Print and Paint
Linocut Prints
My career has been in graphic design but I have always been drawn to printmaking. It was my favorite fine art class in college. Bernie K. Peace (Google him) was my printmaking professor at West Liberty University. In the Fall of 2024 I decided to get back into doing more fine art and getting away from so much computer time. I have enjoyed working with my hands to carve away the prints and then the magic of pulling the print to see how it turned out.
This is a quick glance at a few things I've created. I'll be working on creating a more robust portfolio and perhaps even commerce site (eventually).
My prints are linocut using a few different linoleum types and primarily Speedball carving tools with Cranfield inks. I am hand pressing all of my prints but I am eyeing up a press. (also eventually).
Paint Carving
When I decided to get into printmaking I also wanted to try my hand at paint carving. As I was already buying the Speedball carving tools that you would use. For at least a year I had been following an amazing artist on Instagram and kept thinking to myself how much I would love to try what she is creating. Her name is Hannah Jensen, please look her up and follow her. She is incredibly talented and kind. Such a lovely person. She basically created this artform in college and has created a fantastic career from it. I am merely dabbling in this format that she created, but I do really enjoy it. I've added a few pieces that I've created this year here to show you.
The format starts with painting layers and layers of colors of paint. 40, 60, 90 layers of paint. Usually ten to twenty layers of each color. The paint is latex house paint. You can get about 2 layers on each day as you have to let it dry fully. Once you have all of your layers, then you use the lino carving tools to carve away the paint, carefully gouging down through the different colors. It requires a good bit of planning for your colors as well as a steady hand.
