Meet the Maker: Lisa Hooper

I’m a full time artist/printmaker living in South West Scotland. I moved to Port William in 2006 following redundancy to pursue an ambition to make a living
from art. I was very interested in natural history and I particularly liked wildlife art, so I set out to make prints of the local landscape and wildlife.

Describe your process.

Because I use a wide variety of print media I start the design process by deciding what sort of print to make. Each medium has its strengths and weaknesses
which can help with this decision.

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to acquire a Columbian relief printing press which means that I can print in multiple passes and keep work in register.
Since then I have become fascinated by reduction linocut.

I start the design by assembling a number of my own photos which are like a sketchbook to me. I use these to create an imaginative design which is typically
very far removed from the photographic images.I simplify and rearrange elements repeatedly until I have a pleasing design. Typically this will be a
group of birds or a landscape.

When I am happy with the drawing I use carbon and tracing paper to reverse it onto the plate before beginning to plan the colour printing sequence.

How and where did you learn to print?

I retained an amateur interest in art during the years when I was working as a civil servant and in 1991 I started to attend evening classes in etching
in Cheltenham.I did two terms a year for more than ten years and in 1998 I bought an etching press.

Following redundancy, when I started to assemble my studio in Scotland, I ran into some technical difficulties in setting up an etching workshop, so I
began to explore other types of printmaking starting with wood and linocuts. I then taught myself how to make collagraphs and monotypes. And finally,
I solved the etching problem and resumed that too!

Why printing?

I am attracted to the surface qualities of prints which are quite unique and difficult to replicate with paint. In particular I like flat areas of colour
and increasingly enjoy using these (rather than lines) to define images in my linocuts. 

Where do you work?

I work in a room in the house which I converted into a studio when we moved in nearly eleven years ago. It is the largest room in the house (also the coldest!)
and now contains two presses as well as quite a wide variety of printmaking tools and materials.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

I don’t have to walk to work so I do try to clear my head and get some exercise by walking along the beach to the edge of the village before I settle down
to work. During the summer I find I have very little time to be creative as I do my own framing and am also quite preoccupied with supplying galleries
and exhibitions. But in the winter I light the stove and settle down to a day of drawing or cutting or printing.I must admit it feels like an immense
privilege! I listen to Radio 4 or music depending on my mood and I work right through the day, usually on one piece at a time.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by nature, especially birds, and by the landscape of Scotland. One of the reasons we chose to move to this very remote part of Scotland is
its natural beauty and bird-life.

I also think it’s important to look at work by other printmakers and I particularly enjoy printmakers of the early 20th Century such as Edward
Bawden and Cyril Power. I also enjoy contemporary wildlife art.

What is your favourite printmaking product?

My favourite printmaking product (apart from my Columbian Press of course!) would have to be those Ternes Burton registration pins and tabs which after 10 years of frustration have completely changed my approach to printmaking.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

I am most proud of a print I made of Hooded Crows in 2015 which somehow achieved what I wanted it to.It has a pleasing simplicity and flatness but it also
tells you all about Hoodies.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell and teach?

My work is available online and at galleries in various places (listed on my website) throughout the UK. I also exhibit at the British Birdwatching Fair annually and in other temporary exhibitions and
events. I have quite an active Facebook presence (Lisa Hooper- Hoopoe Prints).
I teach printmaking in small workshops from home during the winter months and I have just published my second book on printmaking (very much a “How
to” guide, called Printing Wildlife. That book is available in hardback and paperback (price £20 and £15 respectively) from my website and
from booksellers on and offline. My earlier book First Impressions, which is a little bit more discursive and autobiographical, is also still
available, (price £38).

What will we be seeing from you next?

I have been experimenting with the use of cardboard and children’s foam sheets for printing colour behind a linocut or woodcut. The Shovellers above were
printed using a cardboard plate with the ducks cut out for the water, a cardboard plate with foam pieces stuck onto it for the colours in the birds’
plumage and a single lino plate inked with a dabber and rollers for all the rest.

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

Try to keep being experimental and moving on. Sometimes it can be hard to be playful because of the fear of failure, but don’t let this cramp your style.

To see more of Lisa’s work visit her website or facebook page.

