Cutting out lino blocks

This week is a lino cutting week - a couple of commissions need doing ahead of birthdays and Christmas so These will be cut and hopefully printed by the end of the week. Obviously these are super top secret at the moment, but I am alos cutting out a companion piece for 'Woodland Glade' (above) which is for fun and will include at least as many leaves as this one... I draw the images in pencil first and it is very easy to get carried away with all of the lovely leaf shapes and woodland bits and pieces and then once the cutting starts it becomes very intricate and slow to carve! But the end result is definitely worth it - hopefully the new piece will work well...

New teatowels featuring Hares and Crows

Very excited to share these two new tea towel designs - Three Hares and Flock of Crows. They are two of my favourites and it is great to be able to have them as teatowels as well as original lino prints. I know lots of people hang tea towels as wall hangings too, so multi purpose! These have been printed onto unbleached organic cotton and are now listed in my online shop just HERE - ready for posting out around the world :)

Printing 'Dungbeetle' in gold ink

This lino block of a Dungbeetle with its lovely ball of dung is one that I carved long ago and it has lived in a drawer for years - and then I had the idea to try it again with a bit of gold ink as I was printing some other gold prints...luckily it has survived well and printed perfectly still. Inked up it looks like an ancient relic to me with the gold. Plans now are to make an edition in gold, printed onto black Stonehenge paper and enjoy printing a lovely golden ball of poo!

Wagtails - lino cut print

A new mini-print to add to my growing selection of bird lino prints - Wagtails These birds are always a joy to watch and I have a pair living just in front of my house so I had to draw them. The sketches have evolved into this little lino print, with the Wagtails bobbing and rushing around, ever busy as in real life! This lino block printed really well too, and it was a satisying print to start editioning with all those little birds being revealed each time. In my online shop just HERE if you would like to see any more details...

Song Thrushes and Tiny Birds - lino prints

Spring is in the air and so i have been making a few new lino prints - the mini-print is called 'Crowd of Tiny Birds' and it's slightly larger friend is 'Song Thrushes'. With all of the Spring activity, nest building, dawn sing songs etc it is hard to make lino prints of anything but birds at the moment and I usually only need the smallest of excuses anyway. Both of these new prints are now listed in my online shop here - and a few others are being carved at the moment too :)

Hedge - new lino print

'Hedge' is a new lino print that I carved during February 2021 - based on a smaller lino printed idea I had a while ago. The idea is to try and avoid a strong focal point and have an image filled with details, like a real hedgerow... Included in the carving are lots of typical Hedge plants and animals - Hawthorn, Blackberry, Cuckoo Pint, Elder etc and hopefully there are lots of little details to discover within the image. I have editioned it as a limited edition of 100 prints, hand burnished onto Somerset Satin paper and it is online here if you would like to take a look and see any more details about it.

New Lino Print - Otter Feast

A new lino print of a trio of hungry otters - well not that hungry as they have a pile of fish to eat. I have only ever seen an otter footprint, never a glimpse of the elusive creature although apparently they do live right here in waterways of Bristol, urban otters! This was a fun little lino print to carve, especially the little pile of fish bones - somehow the perfect subject matter for lino. I have added the Otter Feast to my online shop HERE if you are interested in any more info about it (size, paper etc) so pop over and have a look.

Lovely Bear - lino cut print

A Lovely Bear lino cut ready to send out for Valentines Day this month - lots of my lino prints include retching dogs and fighting cats so this one is a little on it's own in terms of cuteness!! Also very happy to send secret messages in a little card along with the bear :) It is in my online shop just HERE if you would like to take a peek...

Lino Printed Golden Bats

Having a great time printing these little Flappy Bats in gold - they look really striking on black Stonehenge paper and make a really sweet little print.

Tea towels for Autumn fairs - real life and virtual...

Stocked up with a new batch of British Wildlife and Bristol tea towels in these amazing zingy colours - great timing as I have a few dates in the diary for the Autumn in real life and also in virtual life.

I have added them to my ETSY SHOP too if you want to hop over and take a look there - at the moment they are available in Pink, Yellow, Blue, Grey and just a couple of Peach.  Looking forward to seeing which colours are the popular ones this season!  A bright pop of candy pink could be just the thing...

 The Bristol tea towels are going to head off to our local Etsy Pop Up shop this Christmas, but I am sure they will find their way online too before the month is out.

Lino Prints for sale - and Artist Support Pledge news...

Three Foxes at the Disco - lino Print

Lino Prints for Sale

Thanks so much to everyone who has been browsing and buying my lino prints via Etsy and Folksy - it has been fantastic to be able to send them out by using our local Parcel Post Box and know that they are turning up at front doors around the world!  I can't offer any Tracking services at the moment, but everything has made it through so far (with a little patience as shipping times are now longer than we are all used to).

It has been fab to be able to send lino prints directly to people with birthdays or who need a bit of dancing animal cheer too - so I have been writing cards with messages from the sender too...sometimes cryptic, sometimes just really lovely...in a little hand printed card.  What fun.

Artist Support Pledge 

Artists Support Pledge is a great initiative that has been set up recently by Matthew Burrows (mostly on Instagram) which is well worth taking a look at if you are interest in art and craft and want to discover some amazing artists from around the world...and maybe even make a purchase!  I have made a couple...

The idea is to help artists and makers replace the income that is being lost due to the current shut down of art galleries, art fairs, makers markets and also lots of art and craft teaching that artists usually undertake.  Artists pledge works for sale for up to £200 $200 etc and when they have reached £1000 $1000 in sales they pledge to spend £200 $200 themselves on another artists work.  It is creating a small but really dynamic art market and helping lots of creatives get through this tough time.

