Golden Hops - a small original print featuring golden Kentish hops. The beautiful county of Kent where I live is famous for its hop gardens, and the tall bines with their pendulous blooms are a wonderful sight to behold in late summer - not to mention their scent!

- original 3 layer multiblock reduction linocut print

- colour: custom Cranfield Caligo Safewash inks and Traditional Relief ink in Gold. *please be aware that the metallic gold in is matte gold. As these inks are oil-based the finish may be shiny in parts of the print - this is caused by the inks drying more slowly when they are overlaid. When framing, ensure that the print does not touch the glass.*

- paper: Fabriano Unica printmaking paper, 250gsm, white, smooth natural grained surface. Acid Free. 50% cotton content. 

- print size: approx 4x4 inches (10 x10 cm)

- mounted in soft white for a 7 x 7 inch frame (18 x 18 cm)

- signed, numbered and dated. Unframed.

- This is a limited variable edition of 26 and no further editions can be made from these blocks due to the reduction print process. 'Variable' denotes that there are minor differences caused by printmaking techniques - such as the deliberate lighter inking of the background colour which will look slightly different on every print. 

I design and carve each motif into linoleum before inking the plate and printing it using Alma or Albert, my Victorian cast iron manual book presses. To make a reduction linocut print, the design is gradually carved away from the same linoleum plate, destroying the plate in the process.  All the paper pieces have to be registered to the plate exactly so that the inked up areas fall into the same place on the paper each time. Depending on the number of layers, reduction prints can take several weeks to complete.