Wednesday and a printmaker …

Yesterday, I  was very busy in Special Collections; I was unable to do my usual research (or not) into Wednesday’s woman wood engraver.   Having come to the end of a project I was moving books in the the library; but  I was not too busy to browse awhile when one item took my eye.   I am a printmaker and trying to ‘improve’ my methods, so , for the next couple of months I have some workshops planned.  One with Nick Morley at Hello Printing Press and another here in Reading Museum with Cath Baldwin; where I hoping to develop my lino cutting skills.    So I am always on the look out for inspiration last week it was Mark Hearld.  This time it was Edward Bawden who took my eye!  It seems he  always found time for lino-cuts . He used this most humble way of printmaking  for more than 50 years.  He has used it for making repeating patterns, for wallpapers, posters, book decorations and for collages. He used to cut and print little bits of lino as a student, printing them in repeating patterns as neckties or decorative papers; he used his feet to press out the pattern.   the story went on and I returned the book to its shelf!