Steps to a Happy Dog and Happy Printmaker

In Progress – Shadow, custom linocut dog portrait

I love my dogs. You love your dogs. We all love doing things for our dogs, and we love to give gifts to friends who have dogs. One can never go wrong with a dog gift. Unless of course you are giving a dog as a gift which is I highly discourage. Unless of course you are a parent giving it to your children, but secretly you wanted the dog and you plan to take care of it.

This is a gift being given by a sister to her brother. “Shadow” is a very important family member and seen by his pose, a little character.

I began Shadow a week ago, looking through several photos. I was struck by two of them, one a close up profile which I love, but I kept coming back to this pose, it became my favorite.

Shadow, photography for linocut

I often have to tease out details by lightning the photos or sharpening them in order to see disguising characteristics. I then draw it onto a linoleum block.

Drawing of Shadow, reversed on the block

Once the block is drawn it can take anywhere for 4-8 hours to carve. Normally I carve from 4pm until bed time, so that I can print during the best day light.

First carving of linocut

This is how the linocut looked when I first printed it. I made one print, then carved a bit more, made another, printed again. I generally make 3-4 “proofs” that is seeing what it looks like, cleaning the block, inking it again and reprinting until I get what I want. On bad days that can take up to 10 separate inking, printing, cleaning, carving inking, etc.

The final print I made of Shadow is dark grey, despite looking black in this photo, he is grey:

Shadow, custom linocut dog portrait in dark grey

I am hanging on to him a few more days as I may want to do a little more carving, and experiment with the ink to make him just a bit more grey.

If you want a custom dog portrait it takes about 1-2 weeks, and you can order from my Etsy Store. The details are there.

A custom carved linocut portrait of Sam.

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Sam Linocut Custom Dog Portrait

Lisa Studier left this morning and I got into the studio to catch on a portrait that my dear friend Peggy requested. Honestly, at first I was not so sure I could do a pet portrait. But have already done one for her I welcomed the second opportunity and it was a blast.

The custom linocut dog portrait is a gift for her daughter, who also supplied the photos for me to work from. I drew “Sam” onto a 5″ x 7″ linoleum block, carved him out, and set out to print.

Carving Linocut of Sam

It was a rough day in the studio. It was very cold, colder inside than outside, some ink colors appeared almost frozen where others were way too runny. I printed and printed and got nothing. I cleaned up, came in the house, and tried again today. And it was perfect. I got a great print of Sam. In addition I made 5 folded gift/greeting cards. These cards are pretty sweet and since it is a gift Peggy can write a message to her daughter in it, plus her daughter will get 4 others she can send out. She can always get more later if she likes.

4″ x 5″ folded hand printed linocut cards with custom carving

I am going to offer to make up to 3 dog portraits a month. They can take 10 to 15 hours to make, so doing three a month would be super fun. I am beginning some big 24″ x 36″ linocuts all based on mountains, hiking, wilderness adventure in for my fall exhibition and I need to make sure I leave time for those. They take about 60 + hours to carve, but they will be amazing, just as amazing as little Sam here. You can order a custom dog portrait at my Etsy Store.

P.S. The color is the same on all of them, despite looking different here. The photos are a bit crappy because they are from my cell phone. I still need to get a new camera.

Sam, Linocut Dog custom dog portrait

Mystical Monsters and Maidens Linocut Series

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Cyclops with UFO’s Linocut

That’s not a chicken. Nope, it is not. After a great 10 days with Lisa Studier at the Press working on her reduction technique Chicken Prints, she flew back to NYC, and it is back to Print of the Day Project.

Mermaid

What is new is that I swapped out my 4″ x 6″ linoleum blocks for 5″ x 7″ blocks in order to be able to make more detail and more complex prints. The great thing is, while the prints are larger they are only a couple of dollars more. I want to keep them very inexpensive so that people can feel free to collect as many as they like.

Cyclops with UFO and Mermaid 10″ x 8″ linocuts

I did a three mock ups of rooms with this new series of Monsters and Maidens.

