Have just finished handcolouring and scanning this new linocut. It is of a tawny frogmouth – a native Australian bird – my favourite! I have been working to a schedule for this one but managed it – just – I hope. Certainly have been challenging the limits on the recurrence of my RSI in my arm/shoulder/neck in the past couple of weeks. All you linocut/woodblock enthusiasts beware – carpel tunnel and RSI – best to try and prevent than cure!
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Now onto the next projects – also to deadlines…but first I have family committments for the next 2 days.
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However, before I go I would like to highlight the use of pesticides around the normal household and the fact that we should consider our use of poisons as the easiest and first line against things like cockroaches and mice. These interesting and quite wonderful birds main diet is of insects, frogs and small rodents (mice) – so it stands to reason if we set out to poison these with toxic substances that the next one down the food chain that eats these poisoned critters also gets poisoned….
Wildflowerings - Art Studio Diary 
Hi Lyn, I have been really enjoying your instructive posts – very helpful! I was wondering if you heat your lino before you carve at all? You have such fabulous deep cuts that are so clean and neat. Perhaps it is a good tool that makes the difference!
Linden
Hi Linden, I have one of those old fashioned food warming trays from the ’70’s – my in-laws had 2 – if it is really cold I use that to warm the lino, but I work in a room with lovely large windows that keep the room pretty warm in winter. Some lino is harder than others and some I just won’t carve these days (RSI) – I check out the lino before I buy it now from the art supplies to make sure it is lovely and supple. The problem sometimes is the slow moving stock and the lino gets hard in the art supplies store or it is sometimes delivered this way – I’d send it back!
I also have recently bought a new sharpening stone from Bunnings and as well as that I have used a small piece of leather and sharpening polish my dad had in his cupboard for a few years now. Keeping the lino tool blades sharp as well is really helpful. I must say my linotools are speedball and are years old – sometimes I buy a new blade but it takes ages to ‘break it in’. I must say the new silkcut lino fresh from the supplier is actually quite nice at the moment….
I had been planning to post some info on lino and tools in the near future…the plan is to maybe build enough info for workshops…
Sharing with you, your favorite bird!
http://chenghiang.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/tawny-frogmouth/
Hi Lyn,
I am just getting into lino cuts again and wondered if you can give me some advice. Where to obtain lino in bulk (roll) as the price in the shops is quite expensive. Also you mention you use a press. Can you tell me where I might obtain a press for lino cuts. At the moment I am mounting the lino onto wood and then applying the mounted lino cut by hand and pressing down as hard as I can. Also do you ever do multi colour prints and how do you ensure registration?
Many thanks for any help you may be able to offer.
Hi William,
OK one thing at a time! lol!
1. I just try ringing a few different art stores for my lino supplies. I used to buy it by the roll but had a bad experience with a store off loading a roll of quite ‘hard’ lino where I think the roll had been sitting for quite a while. I was actually unable to carve a large portion of this lino. After using a variety of linos I have come back to silkcut recently – https://soulsongart.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/artists-linoleum-lino-for-linocutslinoprints/
I am unsure where you are but try around – I also sometimes visit the local university shop as they have a variety of sizes.
2. I haven’t ever mounted the lino on a wooden back but I know other artists do. Some of the designs I use are unusual in shape and the wooden base would interfere with printing I think.
3. The press I use is an old bookpress – http://www.soulsong.com.au/linocuts.html#print
I found it in a 2nd hand store in Kyogle about 20 years ago – I have seen them since and a local 2nd hand building material place had one a while back.
You can also use the back of a spoon to rub the back of the paper or a baren or even a roller to apply even pressure. Many relief printmakers prefer hand printing but my RSI would now prevent that. I am limited by the size of the small book press but a larger press is way beyond my means at this point of time! I have wistful dreams of a lovely large old Albion press but……
4. I did some mulit-coloured, multi-pieced work a very long time ago – you need to place the block(s) in exactly the same place on a backing board (marked out of course) and you can place registration marks or small flat pieces of cardboard so that each time you place the paper down it is in exactly the same position so that each colour is laid in the correct place. Many printmakers develop a variety of techniques to ensure correct registration. I must admit NOT my favourite activity! lol! Also I cannot get the range of colour or variation in colour for the effect that I particularly want.
The Warringah Printmakers has a good resources page – http://www.printstudio.org.au/su/supp.html
Also there is Neil’s art supplies – I haven’t purchased anything there as yet but have looked at the online catalogue – http://www.e-artstore.net/
Hope this helps!!
kind regards
Lyn
Hi Lyn
Really like your work and I find your web site very instructive and inspiring. Do you use a blanket with your book press when printing your linocuts?
Alan UK
Hi Alan – glad the blog is helpful! I use felt blankets in my bookpress, I think it gives a more even printing result.
kind regards
Lyn