Block Print
Title: The Return
Size: 23 cm x 15.5 cm
Medium: Linocut
September 2019
"The Return" is based off nostalgia; especially towards happier childhood memories knowing we can never go back to those times. Artwork inspiration pulled from Frances H. Gearhart's woodblock prints and Edward Robert Hughes's mystical watercolor paintings.
Size: 23 cm x 15.5 cm
Medium: Linocut
September 2019
"The Return" is based off nostalgia; especially towards happier childhood memories knowing we can never go back to those times. Artwork inspiration pulled from Frances H. Gearhart's woodblock prints and Edward Robert Hughes's mystical watercolor paintings.
Inspiration
Edward Robert Hughes, "Midsummer Eve" (Watercolor and Gouache, 1908, 113.98 x 76.2 cm)
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Frances H. Gearhart, "PATTY" (Woodblock with colors, 1928, 19.05 x 15.24 cm)
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Edward Robert Hughes style is cooped in with Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a rebellious order of artists who felt that art at the time didn't carry a sense of "seriousness", due to his inspiration and study of these artists. Hughes wanted a sense of perfection and realism, despite having various paintings featuring English folklore. He made the events occurring seem natural, as if this is just an everyday situation. I wanted to take this concept and apply it to my piece, seeing as this wouldn't exactly be the most normal thing to occur.
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Sadly, Frances H. Gearhart is one of many artists who's work is properly sorted out. Gearhart's work, as seen soully consisting of woodblock prints, aren't all fully found and are scattered around the U.S, still being sold. The prints that are found have a theme of American landscapes, mainly California, along with bookart titled "Let's Play".
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Planning
Planning sketches
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For my artwork to really pull through with the theme, I try to put as much symbolism as I can throughout it. I decided to go with the design of early 20th century/ late 19th century since both artistic inspirations were from that time. During said time, a lot of children were being put to work, with the removal of their innocence being put to use as a "child worker". I tried to parallel it that we're thrown into this mindset and don't realize what troubles it could cause till the damage is done. A porcelain doll is pictured along with the worker as a representation of childhood, or the younger, frailer memories. Inspiration taken from PATTY by Frances H. Gearhart. Boy's dragonfly wing is representing growth and reflection
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Planning skecthes
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Process
Step by step process of Carving
To complete the actual process of creating the final artwork, I took final sketch and scanned it onto the computer so I was able to print it out. I then resized the print out, and after being satisfied with it's fitting to the linoleum, I flipped over the print and cover the back with graphite. The print was placed onto Linoleum, taping both to a flat surface. I transferred the image by taking a #2 pencil and drawing over the printout's darkened lines. Once completed, removed the printout off the linoleum and began craving. By applying some pressure and sliding your hand using a cutting tool, one small curved and one large, thicker curved tool to experiment various ways to create space and texture in the art.
Step by Step of Inking
Take Linocut and placed it neatly on newsprint. I then swashed some ink onto a metal tray, forming a medium thickness line of jet black ink. I then rolled the roller through the line horizontally to try and evenly coat the roller. After being satisfied of the amount of ink on the roller, I the applied the ink to the linocut using roller/ Quickly, I placed final paper over linocut, carefully to not make the final print crooked. I then applied pressure to the print using a smoother to truly set the ink in. Then after letting it rest for a minute or two, I removed the paper and the print was complete.
Experimentation
During the inking process, it tried to see how much ink could be transferred from one coat, seeing how light it could get with the imagine still visible. I repeated the whole process. But instead of cleaning and restarting over again, I placed another paper down and smoothed it out immediately after the first few. I did this four times, seeing how slowly the image would decrease.
Comparison
ACT Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
My inspiration helped guide my artwork through both their individual styles.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
My inspiration helped guide my artwork through both their individual styles.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?