New Years resolution …

Since returning from Brazil and my teacher moving away, my creativity has become muddled. While I have carried on much as usual, but without a regular ‘catch up’ with my teacher, I have lost my focus.  Although I remain a print maker, I have lost direction. I have attended workshops and classes each offering opportunities to learn something new and add to my overall experience, none really fitted the bill. Yes, I did learn something new and was often successful. However, with new materials and tools I was distracted from my favoured discipline; linocut.

I have not stopped linocutting, infact even without a teacher I developed a style I like and wish to perfect, sadly with no one to  discuss my difficulties.

I enjoy reduction printing, the dangerous element is exciting and I have developed a way to merely draw on the lino with brush and permanent ink ; a fluid line already spontaneous and loose, Then, I begin inking and cutting more and more until I am left with the original single line I began with.

The ink is rolled on almost painterly so I am left with a lovely layered painted effect.

However, for a printmaker, this method is flawed and is destined to appear to less than  linocut.

There should be no doubt it is linocut it should bear all the hallmarks of a relief print; those we pride ourselves on.

So, my new year’s resolution is to perfect my style, registration, clarity, colour theory etc.

So my first question: How do I achieve shades like pale sky blue, rock rose pink or dove grey, without adding white that I find too opaque and unforgiving.  I prefer to layer subtle colours to create shape, and depth, but the colours created with the primary colours are harsh and blemished.  

I will value any suggestions to practice of the next few weeks.