Cricket & Lambs Logo
Reference photos for Cricket & Lambs block.
I had many photos of the sheep from a visit to my sister Lisa and her husband Ladd's farm.  She also sent me some.  I was able to put them together in a way that suited the composition.
Getting ready to carve the block.
Then I drew and inked it in.
Beginning of carving the block after inking it in.
The carving is a subtractive method of scooping out the light areas around the lines.  Because the detail can be very intricate, the magnifying lamp comes in handy.  I get lost in working my way around the block, as my kitty Tuck watches and makes sure my hand remains steady (when I'm not petting him).
Finished block.
This was a fun piece to create.  It was a logo for my sister Lisa's soap making business.  She and her husband live on a small farm in Northern CA.  In addition to an orchard of persimmons and other produce they grow, they have sheep.  Cricket is actually the name of one of the sheep who had 2 little lambs.  The font would be added later through Adobe Illustrator.
Final version of Cricket & Lambs, as logo.
I handprinted this out on rice paper, then scanned it, and worked on it in Adobe Illustrator to add the font and a better, crisper little cricket on Cricket's haunches.  Lisa thought it might be nice to include a cricket as a visual cue for the name of her business.
Hannah In the Butterfly Chair
Reference photo of Hannah.
My sweet girl Hannah was resting in the butterfly chair in the bedroom.  I caught this peaceful scene as I was leaving for work, wishing I could stay and snuggle with her.
Inking and carving.
As you can see, the carved image is a mirror image of the original reference photo.  I planned this so I could print it out to be the way it looked in the original photo.  Stamps are similar in that they need to be a mirror image to show the correct image when imprinted.  Tuck again on my lap observing.
Finished carved block.
It was fun to carve out all the patterns of the blanket that Hannah is resting on, on the sling chair.  Again, that magnifying glass lamp is so great to use for the small detail.
One of the early prints.
One of many handprinted versions.
Experimenting with adding a bit of color wash on top.
It was a new thing for me to try to add some color washes over the finished piece.
Mama Sheep and Baby Lamb
Reference photo.
One of the many tender scenes I saw at the farm. Â I loved this image.
Inked in and ready for carving.
Always exciting to get to the carving after all the prep. Â There's no turning back after the next step.
Finished carving.
Woo, that was a lot of carving! Â I enjoyed getting into a rhythm of the patterns on the ground around the figures.
Print.
Another exploration of adding a color wash to the black and white print. Â I did b/w versions of this image too.
"Stealth"- the neighbor cat in backyard falls.
While leaving out the back door, there was a neighbor cat watching from behind the foliage in the waterfall.
The original reference photo.
The carved rubber mat.
Black and white image printed on rice paper.
Color washes over the black and white.
Workshop scenes
Prints laying out to dry.
Ink is rolled out on the block and then the rice paper is put on top of the faced up block.  Then it is burnished to get a good imprint and then the paper removed off the block and laid out to dry.  As you can see, it is good to do many of each image, for more choices in how each image looks.
Season's Greetings prints.
This is from a block that I carved quite a few years ago. Â It was fun to take it out and print on it again.
Water Is Life series.
The Water Is Life series was inspired by the No DAPL movement at Standing Rock.  I made these prints to raise money for the cause.  In the foreground is the brayer used to roll ink on the block.
Signs of These Times
For the first Womxn's March in Seattle, 2017
I made signs for friends who would be participating. Â Designs that were not my own were used with permission by the original artists.
Pins
Truly!
