handmade block prints + illustrations

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what is block printing?

Block printing is the process of carving away from material such as linoleum, wood or rubber, inking the carved block, then pressing and transferring the ink onto paper or fabric.

process

step 1

live life

Many of my pieces are inspired by memories of growing up camping, fishing and playing in Alaska. And some are inspired by newer memories I’ve collected: living in Colorado, Montana, Maine and Philadelphia, and lots of traveling!

step 2

draw + plan

I typically draw directly on the block in pencil, careful to mirror it, as it will print “backwards”! I then trace over my pencil marks to get the final shape, and ink the block with acrylic ink to better see the areas I’ll carve away.

step 3

carve

I then carve away the negative space (space that is white on the final print) using sharp carving tools. This is the most cathartic part of the process.

step 4

ink + print

After the piece is carved, I use a brayer to roll on an oil-based ink. I then press hand-torn Japanese washi paper, made from kozo fiber, into the block with a birch spatula to evenly distribute the ink. I remove the paper from the block and hang to dry in my very small, makeshift “studio” space for about a week! 

Due to the nature of block printing and my method of transfering by hand (not using a press), every print varies! That is the unique charm of block prints <3

step 5

display

These pieces are best displayed in a floating frame! The extra space around the print celebrates the uniquely deckled edge of the paper.

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collections

mini's

Smaller than a biggie ... duh!   

mini's

biggies

Larger than a mini ... duh!   

biggies

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all prints

View all

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want to get in touch?

reach out!