Magnolia Woodcut: BIG INK

BIG INK

On March 26 and 27, 2022 I participated in the Big Ink at Tiger Lily Press, Cincinnati, Ohio.  The Big Ink was started by Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet to inspire greater public appreciation of large-scale woodblock printmaking. They travel the country with their giant press, "The Big Tuna," printing local artists' woodblocks. In my humble opinion, the Big Ink is an incredible example of how two people can change the world.  They bring an experience to artists that is not otherwise possible and it has a ripple effect on the whole community.  The effort involved is substantial and I really can't thank them enough.

Lyell and Carand with "The Big Tuna"

During the months leading up to the event, each artist is emailed instructions as to how to carve a woodcut.  The only caveat is, the print must be a black and white image and at least 24'' by 36'', with a maximum length of eight feet.

The event is a two-day event with the larger prints usually going the first day.  It is quite an event to attend because everyone has put so much time and energy into their pieces and the excitement to see the prints come out of the press is palpable.  It is also very satisfying to see the plates turn from blue to black as they are inked for the first time and the image magically appearing under the roller. 

Lyell inking Karen Albanese Campbell's woodcut.

I attended the first day of the Big Ink to get the lay of the land and to meet the other printmakers.  I had followed several artists' progress on Instagram and it was so fun to finally meet them.  I was only there a couple hours and took a photo of each artist with their prints.  I then returned home to keep carving!

On the second day I arrived at 9am at Tiger Lily Press, excited and nervous, with my magnolia woodcut in tow.  I started the sketch for this print the first of January and the carving in mid-January.  Now, at the end of March, I was ready to see this thing printed! (To read about the carving process click here).

The day began with Lyell instructing us how to complete our three prints and the roles we could take to help.  Each plate needed to be brushed and inked, paper loaded into the press, and prints taken off the press, then carefully rolled.  I mostly helped load the paper into the press. 

When the time came for my block to print I was a "Nervous Nessy."  I felt full of nervous energy and like a chicken running around with my head cut off. I decided to have a go at using the giant brayer, but warned Lyell that I wanted him to take over (because he is REALLY good at it.)  After a couple rolls, I switched to inking the edges with the little brayer.  In the video below you can see the whole process from inking to press to finished print.

I didn't include it in the video, but when the first print was pulled, the paper was too short because we forgot to turn the block sideways.  Then, the second print was a too light in spots.  "Nervous Nessy" was getting worried.  So when the third print came out I was so relieved! 

As I mentioned in my first post, I was thankful to receive the Speedball Art Products Alumni Scholarship.  This meant that my entry fees to the BIG INK were covered.  And Lyell would keep one of my prints to give to Speedball to hang in their permanent collection in Statesville, NC. 

In order to "finish" my print for Speedball, I needed to add my chop signature to the bottom right-hand corner.  It is always risky to add a chop because you run the risk of messing up the print with a blurry stamp.  I try not to think too much about it.  In this video you can see me adding the chop.

At the end of the day I was exhausted, but "happy exhausted."  To see something you've spent months working on finally come to life is so satisfying.  I will be putting the final prints up on my website soon!  You can visit my website, NessyPress.com, or follow my Instagram, @NessyDesigns to be updated.    

DAY 2

One of the biggest surprises of the day was how much I enjoyed meeting the other artists.  Not that I didn't think I wouldn't like them, but I thought I would be more focused on printing the magnolia.  Instead, the other printers were a real highlight of the day.  I think when you meet and realize that everyone there has poured their heart and soul into their work for the past two months, you can't help but feel a real connection.  You realize there are people out there just as crazy, or crazier, than you!  And I felt so happy when another's print was successfully pulled off the press.  I was also blown away by their work!  By the time I left at the end of the day I was flying high, feeling such an appreciation for the community formed by this event. 

Below you can see everyone's work who participated over both days.  The day was such a blur that I couldn't exactly remember the order in which we printed our plates.  But in general, they were printed big to small and that is the order I put them in below.

Stephen Wiggins

Stephen Wiggins is an artist based out of Lexington, KY.  He is a Speedball Art Products demo artist and Kentucky crafted juried member.  Stephen has been printmaking since 2003 and has been carving linocuts since 2007.  His woodcut, "Armor of God," is the largest woodcut block he has carved, measuring 36'' x72''!

Website: wigginsartwork.com

Instagram: @wigginsartwork

Emmett Baggett

Emmett Baggett is an illustrator, painter and printmaker living in Buffalo, New York.  His piece, "The Joker and The Thief," measured 48''x 36''.

