A tiny flock of sparrows

Or is that a flock of tiny sparrows?

Whichever way you look at it, this was fun! Six colors on a linocut only 3" x 3"!

I forgot to take photos of Color 4, and only just thought of it as I was adding Color 5. We now have a non-convention-conforming image in the string. Appalling.

Rusty head color, which ultimately only shows in 2 spots on the little critter's head:


Color 5, some green in the grass:


And Color 6, the ubiquitous black-or-near-black:


Despite my inability to hold the camera square to the image, a closer look at the finished beastie:


I'm enjoying these little prints for a couple of reasons:

• They're small and don't take much time, so I can work on them even when I only have 30 minutes or less to spare.
• They're small and don't take much time, so provide semi-instant gratification.
• They're small and don't take much time, so "Oh, oops, DUH" comes more frequently and tightens the learning curve.

So far I've sorted out some technical questions when working this size, mostly about registration. One would think that little pieces of paper would be easier to manage than larger ones, but one would be mistaken.

The next round I want to answer some aesthetic questions. I've been feeling that familiar itch to threaten my comfort zone.... YOU know what I mean.

Not sure when that next round will start, exactly, since I've had to clear the table to get back to a couple of illustration projects, but you'll have a front row seat. Promise.