Creating ‘Feathers & hydrangeas’ multiblock print

I was inspired by a pot of winter gatherings in my studio to try my first still life print. I wanted the texture of a woodcut, but wanted to add some finer details so decided to create a multiblock print using shina plywood blocks, and end with a key lino block.

The first stage was sketching out the design and finalising the drawing on tracing paper before transferring onto the first woodblock to be carved.

I had a rough idea of colour layers I wanted at this point but I must admit I never have a completely clear plan in my head before I start. It does mean sometimes I have to start again if they don’t quite work out but I find this process more interesting and flexible, and leads to happy accidents which are always welcome.

After carving the first wood block with the basic shape of the table and elements inside the pot I then offset the print onto a second woodblock and a linoblock using tracing paper. I now have three blocks which will match in registration, and can think more about the plan of colours and layers.

Printing the first colour layer - the background blue.

The second colour layer from the second block was the wooden table.

The third colour layer from the second block was the background of the elements in the pot. The major advantage of printing by hand with a bamboo baren is varying the pressure while taking the impression, I wanted a very delicate inking of the dried hydrangea heads giving a translucent feeling to them, while having a more solid impression of the seedheads in the middle.

It was then time for the final lino block for the last two layers. I finalised the drawing for the pot pattern and added in the details to be printed in the final dark brown.

I inked up the lino block in two different layers by masking the areas around where I wanted to print, firstly the green of the pot and then the raw umber layer of the finer details.

The final print.

I loved creating this print, I’m really enjoying woodcuts at the moment, the textures are so soft and unique and all different from one print to the next so it keeps it exciting and interesting.

I’m off to draw more things in pots to turn into prints…