Block Printing at the Smithsonian

On Saturday morning, I taught my first block printing class at the Smithsonian Community Museum in Anacostia. The class was free and open to the public, and there was a huge response, so they are planning to run another class in the spring.

We went over the basics of how to carve and print linoleum blocks, and each student got to create their own design and print it. All set up and ready to go:

We started with carving blocks, learning how to use the different knives, transfer the designs, and carve the design backwards. Then everyone drew their own designs and learned how to carve the blocks.

Then we learned how to print the blocks, and different techniques to get good prints. It was great to see the different designs people came up with; there was everything from a monogram to a Bible verse.

Thanks to all the students for coming! It was really fun to help everyone learn a new technique, and I can't wait to do it again in the spring. I will let you all know when we set a date!