I have been lucky enough to make sales through the initiative and also therefore some purchases to help other makers navigate this tricky period - really worth taking a look, even if you aren't in position to buy anything as there is some really inspiring work being pledged.

Lino Print postage update

I am still sending out lino prints to wherever they need to go - I am lucky enough to have a Royal Mail Parcel Postbox really close to my house, so I can buy online postage and then feed the into the box - so still sending out lino printed tapirs, dancing dogs and lines of hares ready for birthdays, cheer up post, sprucing up your home office or just because you fancy a golden Pilea in a Pot...


...thanks so much for all recent orders, it has been great fun writing birthday cards on behalf of friends and family and sending them off into the world!

Lino Printing workshop - Bristol - 27/03/2020

Really excited to be hosting another lino printing workshop in my studio space in Bristol - this one is on Friday 27th March - and it is always lots of fun!

Here are the details:

We will try out the different lino cutting tools, materials and different inks in a step by step way so that you can explore the areas you are interested in. These are all provided in the ticket price.

These workshops are perfect for those who have no experience, those who haven’t made art-work since school, artists who would like to try printmaking, or anyone needing a bit of a refresher.

Feel free to bring anything for inspiration (sketchbooks, doodles, photos, etc) but I also have lots of things around that we can use as a starting point.

Tea/coffee, savory nibbles and cakes/biscuits all provided to keep energy levels up!

and here is the link to TICKETS if you fancy coming along

Lino cut print - Wolf Nursery School

Inspired by the wild weather, recent super moon, winds and storms - a little lino print of wolves...

These are the friendly ones though, not the wild beasties of the night - these are the jolly young ones playing at the wolf nursey school!

Trying to achieve wolfish body language in a little lino cut - without making them ferocious and snarling, that is my self imposed lino challenge.

Lots of lino printing events coming up this Spring...

I have just updated my website with some of the lino printing events that I have got coming up and it is a great list!   Take a look below or check them out on my site where all the links are sitting...I might try to fit a few more in too if I get the chance.

Workshop - Sunday 9th Feb - Lino Printing Workshop at We Make Bristol - suitable for all, an introduction to Lino printing using Bristol landmarks as inspiration.  Details HERE

Workshop - Tuesday 11th Feb - Lino Printing beginners workshop at my Studio in Bristol BS3 10.00am - 1.00 pm £30.00 - with snacks and tea/coffee

Try out the tools, make a lino block and print on greetings cards, gift tags, lovely printmaking papers etc - lots of help if needed, no drawing skills needed, just come and play.  Contact me on melaniewickhamlino@gmail.com to book a place/find out more...

Frome Independent - 1st March - I will be with my trusty suitcase, so come and say hello! First Frome Independent of the season...

North Wales Print Fair - Sat 7th March - Really excited to be heading to NORTH WALES PRINT FAIR at MOSTYN - will bring lots of lino prints, come and say 'Hello' - details HERE

Workshop - Sunday 29 March - at We Make Bristol - suitable for all, an introduction to Lino printing using Nature as an inspiration.

Southbank Arts Trail - 16 & 17 May - Southbank Arts Trail - My local Arts Trail in BS3 - always a good one!

Manchester Print Fair - 23rd May - Manchester Print Fait at Manchester Cathedral - lots of printy goodness, all day long!

Shopcreative Pop Up Market at Cabot Circus - 30 & 31st May - looking forward to this fun weekend in Bristol, lino prints, tote bags, enamel mugs - I will bring them all...

Lino Printing Workshops 2020

I have started adding a few Spring lino printing workshops to my website - keep an eye out...

They are suitable for beginners, improvers, craft explorers...so come along even if you think you can't draw or if you want to try something new - it is so much fun making your own printing blocks.

Website link is HERE

Feel free to send a message too if you can't make the dates that are listed or have something in mind as a project as I am often able to fit in extra slots at my studio in Bristol for some printy play!

Exhibition at Harts Bakery

Starting 2020 with a lino print exhibition at the amazing HARTS BAKERY in Bristol from 7th Jan 2020.

Very excited to be asked to show my work here again as it is the most fab place, incredible bread, cakes, coffee - cannot wait to be there again!

Totterdown Arts Trail - this weekend in Bristol

Looking forward to Totterdown Arts Trail this weekend - I am going to be at Hawthorne Street BS4 if you are in Bristol and want to pop in - a house filled with ceramics, printmaking, fabric, mice, fishes, penguins, bridges, bears and tapirs!  Yay.

Open Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday 15th/16th/17th November 2019.

Lino printing in gold ink

 Here is a peek at my Bristol lino print in gold coming up off the lino block - always a good moment when it has worked well.  I've started using gold ink for some of my lino editions and really enjoy the way it makes them look.  I think this lino print, with lots of little buildings, works really well in this colour way.  The gold does show up really well on white paper too, but this black Stonehenge paper is the one for me.

Brighton Lino Print

Here is a little peek at my new lino print - ink still slightly wet - Black Cat Devouring Brighton Pier

I'm not sure if there are many cats around who do want to eat the pier in Brighton, but this one certainly does and I am not going to argue with it...

This was so much fun to cut out (if you are into lino cutting) - all those lovely fur marks on the cat and all the fiddly buildings and landmarks in Brighton...not to mention the Pier itself, with incredibly intricate metalwork on it's structure.  I may have missed a few support struts out, sorry structural engineers.

If you want to take a look at Black Cat Devouring Brighton Pier in my online shop you can pop over here--->  ETSY or FOLKSY you can choose :)