Work in Progress

I started working on a new linocut piece a few weeks ago, based on an old photograph of the wharves in Wesleyville. I’ve been doing a bit a research and sizing up where exactly the picture was taken, and my amateur historian guess is that this is the area where the ‘pound’ is at the Wesleyville Marine Service Centre looking to the right of that at around 1900.

From The Sea, Our Life-Blood by the Ocean View Senior Citizens

First, I drew the image onto a piece of linoleum using a Sharpie. The image has to be mirrored in order to print correctly onto paper.

I carved the image using v and u shaped blades.
I have an awful habit of doubting my ability with every image I make, and earlier today I was suggesting to Duke that the whole thing might not work out and that perhaps I was just wasting my time with the carving this close to the Craft Fair (main sales event of the year for me). He scoffed at the idea. But my confidence is still pretty shaky, despite being a professional artist for 27 years already.

And so here is the carved plate, ready to be washed, inked, and proofed tonight. If you’d like to see some printmaking in action, please do stop by and keep me company! Let’s see if this image turns out to be a treasure or trash!

UPDATE:

Later the same night… the inked lino on the press bed

The first proof fresh off the press

And with a bit of watercolour added to really get an idea of what it’ll look like finished.

So now that I have my first proof pulled, I can see that there are a couple of areas that I need to change with the carving. Once that’s done, I’ll cut all my paper to size, about 50 sheets, tidy up the studio (have to sweep up Jack hair before laying out ink!), and away I go! I’ll be editioning very soon- please feel free to drop in to see how it’s done in person!

I’m pretty happy with the image at first look- what do you think? Treasure or trash?