Mermaid Linocut by Stonetrigger Press available on Etsy

Cyclops with UFO’s Linocut by Stonetrigger Press available on Etsy

There are now 59 prints and drawings available on my Etsy store. and by the end of the week I plan to make that 62 items. More mythical monsters tomorrow night.

Lisa Studier Reduction Woodcut Extravaganza!

Prints, Small Print Store

Lisa Studier carving

Look who is at Stonetrigger Press! Lisa Studier, artist and cohort at Stonetrigger is here from NYC for 10 days to make some of her kick-ass multi-color reduction woodcuts.

After promising her warm weather and a reprieve from the punishing New York cold, she arrived just in time for a nice snow storm and some chilly winds. But that did not stop her from digging in and beginning her reduction woodcut chicken series. Not sure what a reduction print is? Well don’t worry. Lisa will be taking over the blog posts each day this week and showing you her printing progressions.

Lisa Studier’s chicken print carving

Step 1 after putting the drawing on the 12″ x 16″ Shina Plywood from McClains Printmaking Supply, Lisa spent the day carving.

Step 2: will be printing the first color, which she plans to do later today. I am sure she will share that with you.

The cool thing about reduction prints is that you only need one piece of wood or linoleum. The tough thing about it, is that each color needs to be registered perfectly. But I will stop here and let Lisa take over for the next 7 days.

Check out this gorgeous Horned Lizard Woodcut she made here on her last visit. Three of her prints are available on Etsy and once her chickens are done, they will be available but extremely limited, only 3 of each, so watch closely if you want one.

Lisa Studier, Horned Lizard Diptych .

Bearded Dragons, Linocut of the Day- Watercolor of the Day

30 prints 30 days, Drawing, Prints, Small Print Store

Original one of a kind watercolor, linocut, collage drawing

If variety is the spice of life, today is a spicy day. I have bearded dragon linocuts with red chine colle, bearded dragons linocuts with brown chine colle, bearded dragon in a watercolor desert fantasy landscape drawing. I have it all and they are each available on Etsy.

Framed beared dragon linoccut version 2, red chine colle

Framed bearded dragon linocut version 2, red chine colle

Watercolor Drawing is over a full 10″ x 6″
Linocut Image size is 6″ x 4″
Linocut paper size: 10″ x 8″
Paper: Rives BFK 100% cotton French mould made paper

framed bearded dragon linocut version 1, brown chine colle

Tomorrow I am being treated to a post birthday (October 20) celebration by relaxing at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs. So there will not be any posts on Thursday, because I will be sitting in a 108 degree outdoor hot spring.

Detail of watercolor drawing on Bearded Dragon

My Favorite Print Ever! “Narwhal” Print of the Day Project #40

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Narwhal, 10″ x 8″ linocut available on Stonetrigger Press Etsy $20.

It is a whale? Is it a unicorn? Did a unicorn mate with a whale? It is a narwhal, over 80,000 of them live in arctic waters. The males boasts a long tusk, which is actually a tooth, they sometimes have two tusks. The tusks have over 10 million nerve cells and can be 10 feet long. These are clearly sensitive creatures!

This is print number 40! It is hard to believe, 40 prints since January 1, and it is only February 17! This, is my favorite of all the prints. It is a reduction linocut. The first layer is printed with a rainbow roll of color, then part of the block get cut away and the narwhal appears. It is then printed a second time in the press, same sheet of paper. In fact I like this print so much, I am going to being a small artist book with a story about the narwhal. Are there any writers out there who may want to collaborate?

Narwhal linocut

Check out my Facebook page to see 9 steps of the printing process. It is pretty cool and a bit elaborate.

Each print is hand printed by the artist, me, Hilary Lorenz in my studio, StoneTrigger Press in New Mexico. Every Monday through Friday I carve and print in an edition of 10 a new linocut and post it here for $20. It is my Print of the Day Project and available on Etsy.

Narwhal linocut block

Buddy, The Cockatiel, Linocut #39, Print of the Day

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Detail – Cockatiel Linocut

This is a detail of Buddy of Cockatiel. “Buddy” according to the The Bird Channel is the 3rd most popular name for a Cockatiel after, “Sunny” and “Sunshine.” I thought this one looked more like a “Buddy.”

