Block printing
Overview
The year is 2020 and we were in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic. What better to do while you’re trapped at home than explore an unfamiliar medium! I was inspired by the artist that did my first tattoo (thanks @inkbypush!) as she was showing her work on her instagram story over the course of the pandemic.
I decided to do a 3 part anatomical series featuring the heart, lungs and brain. Each print had a limited run of 50 each where I sold them and donated 100% of the proceeds to a cause that spoke to me.
Hearts for Lebanon
Hearts for Lebanon was my first attempt at block printing. I had an old sketch of a heart in my sketchbook and thought that it could be cool to try out since it had a level of detail to it.
I transferred the sketch onto parchment paper and then transferred it again onto the linoleum block making sure that it was mirrored for the print to come out properly. Carving took quite sometime as it was a fun challenge to be able to get all the little bits of detail carved deep enough so ink wouldn’t get into the grooves.
Around the time that I started to explore block printing, there was a deadly explosion in Beirut that injured and killed many. I decided to sell this print and donate the proceeds of it to the Lebanese Red Cross for their recovery efforts.
Inhale Love,
Exhale Gratitude
Inhale Love, Exhale Gratitude was my second attempt at block printing and I started to get the hang of it.
In this attempt I tried out using the speedy carve block by Speedball and it was definitely a million times easier. My cutter was just gliding through the material making all my lines much cleaner and organic.
I went a little literal on this print and I decided to donate to the American Lung Association as their cause is very important to me as I’ve lost family members to lung disease.
Beauty and Brains
Beauty and Brains was the 3rd and last piece of the anatomical series, and by far the most fun! :-)
I started first by drawing the brain on my iPad in Procreate and then transferring it over to parchment and then to the speedy carve block.
This was also my first time experimenting with gold ink and thought the contrast on black print paper would bring out the best in the brain.
For this print, I donated the proceeds to The Transgender District SF, where their mission is to create an urban environment that fosters the rich history, culture, legacy, and empowerment of transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood. They also aim to stabilize and economically empower the transgender community through the ownership of homes, businesses and cultural sites, and safe community spaces.
