Original Linocut - Tulips - Yellow tulips in a round glass vase

- original multiblock reduction linocut print

- ink oil-based Cranfield Caligo ink. *please be aware that the finish may be shiny in parts of the print - this is caused by the oil-based inks drying more slowly when they are overlaid - this will be the case on the 'water' layer. The inks will continue to cure but may feel sticky when your print first arrives - please leave it somewhere dry and airy for a couple of weeks. When framing, ensure that the linoprint does not touch the glass.*

- paper: Bread & Butter printmaking paper, white, smooth, 280 gsm

- print size: approx 21 x 26.5 cm (slightly smaller than A4, will fit into frames that allow for an A4 aperture)

- paper size: approx 26 x 31 cm

- signed and numbered. Unframed.

- This is a variable limited edition of 20. This print features several gradient rolls and it is therefore impossible to recreate the print exactly. On some, the sky or water is very slightly darker, on others, it is lighter. Each print is will be very similar to the others but also unique in its individual patterns of where the gradient fell.

I design and carve each motif into linoleum before inking the plate and printing it using Albert, my giant Victorian cast iron manual book press. To make a multiblock linocut print, the design is split into layers which are carved into several coordinating traditional linoleum plates, in reverse. All the plates and all the paper pieces have to be registered so that they print in exactly the same area each time. The first plate is inked up, registered and carefully covered with paper, and then put in the press. When this layer is dry, the process is repeated with the other plates until the key block goes on which ties all layers together to make the image. Depending on the number of layers, multiblock prints can take several weeks to complete. For this print, I also used reduction printing, where one of the blocks was recarved to be printed twice and destroyed in the process. This also means that there will never be another edition of these prints.  There will be a one-colour print created from the first block.