Buddy, Linocut 10″ x 8″

Buddy looks awesome in this frame, his feather color gradually moves from orangey yellow to light yellow, to yellow grey and down to grey. The image is a little over 6.3″ x 4″ wide on 10″ x 8″ Rives BFK paper.

This linoleum block was super fun to carve. In fact I carved three blocks on Sunday, getting a head start to the week. It is going to be a really spectacular print week.

Look at these sweet “Buddy” prints all lined up and drying in the studio. They will be ready to find homes tomorrow. Ten are available on Etsy, as a print of the day project and still only $20.

Cockatiel Linocut, drying on table

Oh, Possum!, print #39, Linocut of the Day

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

framed_linocut_possum
I know it is spelled “Opossum”, but if we were in, say, Australia, it would be “possum” so I took liberties with it’s name. It is also a slightly different animal. I like saying “Oh, Possum!”. I have a funny, or creepy, depending on how you look at it possum story. It is another kid story.

Growing in Michigan there was a line of trees between our house and the neighbors, pine trees about 10 deep. We used to hide out in the trees. One day I found a grey, dead, hairless, possum. I went home and got a brown paper bag and two sandwich bags. I put the sandwich bags on my hands, I picked up the possum by the tail and put it in the paper bag. I brought it home and my first thought I would dump it on the kitchen floor for my mom to find. I placed the dead grey possum on the kitchen floor and even as a pre-teen, I realizes that was kind of creepy, so I put it right outside the door on our step. I then called to my mom to find it, laughing my ass off when she saw it.

Possum, 10″ x 8″

I can’t remember her reaction but I can remember that it was not as strong as I had wished and I regretted not leaving it on the kitchen floor.

It was not until after this stunt that I learned about, “playing possum,” and how there was potential of the possum not being dead when I had picked it up. Since I had never seen one “play possum” I doubt that playing possum looks like a dead possum, but I laugh at the fantasy that it was alive and that when I put it on the kitchen floor it would have run around the house. Now that would be funny!

Possums are up on Etsy, sorry the pictures are not as clean as they should be. My camera finally died so I used my cell phone camera. Looks like it is time to go shopping.

Have a great weekend and Happy Valentines Day. I’ll be back on Monday with lots of great prints!

Virtue of the Ant, Print a Day Project

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

“The world would be a happier place if humanity held and utilized the virtues of ants.” While most of us avoid ants and may try to kill their homes, ants are extremely industrious. They gather and hunt, they work hard, are patient and co-operative. An ant is able to carry a leaf, a crumb or a dead ant for miles – just to get back home to the anthill. If an ant has to fight, it will, if an ant has to dig tunnels, it will, and if an ant has to carry leaves for miles, it will, all for the good of the community. If you want to know the virtues of ants you can read more here.

Industrious Ant

I often thought of myself as a horse, a work horse more specifically, but after reading about ants, with this project alone, I am I qualify with the virtue of the ants.

Table of ants

Edition of 10, The Print of the Day is now available on Stonetrigger Press Etsy store, $20 each. They are 10″ x 8″, image is 6″ x 4″ printed onto Rives BFK paper.

Pisces Linocut, it is almost your birthday!

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Pisces Linocut 10″ x 8″

Now on Etsy for $20, just click here, there are 10 available.

It is almost your birthday time, Pisces. Do you or a friend have a birthday between February 20 and March 20th? This would make a great gift. This linocut of the Pisces two fish, swimming, each have a chine colle, a collage while printing, of antique Italian printed paper, one is red and one blue.

Print comes unmatted and unframed, picture of framed work is only an example. Image is 4″ x 6″ printed onto Rived BFK paper, 10″ x 8″.

This print is the forth print completed in February as part of my print a day project.

Each print is hand printed by the artist, me, Hilary Lorenz in my studio in New Mexico. Each morning I carve a new animal into my linoleum and print an edition of 10 and by 6pm MT, I put them on Etsy.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: