Babushka

This is my submission for this month's Russian theme for the other blog I am involved with called 'Around the Kitchen Table' (aka Art Club)  I have really surprised myself by managing to complete this project with another week to go! I knew this would take me a while to carve the lino, so I started straight after the Russian theme was decided (go me!).

After googling Babushka I discovered that the word means 'grandmother' or 'old lady' in Russian! At the moment I am feeling quite granny-ish as it is winter here in Melbourne and I am constantly wearing my slippers and trying to stay warm. This is my first winter in 3 years and I'm loving it, but it is taking me a while to adjust. How fitting that I made a Russian granny for Art Club! Is it life imitating art or art imitating life? I wouldn't call it a self portrait, but I think the granny tag is one that I am happy to wear just now.

'Babushka' is a lino print which has been printed in black with smidgens of water colour paint for some added colour. The paper measures 35 x 50 cm.

I love Russian folk art and have collected lots and lots of images over the last few years of many different patterns and designs. I knew straight away that I wanted to make a babushka print and I had a drawing from a few months back that I dug out of my sketchbook.

Hope you like it....

The colours look a bit brighter in these images, but in real life they are quite a bit paler...

These are the three stages of my lino making: the drawing, the carved lino piece and the final print...

I really enjoy cutting lino, I find it very addictive and a very nice sensation when you cut it...