Nicholas Elliott: First Impressions

It’s been a while since my last Blog post. Mitigating circumstances are that I’ve been tackling ‘Creation’ and that does take some time. I have been working on my first relief print from a linocut block. I thought I would start at the very beginning – God creating light. I could have chosen something easier I suppose but this was an exciting challenge that I embraced and enjoyed. How could I depict God creating light?

I worked up several ideas then many iterations of each one to determine how it would translate into print. In contrast to how I work when I am painting where I have physical subject matter to arrange and compose into a final image, with my print I had nothing to begin with - Which seemed entirely appropriate given the subject matter. I found it really exhilarating working with nothing but a concept to go on. What surprised me was how patient I was (not being the patient sort) during this process.

Having settled on a final design the time came to cut it into the lino block. Here I wasn’t quite so patient. Having cut the entire design out on the block I realised that it needed to be cut in reverse for the image to appear the correct way round on the paper. You might imagine it took hours and hours to cut this design out but hey ho. Then the next day toward the end of the second attempt, this time the correct way round, I was tired, I slipped and took Gods eye out. At this stage I was rather hoping this wasn’t going to take ‘seven days’ to cut the block. On day three success! Image cut the right way round with Gods eye intact. In the process I had fulfilled the expectations of the authors of both the books on relief printing that I had read and cut myself several times with my nice sharp Swiss cutting tools. How we artists love to suffer for our art . . .

My shiny new press arrived a few days later. I was like a kid with a new toy I couldn’t wait to get started but at the same time I was a little apprehensive that after all my work cutting the lino block the image might not come out as well as I hoped. I feared that it wouldn’t work and I would have wasted a lot of time. I chickened out and didn’t attempt the print for a couple of days while worked on ideas for a different design for another subject to print.

Eventually I plucked up courage, inked up the lino block and pressed a couple of trial prints on cartridge paper. The printing process is almost as tricky as cutting the block. One needs just the right amount of ink on the block and just the right amount of pressure with the press. Once I had figured this out I tried a proof with the Somerset Archival paper. As I withdrew the block, paper and press blanket from the press I felt like an expectant mother. I was beside myself with anticipation to see the result of my labour. And here it is . . .