Geese over Garforth

A quick glimpse of a sketch for my next print. Inspired by great Vs of geese that crossed over our heads on their way to Fairburn Ings one mid-December evening. Just magical! I've prepared the lino and, because I will be using the reduction method instead of individual plates, I have crossed all my fingers and toes!

The cutting has begun.


Happy New Year to you all & thanks for reading :)

PAH - run out of lino

I'm eagerly waiting the postman for a fresh supply of lino. In the meantime here is my simplified sketch for the planned goldfinch print.  

Betty's Hen (work in progress)

I’ve started on a new print featuring one of my sister’s hens. I’ve been a bit distracted of late so to concentrate my thoughts I will post on each stage of work. That way if progress stalls my blog will be a nagging reminder to get on with it. So here are the sketches – a pencil sketch and then an ink version. The ink version is an attempt to work out the cuts that I will make in the lino. Because I find it easier to colour in the areas to be cut thaN it is to colour around them this is in effect a negative image. 

Usually I also create a colour mock up either in coloured pencils like this or on screen in coreldraw or photopaint. I skipped this stage for Magpie tree and paid the consequences for my haste. So below is my colour mock up for Betty’s Hen. I reversed the ink image and put in some possible colour combinations. This shows me that there is far too much white on the breast feathers in this design so it needs some adjustment before I transfer it to the lino. It will be interesting to see just how close the final print is to this.  

PINK - yikes this so isn't me!

But it is starting to grow on me. Must sit down and have a cup of tea to ponder on that one and resist the urge to get the black ink out again for at least another couple of weeks.

Latest lino cut nearly ready for printing

Phew. After 15 long hours of careful cutting my latest lino plate is nearly ready for printing. This is a reworking of an old idea. The first version was in 4 or 5 colours and a bit too big for my press so the inking wasn't as even as I would have liked (see it here). So I've redesigned it for a one colour print.
Just as I was ready to print I discovered I had ordered the wrong paper. I prefer a nice crisp white Zerkall printing paper but I'd order some Hahnemule as an experiment. Its a much softer and creamier paper so I might try it with a rich dark brown ink rather than the black I had intended. More Zerkall is on order so there will be a black & white version too.