Sunflowers Print

In the summer of 2025, my youngest child and I planted a multitude of wildflowers and sunflowers. As the sunflowers began to bloom, I discovered a small friend resting on the petals, a praying mantis. Over many months, I visited the sunflowers daily, greeting the tiny creature and watching him grow. Curiosity sparked within me as I wondered why he had not left the flowers. I learned that praying mantises often stay in one place when they have a plentiful food source. These insects are among my favorites, and my fascination with them was inspired by my youngest brother, who loved such creatures. My brother, afflicted with cystic fibrosis, was often sick, but during his recovery, he explored many intriguing topics. Sadly, in early 2025, his body could no longer endure the battles he fought throughout his life, and he left this world. Despite the food source explanation, my daily visits to the mantis fostered a deep sense of connection to my brother. These moments reminded me that life, like the mantis’s steadfastness, can inspire resilience and hope amid challenges.

Numbered and signed limited edition of 50 prints. You have the option of a standard linocut print or one that has been watercolored. Please keep in mind, that each print is one of a kind and there might be slight varieties in each print. Some areas within the negative space have picked up ink here and there and each piece of 8x12 inch paper, is handmade from recycled cotton.

I package my prints in clear, waterproof sleeves. I then lay the print between two pieces of thick hand-cut recycled cardboard to ship safely to you without bending.

Every single one of my prints is hand-printed and not a reproduction. This means I hand print each by hand and do not get "printed" copies of my prints.

There are many different printmaking techniques.

Traditional printmaking techniques include Relief printing, lithography, Intaglio Printing, and screen printing. At the moment, I prefer Linocut printmaking which is a type of relief print. All of my prints are created using this process. First I start by drawing the image I want to carve onto a block of linoleum. Areas to remain white on the print are carved from the block. Then the ink is rolled onto the uncut surface of the block, I then lay the paper on top of the block and press using a spoon and wooden block to transfer ink from block to paper to produce a print. When the paper is removed the image then appears in reverse.

~A little History~

"The Art of printing was born in China during the Han Dynasty (a print on fabric can be dated 220 AD), although some artifacts have been discovered in Egypt dating from the sixth or seventh century BC. "

"Linoleum was invented by Frederick Walton (UK) in the mid-1800s, first patenting the material in 1860. At that time, its main use was that of flooring material, and later in the 1800s as actual wallpaper. By the 1890s artists had started to use it as an artistic medium. Although linoleum is a floor covering that dates to the 1860s, the linocut printing technique was first used by the artist Die Brücke in Germany between 1905 and 1913. It had been similarly used for wallpaper printing. "

References.

(https://www.plumplumcreations.com/the-history-of-printmaking-part-1/)

(https://www.boardingallrows.com/history-of-lino-

printing-and-famous-linocut-artists)