Over the next few blog posts I would like to share with you how I develop a project over time - in this case, a linocut of the daisies which spring to life in abundance along the edges of the fields locally in late summer. Here's some photos of them - they really have the feel good factor, don't they?!
I was inspired to make a linocut of them. I decided that I would try a new technique - removing areas of lino to leave the white areas of daisies behind - then super-imposing this solid background with leaves cut into relief. You can see the different parts of the process below.
This linocut was a real challenge to print. As the piece of linoleum remained relatively solid, with only about a third of the area removed to form the daisies, it was extremely difficult to transfer the ink. This required me to dampen and flatten the paper. However, I was very pleased with how the finished print turned out - I feel I managed to capture the bouncy, happy summer feel of the daisies. I did two versions - one in a deep blue and orange yellow to sell as a handmade print - and one in a lighter blue and yellow version to sell as a fabric.
Other printmakers may be interested in how I dampen and flatten paper - it can be useful to know about this technique if you have a linocut with a large surface area. You can watch my film about it below. In future blog posts, I will share how I develop this project and apply it in other design areas- see the next post in a fortnight's time!