How I made Carnations

Painter and printmaker Lisa Takahashi talks us through how her work is created.

A linocut is made by cutting a tile of lino (yes, the same material you see on kitchen floors!), applying ink to the uncut areas and then pressing the ink onto paper. Linocuts today vary wildly, from simple one-colour images to highly intricate images built up in layers.

Carnations is made up of five cut lino tiles. However, there are seven colours in the image, as I ink up two of the tiles with two colours. The design of the print was developed from drawings I made in my sketchbook, observing some carnations in a vase. I wanted the image to be made from a series of strong, clean-cut, sinuous shapes.

It’s crucial that the initial drawing of the image is transferred in the same position on each tile, to ensure everything lines up correctly. I cut the block using special stainless steel lino cutting tools. The process requires patience and after a while becomes meditative. You can lose days to the cutting process without realising!

I ink up the blocks with a roller. It takes time to mix the colours to exactly the right hue, and it’s important to apply the ink evenly. Then, it’s time to print. I use a Victorian cast iron Albion press, which was once used to print posters and leaflets. I allow drying time between each layer to get a good adherence of ink, so all in all each print is made over the course of about a week. I’m really pleased with how this work came out, and was delighted when it was selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition last year.

Lisa Takahashi is based in Somerset. She exhibits her work regularly across the UK, and has appeared as a judge on Channel 5’s Watercolour Challenge, and reached the semi-finals of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year.

www.lisatakahashi.com