block printing for all

Whenever "A" makes a piece of furniture, he marks it with an original carving—usually hidden (like on this table), always incredible. Recently, he decided he wanted to explore wood carving a little further, and try his hand a woodblock printing. With this, my mind started zooming. I wanted a piece of this action, and I wanted to introduce the girls to some block printing, too. Since wood carving requires very sharp tools, the girls and I opted for linocut. (...and then I remembered Maya's beautiful cardinal. Oh, the possibilities!)

I recalled the techniques that had gotten dusty in my head (too many years since the days of art school). After we fooled around with the tool and the different tips for a while, we all started to work the kinks out. Still struggling with controlling the lines, the girls decided they would create images that were mostly black (good call). Here's what we ended up with:

a second grader's solar system

a kindergartner's rose

a woodworker's tree scene

...and a metalsmith's hen (this is "Rocky", the beast who continues to eat her own eggs)

We have plans now, many plans—starting with more practice. Custom stamps for friends, prints on cards, teeny little icons to carve, as well as bigger woodcuts. Working in new mediums has a way of stirring up the creative juices that the daily work (in metal, for me) sometimes lets settle.