So here's how I made my monster of a print, it's taken 2 months and I'm very happy with how it turned out.
March 2024 I was lucky enough to visit the Iguazu Falls in Argentina. ( and unlucky enough to get bitten by mosquitoes and catch dengue fever )
It was Amazingly beautiful and as you can guess I took loads of photos, some of which are on my instagram but you'll have to scroll back to March Hazel McNab Photos
This photo was my favourite, I love the composition. The way the thin trunk of the tree cuts straight up the whole image and I knew I was going to have to cut it.
As always ( well nearly, I have been known in my excitement to start, to forget ) first thing to do is flip the photo. Then a plan drawn onto the lino in black sharpie.
White pencil drawn on for my first cut.
I've decided to do this picture in two blocks so I don't have to think about the tree when I'm cutting this first block. I can concentrate on the background and put the tree on later.
Close up of my white scribbles ready for cutting
and my cuts this will be the white of the water
First colour a very pale grey, rolled onto the lino
and printed
a picture just to show how many little cuts go into making a linocut print. I usually listen to a book when I'm cutting.
next layer of ink on the lino just in the areas where I want that colour
so it all looks a bit boring at first so I've jumped pics. 3 greys the blue sky and a slightly pale yellow brown, that colour water is when the stream is full after rain
a yellow and a pink for future flowers. I think I mostly missed the pink later and it got printed over, teach me to be more precise with my initial drawing plan so I know where I'm cutting but some finished prints have pink flowers.
a pale green/grey and the first brown of the rocks, the bits which the sun has caught
a close up of some background, the distant hillside covered in trees seen through the mist and spray rising from the falls
the first green of the grasses and trees
my studio being visited by Toto. This is the biggest piece of lino I've ever cut. I had to move to cut it rather than move the lino
2nd green of the forrest
3rd green
2nd brown on the rocks
4th green and 5th green mist
and the grey water brings the river flowing over the edge
3rd brown of the rocks
the lino ready to print the river. I put on 3 colours together a dark blue, a green and a brown
river printed
4th dark brown of the rocks
what's left of the lino stained in greens and browns and looking quite pretty I thought
a very dark green to finish all the shadows and dark places and a little black and that's the end of the first block of lino. I was a bit worried at this point whether I should leave some without the tree on but as soon as the tree went on it looked right
the 2nd block with the tree cut out ready to print
first green
2nd green
the last colour is black
28 colours
edition size 16
print size 65 x 100cm
Sommerset paper 250gms
available to preorder here
Here's a couple of images of how it could look in a frame. I automatically thought I'd frame it in black but I love the look of it in the white one so will probably go for white. It'll take a few weeks to dry properly.
