Halloween themed blocks by Andrea Lauren

A few carved designs I finished this past week to celebrate Halloween. Witching you fun holiday!

Harvest Mouse print by Andrea Lauren

Always trying out new techniques, honing my skill, and challenging myself to continue to improve.  Here is a recent print of a harvest mouse completed using various pieces of carved block.  Follow me on my Instagram account @inkprintrepeat

Handcarved Moths by Andrea Lauren

A recently completed two-color block print design featuring three different tiger moths.  Sharing my work actively on Instagram @inkprintrepeat.

Handcarved stamps by Andrea Lauren

Using up the oddly sized leftover pieces of carving blocks has been great fun these past few weeks. Here is my Amsterdam row house scene which was made from lots of small, thin slices. It was fun to print out the first four houses on the right of the print below, then print two more in different colors to finish the design and add a nice balance of seven houses.

Handcarved cardinal block print by Andrea Lauren

Here is a recently shared multiple block cardinal print which is carved from a rubber eraser stamp blocks. It is nice to be able to work quickly to develop ideas which I will possibly return to later for more developed woodblock or linocut prints.  These rubber blocks, though, do have a fun, quick and easy quality to them which is rewarding.  I am working on a FAQ post and wanted to know if there was anything you were really interested in knowing about this process or my experiences doing this so far. Let me know if in the comments or send me an email: andrealaurendesign@gmail.com

Squirrels and Autumn hand carved stamp elements by Andrea Lauren

Creating some more Autumn themed design elements for my pattern library and new fabric collection. These Squirrels and extra bits were carved from rubber blocks and printed by hand for this art print which I shared on my Instagram feed.  I rarely share the process of scanning the stamps into the computer, but it always involves re-inking and printing the blocks in solid black on very thin paper from which I can get a consistent look and texture.  Cleaning up the elements can be time consuming if I have been in a hurry to carve the blocks, but I try to keep the handcarved look in the finished design.  Here they are pictured below.

Robin's Nest block print in three colors by Andrea Lauren

Being a self-employed creative professional, it is crucial to stay intrinsically motivated. I have personally found that developing many side projects, learning new artistic skills, and finding creative outlets for my imagination to wander have been extremely beneficial to my happiness in this freelance career.  At the start of each month, or in between large commissions, sitting down to brainstorm some ideas and concepts for personal art making has been a great key to staying organized and motivated.  My Instagram account @inkprintrepeat is the place where I am sharing this journey of making art by hand as well as connecting with traditional techniques for making images--linocut, stamping, block printing. 

Here is a three color, hand carved block print design from a recent birds series. The spot color blocks were small shapes which were registered using the acetate sheet method and a simple jig. The print was hand rubbed onto mulberry washi paper using water-based block printing inks. 

Fall Leaves handcarved stamps by Andrea Lauren

It has been a busy month of freelance design commissions as well as keeping up with my own personal projects.  Continuing to create everyday, setting-aside dedicated time to making art work by hand, and sharing my process on Instagram has been a rewarding endeavor.
Here is a recent stamp project of carving autumn leaves and printing them by hand with a palette of seasonal colors.  Using these blocks for printing on paper is not the final step in their creative use, using the elements for new repeat patterns for my spoonflower shop and exploring the designs digitally is a rewarding creative expansion as well.

Creating a Repeating Block Print Pattern by Andrea Lauren

Exploring traditional printmaking and pattern design methods is a strong passion of mine.  Particularly inspired by the great work of William Morris, I wanted to step away from the computer and design a repeat pattern which was hand-carved and could be hand-printed.
In its planning, the design would work as a one-color pattern as well as having the ability to be expanded and digitally customizable with more complex color ways.

1.  I apply india ink to the block to give a contrast when I'm carving.  I use carbon paper to transfer my design to the block.
2.  The block is inked (I use water-based block printing ink).  I registered it by hand, taking care to align the overlapping parts of the design.
3.  A close-up of my carved block.

Whales Block Prints by Andrea Lauren

A couple of block prints I worked on last week.  Looking forward to developing a sea life collection with these whales and other elements.

Making Stamps: Tiger

I love carving animal blocks and since it's Global Tiger Day, I sketched out and carved this guy this morning.

Making Stamps: Forest Bear

Another stamp I made this week.  I also created a repeating pattern to coordinate with my popular Camping in the Wild fabric (middle).

Making Stamps: Block Print Deer

I've become quite addicted to make mini block print stamps this year.   I can't wait to make this deer into an art print.

Bird Silkscreen Print Series Part 3 by Andrea Lauren

Another piece in my Silkscreen bird series: Puffins.  These delightful birds were really fun to create.  This limited edition of 25 prints is a 5 color print.

Printing on Textiles by Andrea Lauren

In thinking about opening an online shop featuring my printmaking I knew I wanted to contribute to the long tradition of block printing textiles.  Here's a look at some of my experiments on a variety of fabric types.  I'm currently narrowing down a line of pillows, clutches, and tea towels for my new shop.

 

Bird Silkscreen Prints Series Part 2 by Andrea Lauren

This post follows part one in the Bird Silkscreen Prints series.   Here's a look at the Crane, Peacock, and Toucans.  Each of these prints has five colors and were screen printed by me in my studio; they are all in an edition of 25.

Block Printing Stamps by Andrea Lauren

If you follow me on instagram, you've been seeing me carving and printing a lot of stamps.  I typically work in a series of 4-8 designs which can all fit together.  I love how the block printing inks give great texture on the paper when I expand these into repeat patterns and/or silkscreen prints.

Butterfly Garden Collection by Andrea Lauren

This collection is my first floral pattern design work!  Every element was hand-carved from a linoleum block and hand printed before creating the repeats.  I've titled it "Butterfly Garden." It's currently available as fabric in my Spoonflower shop.

 

 

 

Andrea Lauren: Safari Silkscreen Print: Zebras

My second safari silkscreen print featuring my zebra stamp.   Loved this in the one color, but very happy with how the two color print turned out.

Andrea Lauren: Reduction Linocut Print: Cat on the Fence

The fourth in my series of Cat prints.