Still life linocut

A ltttle still life

Here is the first of my little projects for this busy month.  I had originally purchased a number of mounted and unmounted 5×7 sized linoleum blocks, not knowing which I would prefer.  I ended up liking the mounted ones better but had one piece of the unmounted ones left.  I also intended to use a few of the linocuts on some of my acid free card stock, but when I discovered that the blocks were going to be too big to easily print on the card, I cut this last one in half. John mounted the two 3.5×5 pieces on a piece of board a few weeks ago and I was ready to go.  I didn’t want to get too complicated because the block is small to work on. The idea of a plant on a table with a teapot seemed to fit the bill.  The question ended up being whether I should cut out the flowers and greenery or leave them in relief.  Once I made that choice, I debated quite a long time on how to handle the teapot.  Should I cut out the teapot or the flowers on it?  Ultimately I decided I wanted to paint the teapot a bright color so I would have to cut it out.

A red teapot

I knew right away I wanted to make the teapot red.  I really wanted it to stand out. So far I like it.  Tomorrow I may decide to add a bit of color to the background – my treasured green.  What would you think of that?

Bamboo and birds – the newest linocuts

I worked rather diligently on the new linoleum blocks once I had them. In addition to the bamboo linoleum block I showed last time, I also wanted to make a companion print to the first shore bird. I decided to hold off the printing until I had both done so I could add the watercolors at the same time.When both were done, I pulled several prints of each.  I left one black and have colored the second one with the same mossy green I used before.

I wish I had looked at the first bird more closely before I cut out the second though.  I forgot that I left a small border around it and to really make a matched set, I should have put it on the second one.  Oh well, it’s not a huge deal.  I just wish I had taken a little time to look instead of diving right in.  The problem is I don’t like to look a previous work too much when doing something new.  It tends to stifle me.  I can get bound up in trying to reproduce an effect instead of letting a piece develop its own uniqueness.

I rather like the way the bamboo print turned out.  I was a little afraid of it since I based it on two sketches I made last week and I could feel myself focusing on them rather than the block cut at hand.  When I got to the color, I debated on how much to add.  I started in the lower middle, intending to work my way up and out as the spirit moved me.  Then I  just decided to put it over the whole area.  I though it would better evoke a forest of bamboo.  I have another print already made so if I decide to try a partial color I can easily do it.  However, looking at it a day later, the total green has grown on me.

And wouldn’t you know it, when I went to get out my printing paper – there was the missing block. I had put it “safely” with the paper, out of the way in my flat file.  As I said, it was only safe from me.