Printing Wrapping Paper for Christmas!

Printing your own wrapping paper is an easy way to add a personal touch to presents. We know you’re all really busy this time of year so we’ve got four
quick ways of creating lovely wrapping papers. Why not get children involved too?

Thermofax Printing

Start with a black pen drawing or image. Have a festive doodle yourself or hand the kids a black felt tip. This is a good opportunity to add a personal
message or your name as proof that yes, you did in fact make it yourself!

Scan in your drawing and make sure it fits into the thermofax templates on the website. It can help to print out the template first and draw your design in the middle. Send us your
design and we will send your Custom Thermofax back to you!

Use Acrylic Screen Printing Ink and a Thermofax Squeegee to print
your image in a scatter pattern all over your wrapping paper – we’re using plain kraft parcel paper. Be sure not to place your screen over a wet image
as it may smudge. It can help to print onto a slightly padded surface such as a thin blanket or piece of fabric stretched over your table.

This method also works really well for Christmas Cards!

To make this wrapping paper you will need:

Read more about printing with a Thermofax Screen

and how to use a Thermofax Screen with foils!

 

Indian Block Printing

Indian Blocks make such beautiful, detailed prints
without the need to carve anything yourself! They come in lots of gorgeous designs including lots that are Christmas themed. For this paper we are
using one of our favourite woodblocks in a peacock design with Gold Acrylic Screen Printing Ink.

Use a piece of sponge to apply an
even layer of ink to the block.

Press your ink down firmly onto the paper to make a print. It helps to have a slightly padded surface under your paper such as a Foam Printing Pad.

Re-ink your block and print all over your paper.

You can also use Indian Blocks to print directly
onto boxes:

To make this wrapping paper you will need:

See our previous Indian Block projects to learn how to use them to Print onto Fabric!

 

Stamping with Mastercut and Versacraft Ink Pads

If you haven’t tried carving Mastercut yet then this is a great time to give it a go. It’s soft to carve and gives thin lines and lots of detail. It’s easy to cut with scissors or a craft
knife for shaped stamps. For this paper, we are using holly leaves cut from Mastercut with Versacraft Ink Pads and the end of a pencil for the berries!

Press your stamp into the Versacraft Ink Pad to pick up an even layer of ink.

Press the stamp firmly onto your paper. Again, it helps to use a slightly padded surface or a Foam Printing Pad.

Press the rubber end of a pencil into the red ink pad and into the paper to create berries.

Repeat all over the paper in a scatter pattern. This method would also work perfectly for cards and gift tags!

To make this wrapping paper you will need:

Find out how we carved out holly leaves in our Christmas Card project.

 

Printing a Repeat Pattern

We used a repeat pattern block to print this wrapping paper. See our Repeat Pattern project to see how the block was made. This block is a half-drop repeat but you could use a straight repeat, rotating repeat
or just neat rows of any block you have. This block is made from Mastercut but a lino, softcut, vinyl or plywood block will work too!  

Acrylic Screen Printing Inks work really well for block printing too if you use a sponge roller to roll out the ink! We are using silver. You could also use a block printing ink and a hard roller. Roll your ink
of choice onto your block.

Place your block face down onto your paper and print. For this half-drop repeat pattern we have to position it carefully.

To make this wrapping paper you will need:

See how to make blocks with different types of repeat patterns in our previous projects: try half-drop repeat, straight repeat,
or rotating repeat.

Give one of these methods a try to create your own wrapping paper! We’d love to see your results – tag us in a pic of your project on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or send us a good ol’fashioned email.

 

 

 

 

Meet the Maker: Polly Finch

Polly Finch of Polly Papercuts is joining us for a very special workshop on Wednesday 23rd November. Participants will get to choose from a variety of designs to cut your own papercut!
Use your papercut to make a photographic silk screen and then print 30 cards! Go home with your original papercut and cards. We
asked Polly to tell us more about her work and process: 


Describe your process.

I work in 2D and 3D. Everything is cut by hand using a scalpel and lots and lots of 10A blades. Each piece is unique – no lasers!

I do a lot of sketching, but no design is set in stone, and I like my work evolve over time. For a 2D piece I will cut from the back, having drawn some
guidelines to work from (this is especially important with lettering, as everything is backwards, of course).

