Barbara Hanrahan

I've recently came across the beautiful prints of Australian artist, Barbara Hanrahan. 

I love her style and use of lino, but most of all I find it very inspiring to learn that she was a teacher who studied printmaking at evening courses.  Being a teacher myself, I always feel a lack of time to make my own work after a busy day of teaching, and I am constantly wishing I had more time to myself to create.  I have recently completed a short evening course in lino cutting, and these classes were definitely the highlight of my week.

I thought I would share some of her beautiful artworks here....

Silk Cut Lino Workshops

Last night was the last lesson in a 4 week intermediate lino course at the wonderful Silk Cut workshop in Highett, Melbourne.  I have had a brilliant time and have loved learning new techniques and little tricks for the process. Up until now I've been teaching lino cutting in schools and just fumbling my way through, but I decided I wanted to advanced my skills a bit further and found this course.  I can't recommend it enough.  The tutor, Bridget Hillebrand was full of useful tips and very patient with all the questions I asked. 

I am so inspired to make more lino at the moment, so watch this space!

I thought I'd share some of the things I have made. 

We made a reduction print with 3 colours, using one piece of lino. 

I started the process by working out what colours I wanted on a photocopy of my original drawing.  I decided on this drawing of a teapot that I had done.  I t really helped to colour-in the drawing so that each printed layer was clear in my mind...

This is the final print that was acheived over 3 lessons. 

There are 3 prints on top of each other with layer one being grey, layer 2 being blue and the layer 3 being black.  I'm thrilled with the end result and a few friends are getting some overdue presents...

This is a little tester that I made, simply by skipping the blue layer...and I like this too.  I really love the grey colour on the white and am thinking I might do some more printing with just grey, because it's just so pretty!

I did a couple of mini prints for the last week of the course and loved doing these.  This is a banksia seed pod that I sketched then translated into a lino print...

This is the line drawing that I made before cutting the lino...

This is it printed on a water colour wash...

Bridget showed me this technique last night, which is simply acheived by rolling the lino through twice without re-inking.  I love the ghostly grey colour acheived....

This is a little owl I did too and the lino block that I carved out... 

Just black on white...

And a 3rd rolling of the lino (without re-inking) on a water colour wash.

And this is my makeshift drying space.  I rather like laying out all my prints and looking at them...