Thursday, January 22, 2015

Making Chocolate, Reduction Linocut and For the Love of Dogs



Chocolate
reduction linocut 6x6
Chocolate is brain food.  It improves the blood flow to the brain and feeds us to keep us smarter for longer.  At least that's what the scientists say.  I bet if those folk have ever done a reduction lino cut they would totally agree with its ability as brain food. 
I have a very special friend in my life and she is a huge chocolate fan and has two lovely chocolate labs.  Four years ago, I made her a chocolate themed gift.  We both are Christmas time babies - just one day apart, so we share a special bond of holiday babies.  This year, it was time to share more chocolate love with her for her birthday. 
 
Step one - yellow
Step Two - cut away and print in brown

A reduction linocut is a method where a multi color print is made from one block.  Through progressive carving, inking an printing the image emerges as the block is slowly destroyed.  In the end, there is only the one edition of the printing and the image can never be reprinted. 
 

Step Two - Printed in Brown
Step Three - cut some more and print in dark brown
Thinking backwards and in terms of layers really got the cobwebs out of my brain.  I printed 10 in hopes that I would get one good one.  Its amazing how different they all are even though they are from the same block.  The amount of ink, the registration and the color mixing made them all unique.  In the end, there were four good enough to call an edition. 

Want to see how the pros handle reduction linocut?  Check out this video about the work of Dave Lefner http://vimeo.com/9858444 . 

Happy Friday everyone!

 

13 comments:

  1. Fantastic lino cut and prints, love the idea. Valerie

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  2. Marji, your linocut is beautiful. Great work. Thank you for recommending a video to watch. It is inspiring and beautifully made. Thank you for sharing.
    http://agagasiniak.blogspot.co.uk

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  3. Seems we've both got a chocolate labrador themed blog post today! this is wonderful - I really can't get my head around how lino cut actually works - it all seems very complicated and with a high risk of making an unfixable error - I guess that is both a fear and a motivator to get it right! Your friend will be delighted with this wonderful piece.

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  4. what a beautiful linocut-and you've managed to capture that gentle expression so well!

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  5. Lovely post!
    I have a client/friend who gives themed holiday gifts, & this year her theme was chocolate!!
    One was a recipe for hot dandelion chocolate - with ingredients included!!
    (3 Tbsp OG roasted dandelion root
    2 Tbsp OG cacao nibs
    cinnamon stick - decoct (simmer) these 30 minutes, in 3 cups of water
    for a cup, add a couple of Tbsp favorite milk (I use coconut!) & a pinch of cayanne pepper, honey to taste
    mmmmm
    Happy PPF!
    http://dia-creationstation.blogspot.com/2015/01/musings-on-muse.html

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  6. What great work! Your friend will be very happy. :)

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  7. Amazing work-and only ONE edition....wow.

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  8. Wonderful! Love the personality that shows in this beautiful dog!

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  9. It totally counts as brain work! Just thinking about having to think backwards makes my brain spin... love the result of your backwards thinking, though! So I wonder if chocolate as brainfood is a mandatory component of lino-brain work?;-) Sounds like a plan to me!

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  10. Hooray for chocolate, and beautiful linocut!

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  11. this is just lovely... you have captured the structure so beautifully... you don't exactly pick easy subjects I have to say... but you make them look effortless...xx

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