3D pieces are even slower to come to fruition as there are so many aspects to consider- the box, a base, different papers. I love this process.


How and where did you learn papercutting?

I am self-taught. I kind of stumbled across papercutting whilst trying to embellish a drawing, and it just went from there. I started with 2D work, but
for the past couple of years I have also been exploring making 3D pieces, which have been popular – so that’s nice! 

Where do you work?

I work from home in a tiny chaotic studio off my kitchen. Periodically I have to blitz everything as the mess builds up until I have no space to work at
all.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

I don’t really have a typical day. I might do some cutting, a bit of sketching, think about a 3D piece, and then do some making. I work on commissions,
so I’m always trying to keep on top of them, especially in the run up to Christmas.

How long have you been an artist?

I have been paper cutting for 5 or 6 years.

What inspires you?

I love the sea, and live on the South Coast, so my work often has nautical themes, but I am also inspired by the countryside and walk every day on the
Downs with my dog ( lab/ spaniel cross called Stig).

What is your favourite art product?

I know its cliched but I would say my favourite art product is paper – I love sketch books, hand made papers, things created from paper.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

I have made several very large 2D paper cuts, which I am very proud of. One of them, ‘Into the Woods,’ won the Fusion 2013 Best Fine Art Prize.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell and teach?

In the run up to Christmas I have one more weekend at the cowshed Studio Christmas exhibition; I am exhibiting at The VK Gallery; The HOP Gallery; and
doing two Christmas Art Fairs on the 4th December in Steyning and 10th December in Brighton. Please see my website for details.

What will we be seeing from you next?

Next year I am very exciting to be collaborating on an original story book about King Arthur with illustrations, papercutting, and collage. It’s my biggest
project to date and I’m really excited about it!

Do you have any advice for other makers and creatives?

I would say to other makers, “keep doing what you love, not what you think other people want.”

Learn more about Polly’s work here. Book your place on Polly’s Workshop on our website, call 01243 696789 or email shop@handprinted.co.uk

Printing with Chine Collé

Chine Collé is a technique that allows you to add colour to your prints without making another block. Using Chine Collé you are able to print on much finer,
more delicate papers which are bonded onto a more sturdy paper during the printing process. Japanese papers are often used but you can try tissue papers,
maps, sheet music, even fabric – anything delicate enough to be printed onto.

Start by carving a linocut or woodblock. This is how our linocut prints without Chine Collé:

To adapt this block into a print suitable for Chine Collé, we carved out the sun to leave space for our yellow sun.

Cut pieces of thin papers (we used tissue paper) into shapes to fit your block. If you plan to frame, sell or give these prints as gifts; make sure that
the papers you are using are light-fast – many tissue papers aren’t.

Ink up your linocut as usual. We are using Caligo Safe Wash Relief Inks which are oil based (but water washable) and will stay wet on the block to give us time to prepare
our tissue papers.

To prepare your papers, mix a little Rice Paste with water to make a thick syrupy texture. You only need a very small amount. Paint the glue in a thin layer all over the back of your papers.

Place your papers glue side up (this is essential!) on your inked up block. This part can be very fiddly so it can help to use tweezers or cocktail sticks
to place the wet papers down.

Lay your printing paper on top and put through the press (or print by hand with a baren).
Your tissue papers should have bonded onto your printing paper with your print over the top!

This technique also works beautifully with etchings and drypoint etchings!

To create a print with Chine Collé you will need:

 

 

 

 

Printing with System 3 Block Printing Medium

System 3 Block Printing Medium transforms acrylic paints into usable block printing inks. Simply mix the medium with your paints and roll onto your block! Here’s how:

Mix your Block Printing Medium with acrylic paint in a ratio of 3:2. If you want to print in a specific colour, mix your acrylic colour first and then add your medium when you’re happy with the shade.
I did not do this, because I’m reckless.

When you’ve mixed your ink, roll out a thin, velvety layer. Your
roller should make a zzz sound and not be squelchy. If it is, remove some ink and roll out again.

Roll your ink onto your block – we’re using a sheet of lino that we carved earlier…

Place your paper on top if your block – we’re using Kent printmaking paper.
Use a baren to transfer the ink
to your paper by rubbing it all over the back.

