Pardalote on a Wire – Woodcut

‘Pardolote on a wire’ Linocut 260 x 360 mm Aug 13

I revisited my Pardelote linocut and redid it as a larger woodcut.  Really happy with how it worked out, now I have more idea of how this medium works.  I was able to add more detail into the background while still keeping the simplicity of the composition.  It was much harder to cut in wood and I had trouble with bits chipping off, though super glue helped to save his leg!

I will be adding colour to some of the prints, but I have such a busy month it may not be till September.  Here is the original drawing and the first print just for comparison.

Spotted Pardelote Lino Design

Pardalote Two colour print May 2013

This time I remembered to flip the design before transferring it onto the block.  See learning has occured.

Carving the Pardalote

Karen

Sturt Desert Pea Linocut 2

‘Dancing Peas’ Sturt Desert Pea 2 Linocut 617mm x 240mm July 2013

I have started my second printmaking course, this one is where I get to learn how to use the studio and print my own work.  Once I have completed this course I will be able to use the studio and print my work when ever I want.

I made this lino a few weeks ago on holidays, see the other Desert Pea post.  It is large of course, I don’t often do small works.  It was fairly difficult to get to print well, but I am pleased with it as it is only my third attempt at printing.

New Desert Pea
The lino being cut

It has been taken from a drawing I did in 2012 Sturt Desert Pea 2, this is one of my favorite works and I wanted to reuse the image again in a different medium and push it a bit further.  The image has been flipped in the printing process.

Sturt Desert Pea 2
Coloured Pencil & Acrylic
April 2012

I, of course, will be colouring in some of the prints and I am going to experiment with printing it on different papers and coloured backgrounds, so you will see this image in a number of different guises.

Although this print looks rather clean, I was far from it, some how in the course of the 2 .5 hours it took to print this lino, I manage to cover myself in ink.  As my hands were covered I unconsciously touched my face (a lot of times) and had been running around the studio with an almost black face.  My fellow students were most kind and didn’t laugh at me and only mentioned I had ink on my nose.  When I looked in the mirror I couldn’t stop laughing, it really was covered.  Lucky I checked before I walked out!

Karen

 

Blue Wren

Blue Wren Woodcut

This is my first ever woodcut, a little blue wren, sitting on an old fence post singing his heart out in the morning sun.  There was a family of blue wrens that lived on our property and spent the day ruffling through the gardens looking for tasty treats to eat.  They would come and watch you garden and sing and cheep away, such lovely companions.

This is the last print I did for my first relief printing class and it was a two colour wood cut.  This time instead of reduction we did a two plate print.  Again we had no choice in the second colour so not the colour I would have chosen.  But I see this as a draft for the second lot of prints that I am currently working on.  A short series of the birds that used to visit us on the property I used to live on in Castlemaine.

Blue Wren Woodcut

I enjoyed using the wood and really liked how the texture worked on the stump.  Lots to think about in how to use the grain of the wood in future work.  The wood also smells better than the lino.

Karen

New toys for a new medium

I am have been getting together my tools for my next printmaking course.  This one is more about working in the studio at Australian Print Workshop.  When I complete this course I will be able to go in and use the workshop whenever I want.  It is like getting my studio license.  I will need to have all I need to do the printing so I have been having fun getting new art supplies.  It is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Carving the Pardalote

I have bought some beautiful lino/wood carving tools.  I decided to spend a little more and get some decent tools that will hold their edge and feel good.  Then of course I had to buy some sharpening stones to keep the edges sharp.  Still trying to get the knack of a really sharp edge (any suggestions or tool sharpening tips greatly appreciated).

New Carving Tools

I decided to redo the bird prints that I did previously on a larger scale with the right colours this time.  So I have wood shavings flying and some sore fingers, but very proud to say no blood as yet.

The bench hook (board that I am carving on) is very special to me, it is my late fathers cedar drawing board which my cousin partner turned into a bench hook as it was no longer smooth enough to use for drawing.  Thanks Chris, it is already in good use.

Having so much fun, there is nothing like a new project.

Karen

PS a special hello to all my friends in Paris at the moment, have fun, relax and partake in all that great cuisine.

 

Spotted Pardelote Linocut

Pardalote Two colour print

Here is my second linocut.  It is a Spotted Pardelote, which is a tiny finch like bird that used to nest in the banks on our property near Castlemaine.  They are lovely little birds.  The colours are not right, but as this is only a practice piece while learning the techniques we didn’t have a choice of colour.

Pardalote print Red

This is what is called a reduction print.  You carve out all the areas that you want to leave white (or the colour of the paper) then print with your next colour, in this case red.  Then you carve out the areas that you want red and print with your next colour, in this case black.  You can keep printing as many colours you like, but two was enough for our experiment.

I was really happy with how the bird turned out and can’t wait to do another one of this image with the right colouring.  I think a woodcut.

Karen