This month we’re proud to present a selection of block printers from our Official POP Community. Block printing is a relief process that involves printing onto a surface using a hand-cut or carved block. From salvaged lino to intricately carved wood blocks, our members use a variety of mediums to bring their unique ideas to life.
EneArtworks: Slow Death (RYB)
Slow Death is inspired by the summer season, and Enea’s wish to create a multi-colour linocut print. He took one of his old subjects, the snail, and printed it using the three primary colours. A step away from his usual monochromatic work, this piece has inspired the printmaker to experiment more with colour within his works. “Death will come, slowly and relentlessly, but the life lived before that day can be also beautiful and colourful, especially if filled with art and creativity.” The print is a limited edition of 10 copies and is available in EneArtworks store.
Haychley Webb: An Alternative History…
“I have been wanting to create a print inspired by prehistoric cave art for a long time but while researching ideas the designs all, understandably, involved killing and hunting animals,” states linocut artist Haychley Webb. As an animal lover and someone striving to be vegan, she decided to create a print that presented ‘An alternative history’. The piece depicts a different way of life, respecting animals, putting down tools and treating them well, with a female figure looking up in awe. The work is multiblock linocut print on Japanese HoSho paper, printed by hand with a wooden spoon in Haychley’s little Norfolk studio.
David Cumming: The Glasgow Newsboy
“I love capturing Scotland’s industrial heritage and I’m obviously drawn towards Glasgow’s rich history,” says printmaker David Cumming. The newsboy was a big part of life in the city, and this block print is David’s homage to them. The print itself is a 2 block piece created from salvaged vinyl flooring. The actual newsprint is a separate block which gives him the flexibility to create different editions with varying headlines.
Heather Groves: Making Mountains out of Termite Mounds
Having recently visited Kakadu National Park, and impressed by the tiny homes of the tiny pest, termites, Heather Groves took photographs and made abstracted drawings from these forms. She has since been working on creating a series of single and multi-woodblock prints, rendering these natural sculptures flat. Using bright and intense inks, Heather draws attention to these amazing forms, all that nature puts out! With an Australian twist, the idiom as a metaphor for overreacting talks to our need to better understand and respect nature. Making something more than it is, we often misunderstand nature and the way of things.
MaryAnne Molcan: Small Whispers
This twelve edition series represents the biological connections that weave through all aspects of our planet. The imagery in these works are layered with colour and line to capture a network that is teeming with vitality. MaryAnne Molcan drew upon her own observations of plant and fungal activity above ground to capture a visual exploration of imagined concepts related to the world beneath our feet. “Life’s beauty arises from symbiotic relationships and interdependence between all living things. Because it is a network there cannot be separation between humans and the natural landscapes. My intention is to draw awareness that the boundaries we construct are simply illusionary.”
Marion Kamper: ASPIRATION
Printmaker Marion Kamper tells us; “I often create artwork based on how I feel, which often means intangible emotions rather than specific thoughts or ideas. Sometimes I have a concrete idea in mind that I want to convey visually, on other days, I just follow a hunch or maybe I have an urge to produce pure ‘eye candy’. Most of the time I’m trying to achieve technical excellence, I’m all about honing my skills and learning a craft.” ASPIRATION is Marion’s latest lino block that deals with feelings of discord between profound events that happened recently in her life and how she is dealing with them. The print is 48 x 48 cm, printed with a rolling press on Fabriano Rosaspina and Natural Lokta paper with black Cranfield oil based ink.
Printed and Pink: Garden Bunny
Garden Bunny is Printed and Pink’s first lino piece carved with her trusted Pfeil tools. The printmaker has slowly been introducing print into her work after 3 years of carving rubber stamps. She states; “I can already feel how different it is to work with lino and I am remembering my first time trying it in school years ago. Now, I am excited for all of the new lessons it will teach me. I love all the little imperfections that come with carving lino. And all of the unplanned marks that make your prints your own.”
