The Night Garden In Progress

I was really hoping to get this lino-cut done this week and I am SO close to finishing

but because of my fibromyalgia sometimes my balance gets wonky

and I had a little tumble and in trying to break my fall, I hurt my wrist!

SO, I've got to let that heal up before I get back to any cutting

because printmaking is pretty hard on the hands and wrists.

I am so excited with how it's looking so far though and can not wait to do a test print.

A Bun A Leaping In Lino

A brand new lino is underway...

I am still using the chisels I used in high-school!

Upcoming Linos

Here's a sneak peek at some of my next linos...these guys are all pretty big.

I am already done 2 of them & I can't wait to show you & get some editions listed.

Filling In Lines With Misa

I have to use a chemical transfer to get my images from the paper to my linoleum

and I do have to do so because of how very detailed my designs are...

Sometimes it works really well, sometimes only parts transfer or they do but very faintly.

But I don't mind when I have to fill bits in because I grab a stack of linos in the pipeline,

I grab my Sharpie, a snack and I sit with my girl Misa downstairs and we re-line everything.

If life is about being in your happy place as much as possible, this is certainly one of them.

Rabbit Distractions

A little closer to the end now...I can not wait to do a test run of this beauty...

Misa thinks she helps to keep me on track but her cuteness is the ultimate distraction!!

Flynn In Lino

I can't get enough of linos lately, I carve pretty much every morning.

Those who know my little family know right away that Flynn was my model for this one.

A Lino Of Flynn

When I say the rabbits we adopt and rescue are my main inspirations I really mean it...

There's no mistaking it, our Flynn is the model for one of my newest lino...I hope I do him justice!

Loving The Linos

I've been carving new lino cuts more than anything else lately, I have 7 others already ready to go.

This new beauty is all done, I can't wait to show you, hopefully I'll be able to get some printed soon.

Lovely Lino

I have a few new lino blocks all cut & ready for printing with a couple in the works, here's a peek...

But I find that I wait until I have a pile of several before I actually get to the process of hand pressing.

Looking Promising

I won't have "Feather Song" completed today to show you so instead here's a peek at a new lino...

I've been doing a lot of linos, most I don't like enough to show but this ones looking promising.

New Vinyl For A New Year

So last Fall I found myself a huge roll of vinyl for printmaking

and with some wrangling and fighting I got enough of the sucker rolled out on the floor

so I could cut off a large piece and than that into smaller pieces.

I am so so happy with it...it cuts like a dream, let alone when it's heated on my heat-board.

Mind you, it's been rolled up for 7+ years so it's not going to loose it's curl easily,

I'll have to sandwich a whack of it in between boards and

leave it by my studio heater in hopes that that helps it flatten out eventually!

But it feels so good to be cutting again after long holidays away from it.

It's part of my day that I love so much...AM's with vinyl and Misa at my side nibbling my feet.

A Huge Roll Of Possibilities

Back in the middle of summer I went searching for vinyl because I was back into lino-cuts

and I was on my last few small pieces and I knew I had to make the switch from linoleum,

which I had always used, to vinyl because after all these years all my lino blocks were sadly cracking.

Apparently vinyl is much more robust and pliable and won't crack.

I went to a flooring store into their off-cuts section & found this huge 4 year old roll for only $80.00.

It's super smooth with no grain either way and whiles I am nervous to break into it, I also can't wait.

A Printmakers Companion

I have several linos all finished, just patiently waiting there in a pile waiting for me to pull test prints from them but I honestly just keeping finding myself moving on to the next one to cut.

I think it's because the area I have set up to do my cutting in is in Misa's main area & it just feels like such a sweet precious time, mornings cutting blocks with this sweetie that I just don't want to stop!

Cuteness & Carving

I carve my linos in the mornings...

She stretches and naps with a full belly looking all adorable...it works for us both.

Babuska Lino

Cutting a babuska doll...

I think I am liking this one.

A Simple One

I've been pretty sick with a flu so here's a teeny tiny super simple one...

Still just practicing but getting ready to move onto bigger & fancier!

More Cutting

Still just getting my feet wet on the last bit of the softoleum...

This one will be added to my customers orders as an extra treat.

Flower Garden Lino

A new lino cut...

I'll get it into the shop soon hopefully!

Getting Soft On Softoleum

I should be able to show you guys the finished prints of all of these guys starting next week...

The softoleum typically has a bad rap but I gotta say, I am getting used to it and my wrist likes it!!!

Dabbling and Bad Habits

I've been dabbling with printmaking again...

I tend to cut a bunch of blocks before I do the hand-pressed printing part,

it's probably a bad habit..I plan to do some actual pressing/printing this week hopefully!!

My dear friend and mentor Dave Carlin gift me a whole whack of his beautiful chisels

& some vinyl too, I think he was excited about my renewed interest in picking up printmaking again and it's so awesome to be using chisels that he actually taught me with in highschool!