This block printing ink will layer up well for a multi-block or reduction print. It is translucent (unless you’ve added a lot of white – experiment with
your colours for layering first) so will show some of the base colour through.

To print with block printing medium you will need:

 

 

Meet the Maker: Flora Arbuthnott

I am a printmaker, natural dyer and forager. My work is all about nature: from doing prints and illustrations of birds and leaves, to dyeing using
plants I’ve grown or foraged. I run workshops teaching printmaking on fabric and indigo dyeing. I also run wild food walks.

Describe your process.

My process is quite meditative. I clear my mind of all thought, put pen to paper and see what happens. I work spontaneously, doing lots of quick drawings
and paper cuts, repeating images again and again, like a human photocopier.

 

How and where did you learn to print?

I first learnt to print with my mother, Vanessa Arbuthnott. I still use the printing methods she taught me when I was four! Then, I loved doing prints
of fish. I haven’t changed much, just switched from fish to birds!

Why Printing?

I enjoy the quick and clean results you can get from screen printing when using such simple materials. I love craftsmanship, hand making beautiful things
that have a function and will be loved, endured and repaired over time. The simplicity of printmaking makes it accessible to people who are not creatively
confidant, this makes it fun to teach.

Where do you work?

I have a studio at In Bristol Studios, sharing with lots of interesting community artists and makers. We share a big print room. I also
do lots of drawing from home as it is quiet there.

 

Describe a typical day in you studio.

I have very varied days. No two days are the same. I am most productive in the early morning when I can clear my head, not think too much about
what I am doing and be spontaneous. Some days, I teach from my studio in Bristol or in Cirencester. Most days, I go out gathering wild food, go to
the natural dye garden to do some harvesting or weeding, or go for a swim in the river. I spend a lot of time outside.  

 

How long have you been printmaking?

Since I was four! So twenty two years on and off. However it is in the past four years I have really gotten into it.

 

What inspires you?

As a forager, I get a lot of inspiration from the wild food I gather throughout the year. I am currently developing a range of fabric designs inspired
by wild edible spring plants such as cleavers, nettles and herb Robert. I am always inspired by the freedom and movement of birds. Lately I have been
exploring the process of dyeing with organic indigo. The chemistry of the vat, the pureness and depth of the blue is mesmerising.

 

What product/tool could you not be without? 

I love a fresh, sharp scalpel and a stack of paper for cutting out paper stencils for screen printing.

 

Where can we see you work? Where do you sell?

I print and create designs to commission. I run regular printmaking and natural dyeing workshops which are bookable via my website floraarbuthnott.com I design for my mother too – you can find my ‘Bird Hop’ design on her website: vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk.

 

What will we be seeing from you next?

I am running printmaking workshops and organic indigo workshops an shibori workshops this autumn in Bristol and Cirencester.

 

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

Print first, think later. Trust you instincts and have fun with it.

See more of Flora’s work on the following sites:

facebook.com/thenaturaldyegarden/

facebook.com/simpleprintmaking/

instagram.com/simpleprintmaking/

instagram.com/naturaldyegarden/

 

 

 

 

 

Printing with Magic Stamps

If you haven’t tried printing with Magic Stamps yet, this is your new project. It’s really quick to create a unique block that can be reused again and again to create different textures and patterns.
All you need is a heat gun and a variety of objects and surfaces to create your stamps.

Arrange a collection of low relief objects or find a texture that you would like to replicate.

Heat your stamp with a heat gun until the surface is pretty hot – don’t go too close to the stamp with the heat gun or you will damage the surface – learn
from my mistakes).

Press the hot side of your block into the objects or surface and hold for a few seconds.

Ink up your block with Versacraft Ink Pads or any water-based block printing ink.

Press your block onto your paper or fabric to make your print!

When you have finished printing, clean your block with a baby-wipe or damp sponge. Use the heat gun to restore the block to its original flat surface ready
for your next texture or, if you would like to keep your block as it is, leave it and the texture will still be there next time you pick it up!

