Pretty Peonies Linocut

This isn't an entirely new concept, I've had grand plans to rework, probably my most favourite linocut, 'Peonies' for sometime and this was the week I finished it. The original design was smaller, with disconnected motifs and designed to be repeated onto fabric. This time, I wanted to rework the concept of 'Peonies' to be a larger, stand alone piece of wall art.

After a custom request to print it onto cotton rather than paper, I have to say I love the texture and detail you get from hand printing onto cotton. The grain and flecks of the fabric adding texture and noise to the lino print for a truly hand printed feel.

My third print of the year and I chose to do 'Peonies' as a one colour, one block linocut using relief printmaking techniques, which can be summarised in three steps;

1. Firstly, I carved my design into a sheet of linoleum using a variety of lino-carving tools.
2. Then I rolled ink onto an ink plate/glass slab and applied it to the block (lino) using a brayer/roller.
3. Lastly I hand printed the inked up block on to a piece of cotton using a baren (and a lot of elbow-grease) to transfer the image.

As much as I love combining colour and print on fabric, sometimes there isn't anything more beautiful than a black lino print on a natural background, there's a delicate simplicity to it.