Block Printing!

This week IslandWood instructors and students are getting their block print on! Our Artist In Residence, Mette Hanson, is hard at work sharing her craft and I can tell you from first hand experience, it is an absolute blast!

This afternoon, nine of us (graduate students) participated in a professional development seminar with Mette where we created our own prints using multiple blocks and multiple colors. I had never done block printing before and wow did I learn a lot! The patience, skill, and attention to detail these artists possess is one to be greatly admired.

Without further adieu, let's take a peek into our afternoon!


After much deliberacy, a print comes into its own as the "key block" (the final block) is applied.

 
Careful! It's not over until the print leaves the block!

 
Voila! A finished product! This print involved the carving of three separate blocks, careful mixing of colors, and a detailed eye to ensure that everything aligned properly.


 Another finished product!

What an amazing process! Contact your local block printing lesson-providing agency immediately!

Riley