I’ve been wanting to get back into printmaking since my print classes I attended in college. After taking the “Intro-to” class, I decided I wanted to take every one that was available to me. Having a deep appreciation for process and a love for DIY methods are what drew me to the medium. Drawing on those super-smooth lithography stones with wax pencils are an incredible feeling! Having limited resources, and a want to keep this process as “in-house” as I can has led me back to linocut printing.
I took a run a linocut printing a couple of years ago, with mixed results. The piece I made wasn’t that strong, and a general lack of interest (plus a cross-country move) led me to shelving the whole deal. Apparently, the equipment I had collected for that first foray back into printing was mostly lost during our move (which was for the better, in hindsight), save for a few pieces of unused linoleum.
Once I made the decision to jump back into it, I started by simply drawing directly on the lino-plates with pencil, with no preconceived plans. Ideas just seemed to keep flowing, and without any cutting or printing tools, or ink, I simply kept drawing. I slowly began picking out the additional tools and equipment I needed. Some inexpensive Speedball cutting tools, brayer, Caligo safe-wash inks, and a wooden-spoon from the local discount housewares spot.
Over I had cutting tools in hand, I had no shortage of pieces to start chopping up. I think that linocuts are the right balance of tools required, process needed, and ease of clean-up, vs something like screen-printing (which I’ve done extensively in the past). I’m excited to continue creating, and seeing what I can stories I can tell through the medium.
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