new work

Being the awkward person I am, I was not very happy when the lino blocks I ordered turned out to be not the deliciously textured, hessian backed slabs of toffee I'm used to, but this latest grey coloured vinyl.

Still, I set to work with the radio blaring and a big pot of shisendo tea (still hooked, dear reader…but the yoga has fallen by the wayside)

Actually, it's lovely to cut; the tools carve like a knife through butter without blunting. So I grumpily told myself that it would probably make horrible prints though, as I gloopily rollered out the ink. A sound, texture and smell that is just heavenly and transports me back to happy student days.

I tried out a variety of papers. Above is a print on Arches aquarelle paper that worked beautifully, as did the cheap and cheerful paper nicked from Romy's sketchbook and a cotton handmade Japanese paper.

Personally, I prefer to leave plenty of grooves and gouge marks in my block...

All done in my, ahem 'summer studio' (in reality the falling down barn at the back.)