Website: BothEndsStudio.com

Instagram: @bothendsstudio

Lizzy DuQuette

Lizzy is a multi-media Cincinnati-based illustrator and teaching artist.  Her adorable piece was 40''x 40'' and was titled, "Garden Party."

Website: LizzyDuQuette.com
Instagram: @lizzy_____duquette

Samantha Hayes

Sammi Hayes is a printmaker, designer, and artist born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.  She owns her own custom stationery business, Lucky Jackalope.  I had a great conversation with Sammi about her piece, "Persephone" and why she is reaching for those pomegranates.

Website: LuckyJackalope.com

Instagram: @luckjackalope

Etsy: LuckyJackalopePrint

 

Reyne Davis

Reyne Davis is an art teacher who carved her first woodcut for the Big Ink.  Of course, I loved this piece because I saw corn in her piece and you know I am obsessed with corn art!

Instagram: @naynay27

Karen Albanese Campbell

Karen Albanese Campbell is a Columbus-based artist and the president of the Phoenix Rising Printmaking Cooperative.  Her woodcut is titled “She Smiles at the Future” and was completed as artwork for the WIC program. The detail in this piece was stunning.

Website: KarenAlbaneseCampbell.com

Instagram:  @petersmadre and @justwalls_publicart

David Henderson

David Henderson is a Dayton-based artist.  His woodcut was 36'' x 48'' and incredibly detailed.  I think he said it wasn't completed and he was just pulling a proof, but what was complete was impressive.  I found this description of his piece on Instagram: " This piece is about a person's unstoppable progression through life, and the things that change them for better and worse. All these seemingly unrelated images are events that impact the subject as he falls towards the bottom of the frame, from directly impactful events such as injury and sickness, to less obvious factors such as nutrition, station in life, and supportive family."

Instagram: @horsehorse.tigertiger

Etsy: horsehorsetigertiger

Julie Lonneman

Julie Lonneman divides her time between Bellingham, Washington, and Cincinnati, Ohio. She freelances as a graphic designer and illustrator and is an accomplished printmaker.  Julie's woodcut, "Garry Oak, San Juan Islands" was 36''x 24'' and took her five weeks of carving.  I wish I had taken a closer picture.  The detail and composition were impressive and lovely.

Website: JulieLonneman.com
Blog: https://www.julielonneman.com/blog-1

Kate Kern

Kate Kern is a Cincinnati-based visual artist who creates installations that combine drawing, artists' books, and stop motion animations (and printmaking!).  Her work, "is inspired by an exploration of the seen and unseen and a searching for the divine in daily living expressed by contradictory measures of playfulness, compulsion, jubilance, and sorrow."  The day was so busy I didn't get to talk to Kate as much as I would have liked.  After visiting her website I can see our work has a lot in common.

Website: KateKern.com

Instagram: @kmkern

DAY 1

Randy Steward (Luplollo)

Randy Steward is a Lexington, Kentucky based artist.  When I went to Randy's Instagram the first time and read, "Cat Butt Art... and Other "Serious" Works", I knew I was going to like him.  I followed his progress all along the way and so enjoyed finally meeting him and seeing his GIANT woodcut.  His print, "Tanjie Looooooooongcat,” measured 96''x 40''!

Website: Luplollo.com

Instagram: @Luplollo

Etsy: Luplollo

Katrina Dienno

Katrina's woodcut "Tiamat" measured 73.5'' x 37.5'' and caught my eye as soon as I walked in the room.  Tiamat is a goddess of the primordial sea.  As the story goes, she was split in two to form heaven and earth.  But in Katrina's piece, Tiamat is splitting a ship full of men in two.  Mythological themes run through Katrina's work and I love how she puts a modern spin on ancient tales. 

Website: KatrinaDienno.com

Instagram: @katrinadienno 

Dawn Grayford

Dawn Grayford is a Cincinnati-based printmaker and her Big Ink woodcut measured 36'' x 70''.  When I asked Dawn about her subject, she told me the print depicted an enlightened courtesan named Jigoku-tayu, which translates to "Hell Courtesan."  When I googled it, I found a lovely explanation of her story here.  If you ever get the chance to see this print in person, take it.  The detail of the chair vertebrae and the dancing skeletons on her Obi sash are remarkable.  

