Lake Tahoe Linocut

This is how the Lake Tahoe linocut that I recently posted about turned out after the final colors were printed. It's a reduction print and will be a very small edition (less than 10 prints) after I toss out the misprints.

With two shows in December and a camping trip coming up, I'm happily cranking out several new prints including this 10"x13" ski-themed poster. The first block (sky and mountains) was done in multiple shades of gray and I'm now carving the second block (on the right of the photo), which will be printed on top of the first image with green, blue and black.

It's beautifully sunny outside but I've been looking forward to a full day of printmaking - experimenting with new materials and techniques. So today I'm printing a Tom Killion-inspired Lake Tahoe reduction linocut with several more colors to go after the ink is dry later this week. It took a while for my lino block to get seasoned but after the first ten runs through the press I started getting some nice prints.

Tonight, I'm starting a small Mt. Tamalpais woodcut with a piece of Lauan. Now I'm heading off to get a syringe to hold linseed oil (will that work?) and some more clothing pins for hanging paper. I'm on a roll.

A baren is a handy alternative to my printing press from time to time. Usually I use the back of a spoon or a plastic baren for the job. I use it to burnish the back of the paper to pick up the ink from the linoleum or wood block underneath. For a while, though, I've wanted to make my own based on a design I saw during a Kala Art Institute relief printmaking workshop last year. It fits better in my hand and produces more pressure with less strain. This is how I made mine this week for under $3.

1. Bought two 2.5" diameter wood drawer knobs.

2. Glued them end-to-end with wood glue and clamped them together for 24 hours.

3. Sanded the baren and applied a thin coat of linseed oil to one end (wiping off the excess). This is the end that comes in contact with the back of the paper.

I'll be doing a public printmaking demonstration on Saturday, October 15 (2:00pm to 5:30pm) as part of California Arts Day. Come by the El Cerrito Community Center (7007 Moeser Lane) for the city's "Do-It-Yourself Arts Fair." You can talk to local artists, attend workshops, and watch art demonstrations - best of all, it's free!

I pulled my new landscape print off the drying rack and framed it for the current El Cerrito Art Show. It's titled "Last Sunset" and is in the center of this photo. I also contributed two other linocut prints from earlier this year.

If you're in the area, you might stop by the El Cerrito Art Show from Sep. 30 - Oct. 2. It's always a fun event, particularly the artists reception on Friday night. Feel free to sneak a peek at the printmaking section to see my latest landscape print.