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about |
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Katie Muth graduated
from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2002,
where she majored in Printmaking.
Over the years she has worked in all printmaking mediums, and has produced work ranging from large hand-printed kites to intricate limited-edition artist books. Having previously worked in etching, screen and litho printing, she always returns to lino-cut relief printing as her chosen means of expression. She loves the clean, binary nature of the lines (there is no grey- it's either printed or not printed), and the way the hand is slowed by the process of carving, making the images strong and deliberate. She has exhibited in numerous group shows including the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, and currently has kites on display at the Paper Place (887 Queen St.W) and Wonderworks (79A Harbord St.) |
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how the prints are made
Step 1
After designing the image on paper, and then reversing by rendering the areas to be carved with white pencil on black paper, the carving begins. The relief printing block is made of wood or linoleum (yes, the same stuff that was on grandma's kitchen floor). The process is the reverse of drawing because instead of carving the image into the lino, you are actually carving away everything that is not to be printed, leaving only the image raised. 
Step 2
The ink bed is then prepared by rolling out ink onto a glass slab with a brayer. Once there is a good amount of ink on the brayer, it is then rolled onto the carved lino-block. The areas to be printed get coated with ink, while the recessed areas remain clean. 
Step 3
The ink-coated lino-block is placed in the prepared printing area (where placement is important for alignment of the next colour), and the paper is placed on top for printing. Pressure is applied with a tool called a baren or, as seen here, with the back of a wooden spoon. 
Step 4
Once pressure has been evenly applied to all areas of the block, and the ink has been transferred to the paper, the paper is then carefully removed and set aside to dry. This process is repeated as many times as needed. A letterpress can also be employed to transfer the inked image to paper. 
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