Spring is sprung

Spring flowers linocuts
© Teresa Newham

About six weeks ago, when it seemed as if Spring might never come, I brought some tulips and daffodils into the house to remind us that it would arrive eventually. They cheered up the place so much that I decided to make some designs for a linocut.

source photos & sketches
© Teresa Newham

I did a couple of sketches while the flowers were still fresh in the vases and wondered if I could translate that sketchiness when I cut it. I printed the tulips first, and was so pleased with the result that I cut into the plate again to print a second layer of colour.

a sudden impulse to make a reduction
© Teresa Newham

I could have stopped there, but decided that a background was needed. I opted for a dark green, to bring out the bright yellow I'd chosen for the reduction version. I was so enthused by the result that I decided to do something similar with the daffodils.

Yellow Tulips reduction linocuts
© Teresa Newham

I was drying the prints in plate racks, to allow the air to circulate round them. But the paper had gone a bit wonky, so against all advice I laid them flat. Three layers of ink can take some time to dry, so they'll probably be back in the racks before too long!

simple daffs linocut drying in a plate rack
© Teresa Newham

I hadn't used the Laura Boswell linocut registration frame for mini prints before, but it worked well.  It's always so exciting to peel away the second or third layer to see what the print is looking like (assuming you've got the cut right, that is!).

printing the second layer of the reduction version
© Teresa Newham

Soon I had a veritable garden of daffodils drying by the radiator.  This time I'd warmed up the yellow with a touch of orange, and I was careful to make the second layer a light green so that I didn't have to make the third layer too dark.

Daffs II reduction linocut
© Teresa Newham

Now, of course, I'm wondering which approach I prefer.  Does the simple version of each flower work best, or was it worth doing those reductions?  I really can't decide, or choose a favourite.  I love them all!

pretty flowers all in a row
© Teresa Newham