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Carve, Paint, Print: A Lesson in Persistence & Letting Go of Control

Updated: Nov 24

When we moved up to Ely in the fall three years ago, we lived in a log cabin way up by the Canadian border. It was a temporary rental and we knew we had to move out in the spring, so most of our things stayed packed away in storage, including my art supplies. It was a very snowy winter and we got a bit of cabin fever during storms sometimes.


I needed a new hobby. I had heard of linocut printing but never tried it, so I ordered a basic linocut kit and got started. After carving and printing a few test blocks, I completed my first full carve - an owl on a branch, inspired by an owl we had seen perched outside of our rental cabin frequently that winter. I was super happy with how it came out, but something was missing. When painting with our youngest kid the next day, I realized it was missing color. I gave a few of those watercolor owl prints to friends and family as gifts.


Firs ever linocut sketch, linocut print, and watercolor + print.


Over the next three years, I practiced my carving and printing techniques, soaked up a bunch of inspiration and wisdom from linocut artists online, and experimented with different inks, papers, and carving tools.


Three years later. Same lino block, different materials and skill level. "Night + Owl", 2024.


Ideas for prints started to come more frequently with less effort, once I got more experience with relief print composition and technique. My amazing mother-in-law got me a hand press last Christmas and that's when I really became hooked.

I loved the fact that I could create many prints from the same artwork, but each was different because it was hand-printed and painted. My print consistency started to improve, but I also took comfort in the fact that imperfection and variation are kind of the point. I also loved the fact that no technology or electricity is required to make these. I can carve and paint without the internet or power.



This was all a very needed balance to the digital world I live in for my career. That world is often full of proofing, copy/paste, rules, neatness, formalities, rigidity. The world of painting and printmaking is messy, varied, organic, joyful. While I can use some techniques to get the saturation of color to pool where I want it to, for the most part, watercolor goes where it wants to. Every single one is unique. The ink on the linocut is also slightly different every time, though as I've practiced more the uniformity has improved. I don't ever want it to be totally uniform, that defeats the point.

Diving into this medium has forced me to abandon the urge to control every aspect of creating something and see imperfection as an asset. A sign that it was made by human hands.


Unreleased Halloween print, carving "Ski-In", unreleased bat print.


Eighteen years in, I'm very grateful to be successfully self-employed in design and marketing. But the need to balance out the keyboard with carving tools wasn't something I could ignore anymore. Once I had a set of three carved blocks that I was happy with and felt that I had a handle on my printing process, I stocked up on watercolor paper and began creating my first batch of inventory to sell.


What does it take to create a watercolor + linocut print?

  1. Sketch the idea.

  2. Refine the sketch and transfer it to the lino block. I've experimented with drawing directly on the block with sharpie, pencil on paper sketching and then transferring the pencil lead to the block by rubbing it, and digital sketching on the ipad, then printing and transferring via glue and acetone. My favorite is digital sketching, but I'm still working on perfecting the transfer portion of that process.

  3. Make sure I have all of the necessary supplies and tools on hand: paper, watercolor paints, brushes, printing ink, brayer, palette knife, sharpened carving tools, lino block, either a printing press or a spoon to do it by hand.

  4. Carve the design into the block. I carve away all of the lino that I do not want to print. This sometimes takes a long while and my hands hurt by the end.

  5. Clean up all of the little pieces of lino that have inevitably gone everywhere.

  6. Using the lino block as a stencil, lightly trace the shape of the print onto watercolor paper.

  7. Watercolor paint within the pencil lines.

  8. Let dry.

  9. Erase the pencil lines.

  10. Flatten the paper under some books (watercolor warps paper a bit).

  11. Create a register out of cardboard so that your print roughly lines up with the watercolor area.

  12. Roll ink onto lino block, put the block on the register that is on the printing press.

  13. Test print on cheap paper. Adjust any carved areas you need to.

  14. Print with printing press or spoon or baren.

  15. Repeat for however many you are doing in that set.

  16. Clean up.

  17. Let dry for 5+ days (I use an oil based ink that takes longer to dry, I like it better than water based inks).

  18. Add any additional touches, like the glow of the lantern in "Northern Night".

  19. Number, title, sign.

  20. Package.


I'm still learning this craft, and finding my favorite supplies and tools. My next purchase will be a more fine-tip set of carving tools. I'd also like to continue to experiment with different kinds of paper. It has quickly become apparent that I need a totally separate studio space to create in. Right now I make prints in a multi-purpose room that doesn't close off. Pet hair and curious kittens are an issue. The dream is a little lantern-lit, wood-fired art studio in the woods but the guest room may be next year's solution.



Happy Holidays everyone! See you in the new year,


Sarah

"Northern Night", 2024.



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