These block prints (see here and here for previous posts on them) have costed blood and tears (literally, I've rubbed my knuckles raw and lately stabbed my left hand repeatedly and badly with the blades) but THEY ARE ALMOST THERE. I'm still at a hit and miss stage with the paint thickness and the printing methodology (burnishing with a spoon), so it may still be a few days until they hit the shop. I am also testing (as you can see) different shades of grey. So far, the lightest grey is my favourite. I have also experimented with turquoise lettering on white paper, and white lettering on off-white paper (very, very subtle. So subtle that you have to look at it in an angle for the message to appear. This seems a bit too subtle for me). The size is an A3 (that is two landscape standard -A4- pages on a column). The writing is obviously Beatle-esque. How do you like them?

Rememer I said we should all try lino printing? Well, as amazing as it is, it bloody hurts!

I have this new design I'm gonna try to have printed from lino for the shop, and my hands look like I have a wild life. Is the lino too hard to cut? No, the lino si fine. I just keep getting cuts from rubbing my knuckles against the design and maybe some cutting tool flies against a finger or two too. But I'll resist, and I'll finish it and I'll get to print it some time, and I'll show you. And we'll all laugh about it.

And well, the more I suffer for my art the more I want one of the increasingly expensive gocco sets...

Lemon light's tutorial on lino printing for beginners makes you feel like having a go at it.

I've done it before and the results are raw and powerful. I'm thinking of making my shop's horizons wider and start printing and experimenting a bit more... Have fun!