Yet another block, I think I'm on a roll...

Someday I'm going to have to take a break from carving all these linoleum blocks and actually get down to printing them. Maybe I will start tomorrow...

I started on this one Saturday morning at work. Sometimes I work out the compostion on tracing paper and then transfer it to the block by burnishing the back of the paper. Not this time. I put the blank block and linoleum cutter in my bag without really knowing what I was going to do with it. Once there, it came to me. I drew the design directly on the block with a pencil and then went over it with a medium point Sharpie. Then I started the carving.

Once I got home I kept on carving. I worked slowly and steadily, to be sure. This is the most detail I have ever put in a block this small. It measures 3" x 5".

Almost finished, just a few more grapes in his beard to carve out...

And here is the proof I pulled from the finished block. I might tweak it a little bit before printing the edition. I'm not sure. I kind of like it the way it is and so far I've gotten some favorable responses.

It will take me about a week at the most, but the next step is printing an edition (50? 75? I haven't decided), letting the ink dry (3 days at least), hand-coloring each print, then signing numbering and dating them.

And oh yeah, these will be available for purchase. Pre-orders are accepted. Contact me for pricing information.

ADDENDUM: I failed to mention that the blockprint is my rendition of Bacchus, the god of wine. That is why he has grapes in his beard.