Handprinted decorations

This little printing project was really popular at the school Christmas Fayre,

so I thought I'd share the "how to" here.

Kerry Hedgerow

‘Kerry Hedgerow’ had its beginnings in bike rides along the lanes of around Cahersiveen and Valentia Island (County Kerry, Ireland) last summer. These lanes are lined with a dark canopy of blue-green leaves held by long pink stems that drip with pink and purple bells and an understorey of bright green blades and stunning orange florets. The fuchsias, natives of South America were introduced as a hedging plant over a 100 years ago and the crocosmias are of South African in origin.

The snaps I took of these hedges …

Became a quick sketch at the time ….

And then much later a half-finished watercolour ….

As a means of planning for a lino print.

 

The lino print was created from two blocks, one for the greens and one for the oranges and pinks …

 


And after four different layers of green, two pinks, two oranges and a purple, much complex, mind-boggling carving and 189 spins through the press I have an edition of 21 prints. Available in my Folksy shop and my Etsy shop (Special introductory price until 24th April).

Prints of 2015

I started this year with a couple of prints based on drawings, paintings and photos made and taken the previous summer in Dumfries and Galloway: the tiny harbour village of Portpatrick and ringed plovers scuttling along the tideline in New England Bay.

Portpatrick Harbour. (c) Alison Deegan 2015

Ringed Plovers at New England Bay. (c) Alison Deegan 2015

A trip to Denmark and the Vikingeskibsmuseet (Viking Ship Museum) inspired my next print, a much more stripped back design and more akin to my earlier Hardraw Force and Oystercatchers pieces.

Viking Ships III (c) Alison Deegan 2015

Then a small group of floral prints, prepared for an exhibition and working from studies made on trips to the south-west of Ireland and Flamborough Head.

Flamborough Hedgerow (c) Alison Deegan 2015

Rossbeigh Dune Viola (c) Alison Deegan 2015

Rossbeigh Sea Holly (c) Alison Deegan 2015

My last printing project of the year is an ongoing collage developing from a series of small lino prints I created over the month of October.

October Patchwork II (c) Alison Deegan 2015

Happy New Year :-)

Rossbeigh Sea Holly

Here's a glimpse at the processes behind creating a print from two blocks of lino.

Rossbeigh Sea Holly

This small edition of just eight prints is available in my Etsy and Folksy shops.

Flamborough Hedgerow - new print

Red campion, cow parsley clover, cleevers and plantains all spilling out from beneath a trim hawthorn hedge. A month or two back we c'vanned at Flamborough. We snuck out early one morning to head for the cliffs and the birds but it was these beauties that caught my eye.

This is probably one of the more complex reduction lino prints I have made (it certainly fried my brain at times!). But it was fun working out how to render the character of each different species of flower and leaf.

Flamborough Hedgerow is now available to buy in my Folksy shop.

Ringed Plovers at New England Bay

New print alert!

Ringed Plovers at New England Bay

I love these little ringed plovers and the way they scuttle comically along the tideline. They blend so subtly with their environment that its easy to mistake them for tumbling pebbles. I watched this little group as the sun rose over New England Bay, Scotland.

I created this print from two plates - one for the background of blue blended to sand and the other for the details in buff, orange and black. The detail plate was cut back after each inking until only the little black areas were left proud.

The print was not without mishap. I convinced myself that the orange was too much but was happier when the black was added. And there was a tricky moment with a wayward leg.

TL - the wayward leg TR- the offending section removed BL - a substitute leg carved from a sliver of rubber and BR individually added to all 18 prints in the edition!

There are just 18 prints in this edition and they are available in Folksy and Etsy shops now.

Portpatrick Harbour, Mull of Galloway, Scotland

Portpatrick Harbour

From sketch to final edition

Top: watercolour sketch|blended greens & blues from the 1st block| pale grey from the 2nd block

Middle:  Mid-grey from 2nd block|lino block cut back for darkest grey| darkest grey from 2nd block

Bottom: 1st block cut back and inked for darker blues and greens| final edition out to dry

Portpatrick Harbour

Available now in my ETSY and FOLKSY shops

prints of 2014

A bright zingy start to the year with these glorious Physalis or Chinese Lanterns based on the armful I gathered from mum's garden. So glad I did it then because she's only had one or two lanterns this year.

This was a commission piece, it was great to challenge myself with some human subjects for a change!

We took a trip to the Isle of Sheppey back in April, I don't remember ever having been there before even though I grew up just 20 miles or so 'upstream' on the Thames.

And from the neighbouring Medway estuary - Upnor Dinghies .

My last print of the year came out of trip to the most southerly point in Scotland. It was a great eye-straining challenge but hopefully worth it!

These an earlier prints are available in my Folksy and Etsy shops.

Thanks for following my blog this past year and here's to a very merry 2015 :-)