Sophie Printmaking: Carytown, Richmond, VA
Artist Sophie Smith specialises in block printing, and based out of Richmond, VA this print is of a special area of town right near her studio called Carytown. Pictured in this image are three wonderful businesses, New York Deli, Bygone’s Vintage Clothing, and The Byrd Theatre. “It is important to me to share my hometown and the places within it that make it so special. One of my fondest memories is going to The Byrd Theatre in the snow on Christmas Eve to see the movie Its a Wonderful Life,” describes the artist.
Sian Hulse: Last Light
Last Light is a linocut based on a “very lousy” photo Sian Hulse took of a beautiful sunset and the ornate Victorian lamp posts in her hometown, Whitstable. She tells us: “It came out just as I’d hoped. I entered it into Hanprinted’s monthly prompt challenge, ‘Tranquil’ and won! What an exciting experience! A significant confidence boost to keep tackling reduction prints!”
Caroline Erolin: Spirit Hunter
Spirit Hunter is a single colour linocut printed onto 40gsm acid free Thai Mulberry paper with Cranfield Caligo safe wash oil-based ink. This print by Caroline Erolin symbolises both the love and pain of pet ownership, and is in memory of her much-loved black cat ‘Magic’.
Steffi Möbius Ehrlich: Deep Within
Raising money for Ukrainian animal shelters, Deep Within stands for the agony and loneliness, but also for the love and care of the owners who protect them. The print by Steffi Möbius Ehrlich is not only about the animals in the Ukrainian animal shelters, but also the Ukrainian refugees who came to Germany with their animals. With every sold print of Deep Within Steffi collects donations for the VETO Animal Protection Association, who are working for these owners and their animals as well as the animal shelters.
Aleksandra Pranica: Block Prints
Aleksandra Pranica is an artist, graphic designer and illustrator, with a particular love for exploring the techniques of linocut and woodcut. She is fascinated by the world of graphic forms and paper, and has a passion for textures and colours. “Making a linocut is my way of expressing myself, but also a moment to stop and breathe,” comments the artist.
Dungarees + Squeegees: I Am Very Tired
Part of a run of emotional cats, I Am Very Tired was linocut by Dungarees + Squeegews’ pal Daisy Stimpson in the depth of lockdown, and was then printed in-house by D+S. Daisy used linos in covid-19 as a way of unpacking the world around her and letting out some creativity. “We feel everyone relates to these emotional cats, especially I am Very Tired,” say the studio. This series has been made into A6 prints, stickers, t-shirts and totes to suit any mood.
Melanie Wickham: Linocut Spiders
Enjoying a lino carving challenge, Melanie Wickham designed this print with lots of long spiders legs intertwined, creating lovely linear shapes. She tells us; “Drawing in a garden filled with insects and spiders is always inspiring and elongating their legs has made a beautiful pattern to carve and print. All of the legs survived the carving!” The lino block was then printed in the soft gold colour of Cranfield ink on black Stonehenge paper.
Cally Conway: Comet Linoprints
In the autumn of 1618 three comets appeared over the earth, and in rapid sucession. This was a highly unusual event causing great debate, particularly at a time when comets were regarded with superstitious dread. Scholars still questioned whether they were atmospheric or celestial phenoma. Printmaker Cally Conway continued on her journey of being a little obsessed with comets after becoming fascinated by the folklore associated with them. “They also come in an array of beautiful shapes and forms, and I’m drawn to the possibilities of exploring mark-making and intricate details of light in print form,” explains Cally. She began carving this series rapidly: one led to two, and then finally three, which she decided to print together after reading about the three comets of 1618. Each block is an interpretation of either a medieval illustration of a comet event, or of a scientific illustration. This project is only just beginning, and Cally envisages a whole skyfull of comet prints!
Check out more work by our community, and apply to become a POP Member at www.members.peopleofprint.com.
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Want to know more about our membership? Give us an email at members@peopleofprint.com.
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