Instagram: @DawnGrayford

Etsy: CrowBarCollective

James Billiter

James Billiter is a Cincinnati-based artist who is well known for his iconic Cincinnati scenes. I have admired his work for some time and finally met him in Columbus at the last Big Ink.  His work is always meticulous and his piece, "Cincinnati Riverfront at Night" was no exception.  This woodcut measured 60''x 30''.  You all should visit his website and check out the video on his home page!

Website: BilliterSudio.com

Instagram: @billiterstudio

Milo Whitson

Milo Whitson is a Cincinnati-based artist whose first woodcut, "Temperance," tarot card measured 40''x 60''.  "Temperance is all about patience, life in flow, purpose. The lessons of the card came through in each step of the process of creating this piece, and that’s some magic stuff."  

Instagram: @possumsneeze

Fred Daniell

Fred Daniell is a Cincinnati-based artist whose work is "characterized by their subtle narrative undertones and are inspired by the master printmakers of from Japan (Ukiyo-e and Shin-hanga) and the Eastern European and American printmakers of the early 20th century."  His gorgeous piece, "Mater Terra" measured 40''x 60''.  Fred is currently the president of Tiger Lily Press and a super nice guy (I know this because one time he let me come to his house and pick up a frame I desperately needed at the last minute). 

Website: FredDaniellArt.com
Etsy: FredDaniellPrints

Instagram: @fred_daniell_art

Jonpaul Smith

Jonpaul Smith is a Cincinnati-based artist.  His "Brahmin Moth" measured 40''x 30''.  A big thank you to Jonpaul for helping to bring the Big Ink to Tiger Lily Press.  Jonpaul has participated in the Big Ink numerous times and is a prolific printmaker as well as "weaver" of prints.  You have to visit his website to see his large woven pieces!  Plus visit his Instagram to see the beautiful permutations of his "Brahmin Moth" collaboration with DIY printing.

Website: JonpaulCSmith.com

Instagram:  @jonpaulsmithart

John Lanzador

John Lanzador is a Cincinnati-based printmaker who I found out is my neighbor!  His stunning piece, "Tiger Dragon" measured 36''x 48''.  I'm especially interested in learning more about his painted carvings.

Website: johnlanzador.wixsite.com/artstuff

Instagram: @john.lanzador

Photo: Courtesy John Lanzador

Aubrey Sarna

Aubrey Sarna took about two months carving her, “Jupiter, God of the Sky.” Her 36''x 36'' print was "inspired by images of Jupiter especially those taken by the Juno spacecraft in 2017." 

Instagram: @aubrey.sarna 

Jennifer Brown

Jennifer Brown is a Columbus-based artist.  Her goddess print contained beautiful, fine carving, especially in the background plants.

Website: https://twoartists.biz/author/jennifer/

Instagram: @jenjolleybrown

THANK  YOU

Lyell Castonguay

Lyell Castonguay not only runs Big Ink, but is an incredible artist in his own right.  He often depicts animal subjects and is a self-described "avid consumer of natural history, literature, and entertainment."  I learned he particularly likes birds and was lucky to snag his last "Merlin" print.  

Website: LyellCastonguay.com

Website: BigInk.org

Instagram: @biginkprints

Photo: from @BigInkPrints Instagram

Carand Burnet

Carand Burnet co-founded the Big Ink with Lyell Castonguay and is the Big Ink social media coordinator and video producer.  In addition, she is a talented musician and plays the electric guitar.  I got to hear some of her music during the Big Ink and it is amazing!  She also sews and has collaborated with Lyell to produce woodblock-printed fabric which she transforms into garments.  At the Big Ink, she and Lyell were wearing matching woodblock-printed clothes!  Adorable!  

Website: kioea.bandcamp.com

Instagram: @kioeamusic

Photo from @kioea Instagram

Garrett Dienno

One last thank you goes to Garrett Dienno and Katrina Dienno for helping to ink all day both days of the Big Ink!  It was a lot of work and that is one GIANT brayer!  I was mad I didn't get a picture of Garrett and George together with their wild beards, but someone did.  If you have that photo, please contact me!  

George Farnsworth

I also wanted to thank my husband George for supporting me (and feeding me!) through this whole project (and for filming, taking photos, proofreading, and listening to my print ponderings).  This project would not be possible without you.

CONCLUSION

I just wanted to say a final BIG thank you to Lyell and Carand, Speedball Art Products, and all those at Tiger Lily Press who made this event possible.  I've been a bit of a hermit during the pandemic and my "coming out" day was this event.  It reminded me that you can make art in your basement all you want, but it is the sharing where the real treasure lies.  The sense of community created by this event was wonderful and a really nice re-entry back into the world.  It was a magical day and I left on cloud nine. 

