I’m a creative, experienced, multi-purpose artist and art director
who can take projects start to finish in a variety of styles.

Good designs sell –
my designs sell out!

Saturday, April 11, 2015

"Soft"

Don't you just hate it when Illustration Friday doesn't give a new word for the week?  Not to be deterred, I posted this as a continuation from last week's post about putting flowers on the fallen soldiers in childhood battles.  I'm not really sure how this plays with "soft", but I wasn't the one missing deadlines.

Giveaway!!!

Win a linoprint of this flower by leaving a comment.  If you "follow" my blog by joining my site (see right column), I'll give you 2 chances to win.  If you're already a follower, just remind me and I'll give you 2 tries too.

It's hard for me to believe I've been blogging for 5 years!  I certainly didn't think I had that much to write about, and if anyone would've told me how much art has to happen in 5 years of posts I probably would never have started.  It's been a blast and I've really enjoyed getting to know so many of you and seeing your blogs in return.  You're the ones who've made it fun and kept me motivated to keep writing and creating.  THANKS!!!

I'm pleased with myself that I carved this linoleum and all my blood stayed inside.  Nobody really appreciates the pain of my earlier carving attempts.

When I was a kid, I carved blocks of brown laundry soap into sculptures...  Okay, I carved blocks of soap mostly into turtles.  Dad would give me a jackknife and I'd happily carve away until the blood started.  Mom would take the knife away.  This happened a lot.  My dexterity didn't match my artistic vision, and I had big dreams.

You'd think that either me or Dad would get smarter about all this, but some say that children need a routine.  Actually, Mom said that a lot so you'd think she'd understand the importance of soap turtles in nurturing creativity.  After all, she's the one who kept buying the Fels Naptha -- though now that I'm thinking of it, she may have started buying soap so I'd quit carving harder things like sticks, firewood, and rocks?

You might think I'm kidding about the rocks, but I'm not.  Sandstone and soft shale by the river seemed carve-able.  I could incise lines into it at any rate, and I could hone my knife on the stone.  That made my knife really good at slicing into my childish self.

Repeated carving lessons from Dad about always cutting away from myself were a waste of time.  At some point I would be too focused on my creative vision to think about safety.  At least I never put lead white coated paint brushes in my mouth, and doctors are really good at stitching up cuts.

Anyway, back to the linocut... I carved the linoleum then printed the image in blue on acid-free yellow paper.  Then I got out my Prismacolors and colored details.  I had fun coloring and may do some more in my tv time at night.  I like it blue on blue without the pencil too.  If you win, let me know which way you prefer it.  You never know, I might color a blue on blue version too depending on my tv time.

I got some more linoleum blocks at the store when I bought the blue ink.  Who knows what else I might carve?  Maybe turtles.

Remember to follow and leave a comment for 2 chances to win!

20 comments:

  1. Linda, 5 years! Congratulations. I have never seen any lack of enthusiasm or 'blog blehs' on your part.
    Your lino cuts are very charming.
    And it is amazing all your blood stayed in. Good grief...I still have a lino scar or 2.

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    1. I've just hidden my blog blehs. It happens to all of us when the sky is blue or we've got a better offer for the day, though you can probably tell when the art is something from a restaurant napkin.

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  2. I think a turtle would be awesome! Congrats on the 5 years - it doesn't really seem all that long ago when you were thinking about starting it!

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    1. I did housekeeping instead of art this weekend. If I had a maid I'd probably have a lot more art!

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  3. Many congratulations Linda, what great fun this blogging world is. I've enjoyed all your posts as much for the words as the fabulous artwork. Your lino cut is gorgeous and I'm glad no limbs were lost in its creation. I have been a long term follower of your great blog and I would love to have 2 chances of giving this lovely piece a place to live over the pond here x

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    1. I've enjoyed your blog for all these years too Jane! I think you were one of my early finds. Thanks for the memories!

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  4. Five years! Wow! Did you ever think you'd have that much to say? (I'm up to eight years, but I never shut up.)

    Congratulations. I always look forward to seeing your beautiful work.

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    1. Aw, thanks! No, I didn't think I had that much to say at all. Some day we might both run out of stories? Until then, let's both keep posting!

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  5. Congratulations, Linda, and especially for keeping your blood in. I love wood-block printing myself (not so much linoleum) but I don't do it enough to produce anything as cool as the one you posted here. And I sure would love to take soap carving lessons from you.

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  6. I have wood... maybe I should try that next? I'm afraid the risk of bleeding goes up the harder the carving substance though. Soap is easy, and when you're done you're still clean :)

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  7. Those soap-turtles will stay in my mind for a while now... much enjoying the wander through childhood carving adventures. The depth you added with pencil afterward makes me want to pull out my coloured pencils and see what happens later on today... Be well, and please do add my name to those who would very much like to have a print! A

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    1. Anything I can do that makes other people create makes it a happy day for me. Thanks! I think the linotype looks better in person, and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's a textural thing.

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  8. Seriously admirable blogging tenacity, Linda! Thank you for entertaining and enlightening us all with your creative gifts and your persistent ponderings of Life. You have expanded my definition of "friend" beyond the purely "physically nearby" and sometimes I even feel like you must be reading my mind! :-)

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  9. P.S…all my own carving scars were the result of my love affair with a Girl Scout knife (just as my father predicted, before he bought it for me anyway)...

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  10. Tenacity is such a better word than stubborn :) Sometimes I think you're reading my mind in your posts too Susan. I think you gave me the inspiration to keep going in the early days when I was looking for my voice. Thanks!

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  11. You know, Fels Naptha is a pretty hard soap. Your mom should have just gotten you a bar of Ivory. In my carving experience, though, it's not so much the hardness of the object being carved that leads to trouble, but using an oversized, dull knife while trying to take off too much in a single stroke. Go for smaller, very sharp carving tools and don't move too fast. I splurged on a thirty dollar, super sharp wood carving knife with a generously sized handle and a comparatively small blade, and it's so fun to use. I even sharpen pencils with it.

    I love your linocut and would love to have a chance to win it.

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    1. Fels Naptha is kind of waxy as I remember it, and that helped with the carving where regular soap would've been more crumbly and flaky. Taking smaller slices would probably help, but I get impatient, which is probably why I bled so much. Live and learn!

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  12. Linda, this is an absolutely gorgeous print, both ways- And it turned out to work for both IF challenges! So you say FN was used for carving? I think that's what my mom threatened to use to wash sassy kids' mouths- And I learned (quickly how bad it tasted). Later, I also learned they also used it to clean paintbrushes- ;o) Congrats on 5 years of art blogging- You're the real deal, all heart and soul. Please count me in 2x, too. I'm on your list of followers!

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    1. Thanks Michele! Seems like I might've tasted soap once too. I can't imagine what I said that caused that... or maybe I can remember a moment of sass? I don't think the soap helped :)

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  13. I know I am too late for the reward, but I still enjoyed your childhood memory of carving out anything from soaps to rocks! And I did enjoy your the print from your linoleum carving, that looks like quite some elaborate work. I guess it's takes some childhood cuts and stitching to get this good!

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