Having completed the sketches and first drawing, on the lino for my latest assignment , I have begun printing.  Today, I will reduce the lino again. Not wishing to upset my son-in-law, he will understand I hope, but already I am having difficulties.  As artists, we work to please ourselves when the work pleases others then it is a big bonus. So when we are asked to make a piece of art for another person then our responsibility to another person’s pleasure increases the pressure to please.   

I am a self taught printmaker, my work is usually the result of many happy accidents.  Over the last couple of years I have learned to smooth out the errors or incorporate them.  In other cases I have sought advice and begun again. Pretty much a normal learning curve, no gain without a bit of pain.

So when I began this last project, there were certain complications, because I could not decide between reduction, multi-print or screen print, but that could only be solved by doing. Here, I am with reduction, as I said earlier,  even that requires some thought; with that sorted, What else could go wrong?’  I hear you ask.

Sadly, the most fundamental and the ones most silly to admit. First, why don’t I remember that a Sharpie is not permanent and very ugly on a print?

Secondly, little flecks of dust in the ink are a nuisance; no matter how careful one is to protect the ink they ruin a print.  

For a reduction print we always make provision for error but yesterday I did more than a dozen, not one was perfect.

This is frustrating, wasteful and worse, takes away the joy of happy accidents!

So, I feel the need to incorporate a couple more routines to protect myself next time.

How do I mark the lino permanently or is it enough to remove the sharpie with spirit?

Keeping the inking area free of dust seems obvious but easier said than done. How do you do it?