“We don't accomplish anything in the world alone and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry off one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that create something.” ― Sandra Day O'Connor

Other Magnolia Woodcut blog posts:

Magnolia Woodcut: Carving

Magnolia Woodcut: Final Print

Magnolia Woodcut: Carving

"It all started under the magnolia tree."
—Krittika Bhatta

INSPIRATION

Usually when I know I have a big project approaching I try and stay open for the universe to give me a nudge in the right direction.  Last October I was mulling over what I should make for my BIG INK woodcut when I came across a magnolia tree in Norwood that was covered with seed pods in every stage of development.  Some pods were still on the tree and had red seeds, and some had fallen to the ground and were in varying states of decay.  For years I have taken note of these pods here and there, but on this day everything came together.  I photographed the pods and collected a couple samples to bring home.

When I got home I poured through my photos and was specifically looking for something I could use for the BIG INK.  The BIG INK was started by Lyell Castonguay and Carand Burnet to inspire greater public appreciation of large-scale woodblock printmaking. They travel the country with their giant press printing local artists' woodblocks.  The only caveat is, the print must be a black and white image and at least 24'' by 36''. 

I hesitated to choose the magnolia because I always thought if I depict a magnolia it should include those bright, luscious red seeds.  I was torn between finding a new subject or just proceeding with the magnolia.  I played around with the image and made it black and white.  

“To see in color is a delight for the eye
but to see in black and white is a delight for the soul.”
— Andri Cauldwell

When I saw the pod without color, I knew this was it.  There was so much awesomeness going on in this pod, it didn't need the red seeds. 

SKETCH

I began by printing my photo to the size of my woodcut and doing a light tracing.  At that point I stood back and moved things around until I liked the composition.  Below you can see the pencil drawing from the early stage to finish.  

As I was writing this blog post I finished one of my notebooks in which I write work notes.  As I was flipping through it I found this description of a dream I had the day after I finished this sketch:

"When I woke up this morning I got a two-second glimpse into a dream I had last night.  I dreamt about a piece I am working on depicting a magnolia seed pod.  In the dream I was traveling along the mountains and valleys of the piece.  It was exhilarating and felt like pure love... pure joy."

PAINT WOOD

Before transferring the drawing to the plate, Lyell (of the BIG INK) recommended painting the wood plate a neutral color.  The contrast between the paint and wood color helps the carver to better see their design.  This video shows me painting the plate blue. (Music: La Vieja by Las Sirenas del Son)

I had a moment of freak out when I came down to the studio the day after painting.  The plate had warped A LOT.  I ended up wetting the back side and pressing with jars of rocks (you never know when your rock-hoarding habit will come in handy!)

The water helped quite a bit.  My wood-working friend Mark said I should have painted both sides to begin with.

TRANSFER

Once the paint dried, I transferred my drawing to the plate using carbon paper.  The blue does make it harder to see the pencil lines, but easy to see the carved marks.

CARVING

I am always a little nervous to make the first cuts into the block, but I was pleased how this first tendril emerged.

Here you can see the drawing next to the carving, plus my Flexcut gouges and sharpening strop.

My basement studio was cold this January and my friend Jenny gave me this cat hat.  It isn't my usual style, but it quickly became my carving hat.

This video shows me carving what I call the "gills" which was really the papery covering of the seeds.  My cat Otus was hungry and makes an appearance to let me know it was lunch time. (Music: El Buscapies, Andres Flores and Amigos Project) 

Every day I would vacuum all the wood chips, but inevitably I spread them throughout the house and am still finding them everywhere.

As you can see below, I had to scan and flip my pencil drawing so I could use it as a guide for carving.

The photo below shows the carving and flipped sketch about halfway through.

In this video I clear a large portion of the bottom right hand corner and it is satisfying to watch it sped up.  This is probably about 60-80 minutes of carving condensed into 60 seconds.  (Music: The Treasure Map by Fabien Tell)

Bubo also came down everyday to check on my progress and cause trouble.

I was excited and so thankful to receive the Speedball Art Alumni Scholarship that covered my entry fee to the BIG INK.  This allowed me to splurge and purchase a Japanese Sankaku To (v-gouge).  It was so sharp I cut something off that I shouldn't have the first time I used it. 

One day Otus came down and I thought I would get a photo to show the scale of the plate.  But Otus is such a big cat he made the plate look small!

Right before I carved a section I would usually darken my pencil lines. Below you can see a darkened tendril.

