Artists Lino and Linocut design…Thinking outside the square.

Just a quick thought – often we approach design for linocuts with the thought in the back of our mind of the standard sizes of the linoleum blocks – squares of 15cm x 15cm or 30cm x 30cm. So we design accordingly to these ‘specifications’. I found it immensely liberating when I bought my first 1m x 1.9m roll of lino! At last I didn’t have to be limited by or influenced by the standard sizing provided by the artist linoleum suppliers! I could actually choose the size and indeed the shape that I wanted for my design.

On the down side I am still limited by the small size of my printing press (on old wind down book press) and hand burnishing with a baren or spoon is really out of the question with the RSI that plagues my arm and shoulder. I can usually these days manage with varying the tasks I do and some massage/chiropractor/physiotherapy when it gets more difficult but hand burnishing would tip it over. Anyway one I day might get a larger press – I do look enviously at the old Albion press in the local newspaper office just sitting there restored and idle….

Copyright – Lynette Weir