New Reduction for March!

And so it begins...

The first run of a reduction is so mysterious, what does it all mean!?!  It is also the hardest print to pull due to the large amount of area to be inked.  This print is one of the largest reductions I have pulled to date.  Even though I am committed to hand pulling all of my work... a press would have been handy with this one!   Wow, that was a workout!  I pulled 8 prints for the first run. Due to space and to save my poor abused back I kept the number low.  Hopefully I will have a solid 5 in the end worth keeping!  Two more colors to go...any guesses what I'm going for?  No pressure but my youngest noodle got it ;)

~Jane

Waters - reduction print

 Waters 

Reduction print

Signed & numbered

(Edition of 5)

image 6x7

framed 11x14

$115 matted & framed + $15 shipping

Matted Print

$85 + $8 shipping

Waters is a reduction linocut print I have been working on for about 4 weeks.  I am always drawn to the glimmer in the water when I'm out on a sunny day. Its so magical, I could watch it for hours.  I was inspired to use a limited palette of 3 blues with this print. Something about blues draw me in. This was so fun and satisfying for me.  I think I'll enter this print into the Sarasota Art Center March juried show. Wish me luck. Such an exciting event with so many artists works it's a touch overwhelming! 

Enjoy!

~Jane

Wednesday Blues

Wednesday Blues...

My Wednesday blues are very happy and exciting today.  I mixed the best blue today!  Started out working on my second pull of my new reduction, and I just couldn't get enough. I would have kept going if I had more room!  The blue is a Jane mixed gray base with just a touch of Caligo phthalo blue.  I think I might just submit this to the boss for our new exterior house paint color!  Love it that much.

Below is the second run from my reduction, up close. (The paper is wet and doesn't lay flat until dry, which is why it isn't square, I can't handle such things my eye is still twitching looking at the bottom left of this photo!)

One more pull of a darker blue and she's all done!  The final print is always the most exciting, but this second was a high in my day!  Yay for blue!

Check out the fun card I finally printed!  I carved it some time ago and haven't felt the urge to print it until now. It was inspired by...you guessed it, water!  I just cant get away from the ocean as my muse. I love this design because it isn't like anything I have done. I really just wanted to break down the current with its bubbles and sea foam. I printed it as a card with the hopes to work larger and use this as the study. Turned out alright! Green light to move forward.

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments!

~Jane

Reduction- The process

1st reduction linocut of the new year!

The reduction, or 'suicide' method of linocutting uses a single piece of lino to produce a multi-colored print. The lino is gradually cut away as each color is printed and the image emerges. Sometimes only a very small printable area remains for the final, darkest tone. As the block is essentially destroyed during the process, a reduction print can never be reprinted.

In the above picture you can see my setup.

 From left to right:  Wooden spoon from IKEA or barren-Critical to hand pull a print. I use the back of the spoon to burnish the paper over the linoleum. I prefer a spoon because I can use the edge or the flat back and really get a good pull out of it.  although its more of a workout.  Register Jig-I use this to line up every print I pull.  You can see the battleship gray linoleum in its place.  Ink- I only use oil based Caligio inks (easy clean up, its worth the extra shipping)  Brayer or roller- I use this to roll my ink on the linoleum.  These come in different sizes and hardness but this is my go to one. Palette knife - Used to mix ink and spread on my palette surface. I also use a clean palette knife to move my inked block into place.  Its not always easy to move things around all covered in ink!  Plexi-glass palettes- I use these to roll my ink and mix my ink. 2 different sizes works well for me, I have found to ask at framing stores for scraps to use.  

Here is the linoleum all inked up and ready to print its first run!

 The first run printed...

Such a fun process!

I will let these dry and revisit next week for the second run.

Have a great weekend!

~Jane