Linoleum Prints!

I'm in Printmaking this semester and I'm LOVING it. It's like...my soulmate artform, I think. I've got prior experience with this form, but it was way back in the day, when it was just something to do to keep my summer school art teacher off my back. Now, I'm revisiting it with new eyes. Before, I didn't even consider art as something I'd be doing for the rest of my life. Isn't it funny how things change? Being in one Photography class changed my outlook on art as a whole. It was my "gateway" artform. Haha...get it? Like a "gateway drug"? Lame? I know....anyway...

Lately, I've been stuck on Jackalopes. Like...hardcore. I usually find a theme, have it stuck in my head (last time it was birds) and beat it to death. If I'm lucky, at the end of six months to a year, I have a couple of good pieces to show for it. I'm pretty excited. The Jackalope thing is really turning out some good pieces. And the Printmaking...it's opening a lot of doors, too. I'm going to have a lot of good pieces for my Senior Art Show (someday!).

The thing I love about Linoleum carvings is that it's like a drawing...but its so much more involved. You really have to think ahead to the final print (what needs to be black? What needs to be white? Do I want patterns?) and reflect it in what you leave and take away. Not only that, but once you're done carving, you can get SO many variants depending on the inks you use, how you apply them, how thick/thin you apply them, etc. You've got one solid template, but endless possibilities. 

Here's the first piece I did.

 Then, I had the bright idea of doing a contrast piece (by the way...never carve on double-sided linoleum. It's cheap, but you also poke through a LOT).

 Here are the two side-by-side. I'll only display them like this. They're meant to compliment each other and I think they do it nicely. :)

 

And then I printed on this fabric for fun. I've also been caught up in fabric lately. I'm going to try to make more time for the collages/compositions made of fabric. 

Until next time, guys!