Annie’s linoprint of Pops the Wonderdog, from the last Christmas workshop! Warhol eat your heart out!!
Ho ho ho readers…..yes its nearly that glorious time again, our festive season beckons!
Today I am sharing some prep for a practical workshop I will host on December 1st with my fabulous group of printmaking students, the group who would ordinarily have rolled up at my door every Tuesday morning, armed with good cheer (whatever the season) and ready to roll with the lino and pull with the squeegee!
So in true yuletide fashion, I will be donning my christmassy jumper, July Garland will be at the helm music wise and I will share ideas of just what you can do with a bit of paper, a roller and a few dabs of ink! Make ready that lino!
My printmaking ladies in fine fettle last year - we had all sorts of festive joy going on……Christmas chillies…..Christmas trees……
So our Christmas season may be a little different given the circumstances we find ourselves in……such an opportunity to do things differently this year then……back to simple joys……handmade…..shopping local….supporting small enterprises rather than helping big ones, well, just get bigger.
As I said in an earlier post, my best friend and I will be making our gifts to each-other this year and honestly I couldn’t be happier with the prospect and my vivid imaginings about what may be possible or not seems in permanent overdrive, ooooohhh the things I could do…..
My first go at a bundt cake…….I do recall a bit of a fight with the tin……must be all those curves!
Well next Tuesday I will run a linoprint session for the ladies, giving ideas about what else apart from Christmas cards, the linoprints could be used for. Please tune in next week to see some results & perhaps get some ideas too!
I do love a bit of holly!
There really is nothing better than a handmade card or gift or both! This way you can show support for the ‘Just a Card’ campaign….read the excerpt below from their fab website.
The JUST A CARD campaign is about so much more than shopping. It’s about people - their imagination, creativity and sheer hard work. It’s about shops, markets, fairs, fetes, exhibitions - anywhere in happier times where people enjoy being part of a shared community. Of course this is also about online businesses and communities too. Supporting independents is win-win. The buying public get things made and sold with passion, and independents can continue doing what they love.
So, where did it all begin?
JUST A CARD founder Sarah Hamilton, whose own experiences as an artist and designer led her to set up the campaign, shares the story:
“I’ve always had the hugest respect for the independent shops and galleries who’ve stocked my work. Running a shop, small business or being an artist and maker is a labour of love, but of course bills need to be paid, and the climate has become increasingly challenging. This was made all the more clear to me at the end of a design show I took part in, when I found a fellow exhibitor in tears. It was her first show and her work had been much admired: ‘How gorgeous’, visitors said, ‘How beautiful’. That she’d only made a few pounds in three long days was heartbreaking - every independent can relate to how much emotional and financial investment goes into what they do.
I felt certain it didn’t need to be like this. Surely there was a way to express how even the smallest sale transforms lives. Fast forward to my reading this quote by owners who’d recently closed their gallery:
“If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card we’d still be open.”
That was it - my lightbulb moment! For the independents we love to flourish we need action, not words. Simply saying “shop local” doesn’t go far enough - the stark reality is that compliments don’t pay the bills. Of course we understand people are not always able to make a purchase, but raising awareness of the importance of sales is central to our mission.
Preparing the holly linocut…..still need to take out background areas to soften the harsh edges
So, my ideas so far are handmade & printed tags………wrapping paper…..handmade crackers wrapped in your printed papers…..start saving all of those loo rolls! My son and I make them every year and we start putting them aside from November! I also have ideas for hand printed napkins, maybe a table runner too……ohhhh and also printed paper chains! Check out some pics below from Homes & Gardens, with a lovely idea for a simple repeat tree print from Rowen & Wren last year.
So, I had better get back to cutting that lino block & running off some proof prints before the class next Tuesday.
I hope I have whetted your appetite & you feel like reaching for a grubby old t shirt & getting your hands dirty, doing a spot of making!
The pic below is a fab gold linoprint from one of my ladies last year….the row of angels is so uplifting don’t you think?!
Well done Jane, soooo beautiful fluttering on my drying line!
Until next week!