Block Prints
I love carving linoleum blocks and making prints. One of the things I value about writing is the sense of deep absorption I feel when I am focused on a poem. It's a wonderful loss of self -- a sort of peaceful erasure. Carving offers its own sense of deep absorption, yet it's a different kind of immersion.
When I carve, I generally use a #2 Speedball carving tip, but on this raven I also used a #1 tip (smaller) to carve in some details in the feathers. I used a wide (#5) tip to shave off larger areas where I didn't want any ink, but the beauty (I think!) of linoleum prints is that they pick up some of those carving streaks.
I used an oil-based paint for this print, and my fingers were a mess. But I just discovered some fantastic soap (a volcanic pumice, which sounds better than soap, yes?) made by Siege. It works pretty well. The fantastic part is that it smells like lilacs. Not pretend lilacs. Not scratch-n-sniff lilacs. Lilacs.
When I carve, I generally use a #2 Speedball carving tip, but on this raven I also used a #1 tip (smaller) to carve in some details in the feathers. I used a wide (#5) tip to shave off larger areas where I didn't want any ink, but the beauty (I think!) of linoleum prints is that they pick up some of those carving streaks.
I used an oil-based paint for this print, and my fingers were a mess. But I just discovered some fantastic soap (a volcanic pumice, which sounds better than soap, yes?) made by Siege. It works pretty well. The fantastic part is that it smells like lilacs. Not pretend lilacs. Not scratch-n-sniff lilacs. Lilacs.