I want to share the story of my journey with Linocut printing. It’s a versatile and gratifying medium to work with and anyone can easily pick up a few materials and have a go. This is a longer post so grab a cup of tea and get comfy!

During the first covid lockdown in 2020 I moved back home to be with my parents and my sister. I’d spent the previous year or so keeping an art journal, trying to get back in touch with my creative side which I had largely ignored during my time studying engineering at university. I often experimented with mixed media, layering papers and patterns, and did small sketches of my surroundings. When the world feels overwhelming it’s comforting to be immersed in creating, just for the process with no pressure on the end result. One day, and I can’t remember how this thought appeared exactly, I decided I’d like to try Linocut printing. I ordered a beginner’s kit online and carved the design of a water lily from the pond in our back garden. I was hooked, the printed result was so satisfying and I felt a sense of achievement.

Next up I carved a turtle and then a representation of the Bristol harbourside. I experimented with different colours of ink, with printing onto different papers, and using different carving nibs. Each weekend I’d pack up my work desk and turn it into an art desk, ready to immerse myself in a different world and a different way of thinking, one that was more intuitive and free flowing.

I continued creating new prints throughout the autumn and discussed ideas with my sister to sell some of the prints on Etsy. While at school I liked making jewellery, and sold my products at local fairs and even in a couple of local shops, which I found really enjoyable. So this felt like familiar territory, and one I was excited to step back into. Over Christmas I planned a two stage launch of my small business – firstly launching an Instagram account to generate awareness, followed by launching the Etsy site a few weeks later. This required plenty of work – choosing the best paper for my prints, learning how to edition prints correctly, taking decent photographs, and coming up with ideas on branding, logo and packaging. I loved all of it!

The Roman Baths

Packaging design

Those first few sales were really special – I felt honoured that people would want to display something I’d created in their own home. It was so fun to package the prints and walk down the street to the post box to send them on their way. It never stopped being special, and seeing customer photos of the prints framed on walls was so rewarding. I was touched that so many friends and aquaintances supported me.

One of the really fun things about Linocut printing is that you never know exactly how the print will turn out. The process involves drawing a design, tracing this in reverse onto a piece of lino, carving out the design, then applying ink and transferring the inked image onto paper. You have to really think about which bits to keep and which to carve out. The carving element adds a lovely handmade feel to the final design. You can print the same design multiple times, and every print is effectively an original, unlike other art forms where a painting or drawing is scanned in and reproduced digitally.

Queen Square, Bristol

A real highlight of my Linocut journey was having some of my prints displayed in a small gallery in Somerset in summer 2021. It was hard to comprehend! I made a couple of trips to drop off the prints and it was a shame I couldn’t spend more time there to interact in-person with those who purchased my prints. That is the downside to Etsy too – when I sold jewellery at fairs when I was younger, it was amazing to speak directly to the people interested in my designs.

Somerset Exhibition

I enjoyed feeling part of the Instagram print community too, and took part in initiatives such as the 1/Many charity postcard project led by John Pedder. The idea is that each artist taking part creates a small number of postcard sized artworks, then they draw names out of a hat and the recipients donate money to a charity of their choosing. It’s such a lovely idea and a great way to connect with fellow creators.

1/Many initiative

As we emerged from the pandemic and all the lockdowns I had less and less time to spend on both designing new prints and sustaining the Etsy business alongside my full time job. I had made 67 sales at the time I temporarily closed my Etsy shop several months ago, which I am very proud of!

So what have I been up to creatively since then? In summer 2022 I took part in an Architectural Sketching workshop with Andy Gray at Bristol Folkhouse. I really enjoyed it, especially being around like-minded people. He mentioned the international Urban Sketchers movement, something I’d not heard of before, and that September I attended my first Urban Sketchers Bristol session. The concept is simple – you all meet up at an agreed location, then disperse for about an hour and a half to sketch anything you like nearby (buildings, people, scenery etc), then reconvene and see what everyone has drawn. The variety of styles and techniques is so cool to see – we all see the world in a slightly different way. It’s lovely to be around like-minded people too, from all walks of life, and compare notes on our favourite pencils/pens/art accessories! I attend the sketchmeets as often as I can (they’re held monthly) and have also been to a couple in London and Bath. Urban Sketching groups meet up all over the world, so I hope that sometime I’ll be abroad at the right time to join in there too! It’s really friendly and welcoming, there’s no minimum level of skill or experience required to come along. You can find the Bristol group on Facebook if you’re interested in trying it. I’ve also tried some other great courses at Bristol Folkhouse including mosaic and stained glass, which I’ve written about in another blog post here.

Urban Sketchers Bristol

Urban Sketchers Bath

So that’s the story of my Linocut journey thus far and a small description of my recent Urban Sketching endeavours. I see the lino printing as something I’ll always be able to pick back up in the future as and when I feel like it. When I carved that first water lily I had no idea that it would take me where it has!

Have you ever had a go at Linocut printing yourself?

Alexa

P.S. If you enjoyed reading this, you may like to take a look at Vintage Furniture Finds and Trying New Creative Techniques.

Header photo: 1/Many initiative