Lots of different objects can be used to create different blocks. Try rubber bands:

…or copper pipes:

…or keys:

Try using the blocks to create cards:

Indian Woodblocks make a brilliant impression
in the blocks too:

To print with Magic Stamps you will need:

  • Magic Stamps (of
    course)
  • A heat gun (a hair dryer will not create as good an impression as when using a heat gun)
  • Versacraft Ink Pads or other water-based block printing ink
  • Paper, cards or fabric on which to print
  • Objects and textures to create your blocks

Meet the Maker: Karin Moorhouse

Meet Karin Moorhouse: local artist and designer who is teaching Monotype Printmaking with us in November!

Hi, my name is Karin and I have been an artist/designer all my life starting off with studying printed textiles for my degree at Liverpool art school,
followed by experience gathering work in large London commercial studios and design companies. My creative life has taken me on an interesting journey
and I have met some fascinating people. Whilst working in fashion and textiles I had opportunity for frequent travel as I was busy not only designing
but selling the design collections around the world. I have worked in interior design, garden design, mural and trompe l’oeil, portrait and landscape
painting, teaching art from Montessori age to degree level and I have trained in art psychotherapy. Happily all these threads now weave together and
one area feeds the other. My plein air landscape work informs my printmaking and vice versa. I am also making inroads into exploring how I could monoprint
directly onto fabric… full circle!

 

I currently use my plein air oil paintings as reference material and as a starting point for a new series of monoprints and I use the printing process
very much like I use oil paint: I work in layers which means I will present the plate many times to achieve the layering and depth and rich colour.

How and where did you learn to paint and print?

I knew from junior school that I wanted to work with colour and fabric and so I spent every possible moment with pens, paints, pencils and was lucky enough
to go to Junior Saturday morning art classes at Glasgow School Of Art.

Why monoprinting?

I find monoprinting to be a perfect marriage between drawing and painting. It is a fluid process, like painting and it can be fast like a drawing. It can
also be detailed and as the inks stay open for quite a while there is opportunity to “play” with colour mixing just like an oil painting.

Where do you work?

I have a hidden studio in my garden.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

Last thing every day I clean up palettes, plates and brushes and first thing every morning I put on radio 4! Then I layout my paints and inks ensure all
my soldiers are in a row and carry on where I left off the day before. But if the day is fine I will often take the opportunity to paint outside and
then the great outdoors becomes my studio!

How long have you been painting and printmaking?

Painting since I was a child and printmaking since I had the facility to so do.

What inspires you?

Everything… too much! I am fascinated by light and the effect of light. I try to convey the feeling of the day.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

My daughters!

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

I have taken part in the Arundel Gallery Trail every year for a number of years now and have exhibited at the Oxmarket, Chichester, The Mall Galleries,
London. I have also shown my work in group shows around SE England and will be taking part in an exhibition at Candida Stephens, Chichester in February
2017.

What will we be seeing from you next?

I will be working further into my series of “From Town To Country”. This is an umbrella title which for me covers my interest in journeys from noisy cityscapes
to quiet rolling country and seascapes. For me the title embraces my love of both spaces. I shall also be taking my monoprinting plein air and am looking
at transferring monotype prints onto fabric.

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

Don’t be shy of technology. Thrive on and digest the process. By that I mean don’t hope for/look for/only work for the results. When we become absorbed
in process very often the product takes care of itself and is the richer for it.

See more of Karin’s work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or on her website. Karin is teaching her Monotype Printing Workshop with us on the 5th & 6th of November! For more information or to book a space, visit our website or call 01243 696789.

Eco Printing

Quick and basic Eco Printing in preparation for our Fab Friday class tomorrow!

We gathered a selection of leaves and berries. (Dyes from leaves will usually be more permanent than dyes from berries. It is such a shame you can
get some lovely colours from berries but often they will wash completely out of fabric – unless you want them to of course!).

We pre-soaked our fabric – Ponge Silk and
Prima Cotton in Soy Milk for a few minutes. The longer you can pre-soak the better the dyes will take.

We also tried pre-soaking with other solutions

  • White Vinegar (1/3 vinegar 2/3 water), 
  • Just Water
  • Alum solution (1/4 Alum diluted in 3/4 warm water)

The results were varied but the Soy Milk created much stronger colours working on both the cotton (cellulose) and silk (protein) fibres.
The vinegar was also good, the alum so-so and the water on its own very pale.

