What is “linocut”?

Linocut is a term for using linoleum to make relief prints. I hand carve my designs out of blocks of linoleum then lay ink down on the surface with a rubber brayer before pressing paper or fabric onto the block to transfer the image. Many different materials can be used for relief printmaking - wood and rubber are also popular but I’ve heard of many less orthodox materials such pvc, vinyl, and even the material from shoe soles being used for carving blocks.

Printmakers are an industrious and stubborn lot - we make what we can with what we have access to.

Why linocut?

Slow art feels good in my body. Linocut takes time to carve (albeit less time than wood block printing) and forces me to decelerate & enjoy the tactile process of carving away an image bit by bit.

I’ve integrated hand sewing & textiles into my art practice for the same reason; a small subversion of capitalist-grind-culture through reminding my body to move deliberately in it’s own time.

Do you take commissions?

I do not currently take print commissions, sorry.

If you’re hoping for a specific color way for a felt brooch, banner, or necklace-bag printed with one of my designs I may be able to oblige depending on my current order volume & what materials I have on hand. Shoot me a message on instagram or email me at SaltedSnailStudio@gmail.com to inquire.

Can I get your art tattooed?

I absolutely love when people put my art on their body. If you’d like to get one of my pieces tattooed, please reach out to me via instagram or email me at SaltedSnailStudio@gmail.com to purchase a tattoo ticket.

I charge sliding scale (between $10-$50) for tattoo tickets, depending entirely on what you’re comfortable paying. I will provide you with a permissions letter for your tattoo artist expressing my consent to have my work used for the purpose of a single tattoo as well as a digital file of the piece in question for them to work with.

I do not currently take tattoo design commission requests - tattoo tickets are only for use with one of my already available works.

What tools do you use?

I use flexcut palm gouges to carve my linoleum blocks. I get those tiny details from using my 1mm micro v gouge. The flexcut gouges have an ergonomic shape that fits perfectly in the palm of the hand. This is especially important when you’re spending several hours carving and forgetting you have a fleshy human body to take care of. I keep my flexcut tools sharp by honing them with the flexcut slipstrop before carving sessions.

I use a medium 35 durometer rubber brayer from takach for inking. If you are looking to get into printmaking and are just starting out or on a budget, I recommend going with the much more affordable soft rubber brayers by speedball. The rubber on the speedball brayers can degrade over time, especially when using oil based inks, but a fine dusting of cornstarch after cleaning can help keep them in working order.

I use a woodzilla hand press to help me press my prints quickly and efficiently, but you can also get beautiful prints by hand burnishing using no more than a wooden kitchen spoon and patience.

What materials do you use?

I use unmounted battleship grey linoleum for my blocks because it is affordable, holds small details well, and will eventually decompose.

I use cranfield caligo safe-wash relief printing ink in my home studio. It’s water soluble while wet so it’s much easier to clean up than traditional oil inks (and doesn’t require any smelly solvents to remove) but once it’s dry, it stays put.

I prefer to work with re-used materials whenever possible. All the fabric I use for printing patches is from second hand fabric scraps. All charms, embellishments, and embroidery thread used in my textile work was found at a local creative reuse center or reused from unwanted jewelry.

I can occasionally find gorgeous high-quality printmaking papers second hand at my local creative reuse center, though that’s a rarity. I use a variety of Japanese and Western printmaking papers but my absolute favorite paper to print on is Lokta.

Lokta is a handmade artisan paper from Nepal. It is made of the inner bark of the Daphne shrub which grows on the southern slopes of Nepal’s Himalayan forests. It’s a gorgeous naturally beige-cream colored paper with a unique texture and remarkable strength for how delicate looking & thin it is. The best thing about Lokta is not just that it prints beautifully…. but that it’s actually a rather sustainable paper source! The evergreen shrubs it’s harvested from can regenerate into a fully grown plant within 5-7 years.

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

This world is so much larger & more wondrous than my ability to perceive any single bit of it.