This video shows me finishing the carving, except for the stem.  It was an exciting day for me.
(Music by La Molienda, El Toro Rabón)

I love how the wood looks like waves in the open expanses.

"Every ripple on the ocean

Every leaf on every tree

Every sand dune in the desert

Every power we never see

There is a deeper wave than this

Swelling in the world

There is a deeper wave than this"
—Gordon Sumner, Songwriter

This video shows the very last day of carving the stem.
(Music: Single Moment, by RomanBelov, Pixabay) 

"FREEING THE TENDRILS"

I call the final step, "Freeing the Tendrils".  It entailed cutting  the excess wood away from any tendrils that extended beyond the border. The last time I did the BIG INK I borrowed my friend Mark's Japanese razor saw; this year I figured it was time to buy my own.

Of course, I should have done this step the first day before I put in weeks of carving.  But I left it for the last step and I was VERY anxious about it.  Especially because I am not the world's best saw-er.  The video is sped up so much you can't see when I get the saw stuck in the wood numerous times. (Music: Stepping Up by Tiki Tiki)  

The photo below shows the "freed" tendril.

REPAIR

I made a fair number of carving mistakes throughout the project.  This video shows how I repaired the most common type of mistake...carving through a line.  It is a simple repair made with glue and is possible if you have the "missing" piece.

The photo below shows an example of a "Kwikwood" repair.  This type of repair is necessary when you carve away wood and you don't have the missing pieces.  On the second day of the project, I accidentally carved through my top border (cringe!).  The Kwikwood filler is a two-part "chemical" wood putty that you mix between your fingers and then smear into the offending space.  Lyell (of BIG INK) recommended it and it worked wonderfully.

FINAL CARVING

I took a photo at the end of carving every day. (I wasn't going to do it this time because it is a pain to clean every day, but my friend urged me to do it...thank you Tiffany.) This video shows the daily progression and it is so fun to see the magnolia "growing" over time. (Music: The Olympic Team by Philip Ayers)

CONCLUSION

Truly, the FINAL step was to deepen all the spaces.  I ended up carving until the very last day trying to remove any high spots that might catch ink as the brayer rolls over it.  Some people include these "chatter" marks in their design, but I usually carve them away.  It is a matter of choice.  During the BIG INK you can put tape over areas that catch ink where you don't want it, but it can be time consuming. Lyell recommended carving to a depth of an eighth inch for white areas.  As you can see below I almost carved as deep as a quarter inch in places.

As I was deepening the spaces, it dawned on me this process is simultaneously occurring in my life.  Just like high spots on my plate might catch ink, I have been very aware of the places in my life where I get snagged by "negative" emotions (like anger).  At first I was tempted to follow the analogy to its logical conclusion...  that we need to clear away anything that "sticks up" and might "catch ink."  But if you continue down that line of thinking we would clear away everything on the plate and be left with nothing.  The questions arose, "But what about the design?"  "What about the person?"  "Do we really want a bunch of blank canvas, emotionless zombies walking around?"  From one point of view, "realizing you are nothingness" is a valid goal (and I am not implying you are a zombie if you have had this realization.)  However, I felt this analogy was pointing at something else. 

After pondering this, it came to me that it isn't that we need to go and cut those places out...it is that these places need extra attention.  They are signals that we need to tend to this area and see if this is where we want the ink to "catch."  Because the "ink catching" isn't a negative...it is what creates the design.  

"If our emphasis is to eradicate the unwanted material from our systems as quickly as possible,
we sacrifice powerful opportunities for self-awareness." — Matt Licata

I wasn't sure where this analogy was taking me and felt there might be more to it.  So one day I went for a walk and put the question out to the universe.  In the middle of my walk, the thought came to me that "We are both the design and all the spaces in between.  We are the hills and the valleys, the negative and the positive."  It is up to us to decide what we want the design to be... to be aware where the ink is catching and consciously decide if that is what we want.  To see that life is a play between the dark and the light and that is where the beauty lies.  

In Tantrism, we throw our entire beings in, endlessly, without distinguishing between pure and impure, beauty and ugliness, good and bad.  All the pairs of opposites are dissolved in the divine.  The deepest urges, the most sublime capacities – no one lacks them.  We begin to communicate with the divine when we totally accept the complete spectrum of our thoughts and emotions.  All beauty contains darkness. ⁠

⁠— Daniel Odier

To see this plate printed visit my next blog post: Magnolia Woodcut: BIG INK
To see the final print visit: Magnolia Woodcut: Final Print