A while ago, I took a photo of a coral fossil because I thought the patterning was really cool. It was from a museum visit in San Francisco with my kids. I decided to use the pattern as a jumping off point for an abstract linocut print.

Using the reduction print technique, I made this two-color lino print on 11”x14” white paper. I used Cranfield Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink and printed the yellow layer first, followed by the black. Here’s a short Instagram video of me rolling out ink on the block to test a color.

It’s titled, Grooves, and is a limited edition of four prints. The linocut is available on Etsy.

Reduction Linocut Print - Grooves (2021)

The linoleum block used for the reduction lino print.

A little shout-out for a local gem of a store that sells carving tools for woodblock and linocut printmaking, not to mention lots of other types of Japanese hand tools. The shop is called Hida Tool and it’s located on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, California. A long time ago, I bought some Power Grip carving tools there and I recently picked up a #1000 grit sharpening stone.

Hida Tool in Berkeley, California

I’m working on a couple multicolor linocuts of desert landscapes. This one highlights a lot of desert plant patterns and details.

The image below was drawn directly on the 16”x22” linoleum block.

Carving details in the linoleum block with a u-gouge

I came up with a geometric pattern for the sky and carved it with v-gouge tools.

Geometric linocut pattern used for the desert sky

Here are some Instagram videos of me inking up the desert plants and sky with printmaking ink for test prints.

This is a new abstract linocut print titled, Borrowed Time. The block print has a graphic feel with circular and triangular geometric shapes contained within a red structure. It’s printed on 16” x 20” white Stonehenge paper.

Borrowed Time (2021) - Lino Print

Part of the process I enjoyed with this particular linocut was coming up with the three colors that would work best - I did tests with different variations. I made the lino print using the jigsaw printmaking technique. In the photo below, you’ll see some of the different carved linoleum blocks I used.

Linoleum Blocks

It’s currently available on Etsy.

I had one of those happy printmaking accidents in the studio this week that I thought I’d share in case someone else finds it useful. Recently, I was using Con-Tact paper and had been saving the backing paper that gets peeled and thrown away. If you don’t know what Con-Tact paper is, it’s that self-adhesive paper that comes in rolls and people use it to line the bottom of drawers and shelves.

Registering multiple linoleum blocks on the back of Con-Tact paper

I’m working on a series of lino prints that requires registering many different linoleum blocks at one time. It occurred to me that the backing paper had a nifty grid printed on it and it might be helpful for lining up my blocks. So, I took a big piece and taped it to my press bed using painters tape. The grid is broken down into 1/4 inch squares.

Linocut Registration Using Gridded Paper

In the example in these photos, I lined up my printmaking paper with the grid lines inside the green tape and lined up my inked lino blocks within the thinner, white masking tape. This ensured at least a one inch margin around my linocut print.

An extra benefit of the paper is that it has a somewhat glossy finish, which is nice when working with messy ink.

The gridded paper I was using is from an 18 inch x 9 foot roll of white Con-Tact paper. Specifically, it’s Con-Tact brand adhesive Creative Covering paper - the solid white version. I happen to have it in other patterns (not white) and the grid on those is slightly different, not quite as useful, and has larger squares.

If you have any questions, just let me know!

I recently finished a new linocut print featuring a tall Ocotillo. You can spot these spindly plants in Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, amongst other places.

This square lino print was made with Cranfield Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink and Stonehenge paper. Original prints are available on Etsy.

Ocotillo Desert Plant - Linocut Print Artwork

The Carved Linoleum Block Used to Make the Ocotillo Lino Print