Wring out the fabric a little and lay out flat. Arrange your leaves on top of one half of the fabric – we also tried some pennies and some wire wool –
the wire wool works really well.

 

Fold over the fabric to encase the leaves

 

 

Roll tightly around a short length of pipe. We used copper pipe as this will help the colour. You can also use a short branch – some wood
will affect the colour especially if they still have their bark. You can use anything that will withstand hot temperatures and will fit in your pan.

 

Tie up tightly with string. You need to steam the wraps for at least 2 hours. The pan you choose must not be used for cooking afterwards. We put a
couple of inches of water in the bottom of the pan and bent some chicken wire to stop the wraps from reaching the water. You will need to keep
a close eye on the pan that it doesn’t boil dry and top up as required.

 

After a while you will see the colour appearing through the fabric.

 

After a couple of hours remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. When the wraps are cool unwrap and leave for a couple of days, you
can then wash with a gentle wash such as Metapex – the
colour may alter a little at this stage.  

 

If you like to know more about our Fab Fridays or any of our other classes please click here

Meet the Maker: Nick Morley (with giveaway!)

Nick Morley, aka Linocutboy, has been making linocuts for more than ten years. His works have appeared on book covers, magazines and chilli sauce labels
and his prints are collected worldwide. Nick writes a blog about linocut and his book Linocut
for Artists and Designers was published in June 2016 – continue to the bottom of the page for a chance to win a copy!

How and where did you learn to print?

I learnt the basics of etching and screenprinting at art school, then continued to take classes once I graduated. I got a lot of pointers from other artists
at East London Printmakers, where I was a member for ten years. With linocut, I mostly taught myself.

Why printing?

I find linocut a very versatile medium. People think of it as this graphic medium, resulting in slightly crude black and white designs, but in fact it
can be used in many different ways. You can create clean hard edges or expressive marks, layers of subtle transparent hues or strong bold colour. By
altering the way you ink and print a block you can lay down the ink in a flat, even surface or a mottled, textured finish. Every time I develop a print
I discover something new.

Is there a story behind the name Linocutboy?

Linocutboy was a pseudonym I used on the Guardian Soulmates dating website (where I met Catherine, my partner of nine years) and after that it just stuck.
It’s great for Google searches too!

Where do you work?

I work at Hello Print Studio, which is part of Resort Studios in Margate. I was a founder of Resort and I set up Hello Print Studio so I could run workshops
and so other artists and designers could use it to make prints. We have facilities for relief printing, etching, screenprint and letterpress. It’s
a fantastically creative space. I work surrounded by other artists and illustrators, as well as photographers, architects and film makers.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

Every day is different. I might be carving lino or printing, working on an illustration commission, teaching, packing up prints and books to send off or
sweeping the floor. I have a one year old son, Mica, so my time is divided into even more activities than before. I do try to draw every day and have
a walk, either on the beach or in the fields near my home.

How long have you been printmaking?

Twenty years. Wow, now I feel old!

What inspires you?

Old photos and posters, dusty museums, nature and nature documentaries, children’s books, living artists like Swoon and dead ones like Thomas Bewick and
Ulysse Aldrovandi.

What is your favourite printmaking product?

I use Caligo inks which are great for transparent layers of colour, and they wash up with water.

What have you made that you are most proud of?

Apart from my son, I would say my book, Linocut for Artists and Designers, which took three years to write.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell and teach?

My website linocutboy.com, plus I’m very active on Instagram where I post lots of photos of my studio, work in progress and random insects I find. I sell through Material and For
Arts Sake in London, Frank in Whitstable, Fox and Spindle in Margate and Odd One Out in Hong Kong. And I have an Etsy shop. My book is available from www.linocutboy.bigcartel.com

What will we be seeing from you next?

I’m planning to make a children’s book called Play with your Food.

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

Keep at it, experiment, travel, have fun.

Enter our giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Nick Morley’s ‘Linocut’ book here!
A
draw will take place on the 31st October to reveal the winner!

If you’re interested in joining Nick Morley for his Multi-Block Lino Workshop, click here.