Linocut in Progress: An Ode* to Transparent Blue

The daisies move from gold to green,
Yet of green ink no sign is seen.

Transparent blue, of course is used,
To shift us into other hues.

Daisies, reduction linocut, Step 6

A good result I do confess,
Yet more must roll before we rest.

Another pass with see-through blue,
Creates a greener green, 'tis true.

Daisies, reduction linocut, Step 7

But wait! It is not quite enough,
This print's still diamond in the rough.

Transparent blue again applied,
It's taking us on quite a ride.

Daisies, reduction linocut, Step 8

A day or two we must now wait,
For ink to dry and plans create.

(*With apologies to real poets, who will no doubt point out that while this may be an ode thematically, structurally it's more like couplets. And not very good ones at that.)

Converting to Grayscale, or, Linocuts Get Poetic

At the end of April I was approached by our local poetry ensemble, the River City Nomads, about including some linocuts in their soon-to-be published chapbook. The only catch was that the work would be published strictly in black and white. Well, that... and they needed it... um... the following week, really.

One of the members brought me a draft manuscript and I started sifting through my files for appropriate images that were either already black and white or that would hold up if converted from color to grayscale. It became clear that I wouldn't have everything they needed, so on International Print Day in May I put together one additional small piece and then bundled all the scans off to the publication designer.

"On Stage – River City Nomads" was out in time for the Nomads' performances at this weekend's Colorado Art Ranch Artposium, and I was tickled to see that a few of my color linocuts converted quite well to black and white.