A few years ago I decided to dabble in block printing. I got some basic tools and some 6×6 linoleum and gave it a try. Of course the experimentalist in me decided to go for a two color print as my first project. Somehow I always want to go deeper even when I’m just a beginner. I designed an octopus, transferred it to the linoleum and started cutting. I think it turned out OK.

I liked what I saw, so I designed the second carving, which was just a background for the octopus. The first test prints didn’t have enough coverage, and it took a while to get that right. But the registration was OK. I used some foam core to create a 6×6 frame for the blocks, and taped the paper on the side. It was close enough.

Eventually I got the hang of inking, especially the background block.

I really do like the contrast of red and black. I even sold a few of these at a community art fair. At some point I want to create a version of this print.