to trial the process and is called 'The Botanist'. On the table are some of the tools of the trade, starting top right with the stereo microscope, then clockwise are forceps, identification book, hand lens, voucher specimen page and dissecting knife.

The print is made using the reduction technique where one piece of lino is used and is cut away for each colour. This technique needs accurate registration, and at the moment I am using the Kento method of registration developed by Japanese printmakers.

Because I want some of the colours to be quite clear I have decided to go for separate plates for each of the main colour groups, so in this case one for the yellows and one for the blues. Hopefully this will have the advantages of using separate blocks and single reduction method.