Tree Antlers and Blossom

The April edition of The ELM Tree subscription is out now, and included in it is this reduction lino print.

Strictly speaking, I don't actually use lino, I use rubber blocks because they are easier to cut (by a mile) and much easier to print. But it's still a reduction print.

Reduction prints are made with the one block of lino (rubber) and cutting away and printing the image in stages - as many as you want really.  I have never made one, so I tried to keep it simple.

This is black and white (as you can see) and so first I cut away what I wanted to be the colour of the paper - I planned for this image to be printed on coloured paper - and then printed a whole lot of them in white.

While they dried I cut away what I wanted to stay white, leaving only the small areas that I wanted to be black.
Then I reprinted them, being careful to align the papers with the prints already on the paper.

Ta-da!

There are only 30 of these prints IN THE WHOLE WORLD, and they are only available as a subscription to The ELM Tree. Because I have set the system up as a way to help me to buy materials to keep making art, there will be exclusive art in each month of the subscription - just to say thank you to those who are supporting me make the art that I love to make.

Genius

This is the first week that I have shouldered the title of 'bread winner' and I have to say that the bread has been kind of crummy. (Puns just happen - I'm sorry)

I suppose the biggest challenge is that I am attempting to be a full time mum, a full time housekeeper (which is laughable as anyone who has seen my house can attest to), a full time artist, a full time student, and a full time DVD converter.

IT'S INSANE.

I did actually restock my etsy store though, and last week got some prints back from Genius Printing (based in Melbourne) and they are wonderful!!

The colours are great, and the paper quality is lovely.
I can't get over how bright the colours came out on this canvas.

But the paper prints were fantastic as well, and the look like the originals with all the texture and little idiosyncrasies that my scribbly art has.