Your cart is currently empty!
Category: printmaking
Wedding Invitations – a woodcut project
I recently completed an exciting printmaking project; wedding invitations!!!!! The original idea was to have the bride and groom help print them at the cabin, but we’ve had to change our plans to stay safe….still, what a cool invitation, a hand printed, limited editon woodcut?! I’m so honored to have been asked to do this! Thank you and Congratulations! Jessica and Jonathan!
Carving the Woodblock 
Finished Carving and ready to print! 
the first proof 
All invitations were signed and numbered as a limited edition 
The invitations were delivered in a box, decorated with proofs from the invitation, and can be used as a keepsake. Transferring woodcuts onto pottery – via screenprint
I work in a lot of different media, and am always looking for ways to cross the different mediums. One dream I have is printing woodcuts onto ceramic. After some research, I learned that the woodcut process does not work well with ceramic materials, but screenprinting does.
Using a technique that i learned while studying in Oaxaca, Mexico, I copied a few of my favorite woodcut designs onto a screen
then printed the designs onto rice paper using ceramic underglaze as the ‘ink’
then, i transferred the underglaze onto unfired clay…in a technique similar to old fashioned temporary tattoos
a plate, decorated with my woodcut designs! 
a mug, decorated and ready to fire! 
…and a pig on a mug…keep watching to see how they look ofter the firing! Thinking about current events
I AM watching the news, and I don’t want you all to think that I have my head buried in the sand, and am just happily in my own little world, making art. I see what’s happening to us, and it hurts me deeply. I don’t know what I can do to make it better, so I share things that help me and others feel good, and encourage them to work on their own creative projects. Art is a great way to deal with feelings. For me, art is a therapy, and there are a lot of studies that show it really does cause positive things to happen in the brain. There are also studies that show that social media is causing psychological and social problems…
i don’t use social media for politics. In my perspective, it’s a terrible way to try and have dialogue about divisive issues. I’ve watched friendships end and families grow further apart because of the way social media brings out, and magnifies the worst in some people. (i guess it’s profitable, or the tech companies just like to destroy people’s lives) I have friends from a wide range of perspectives, who I know in real life, and I can tell you, we have more in common than social media would have us believe.
I believe that religion is personal, and I don’t talk about it on social media (for the same reasons). Since it’s Sunday, and I think it is important, I will share with you that I believe that we are ALL children of God, we are ALL brothers and sisters. EVERYONE deserves to be treated with respect, fairness and dignity. I believe (and I’m trying to be better at) following Christ’s teaching to love thy neighbor as thyself. I know this is a crazy time, and everyone is scared and angry a suffering loss and going through a million other feelings right now. I hope that all of these challenges we are going through has some kind of meaning, and, in the end, we use this experience to lift each other up, and become better neighbors.
I’m scared, and feel helpless and angry, but I also feel more connected, and a feeling of togetherness with you all (even if we have to stay 6 feet apart). You have gotten me through, what is possibly the biggest trial of my lifetime. Since social media isn’t going away, let’s use it to keep the good vibes going, and try to have a little more understanding and empathy toward each other…this is HARD, but we will get through this together.
pig eating acorns – new woodcut
I had this idea of a woodcut; a pig wandering in the woods, eating wild acrons, and I couldn’t wait to carve him out. isn’t he stinking CUTE!?!? oink! oink!
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
I’m a lifetime learner, and student for life, so teachers have a special place in my heart! Thanks to all the teachers for making our community a better place!
Here’s a linocut that I made a few years ago for a project, called ArtZine. Visiting and local artists met in a different small town each month to create a ‘zine’ . The theme for November in Vanceburg, KY was GRATITUDE, and this was my entry.
Feel free to click the image above to download and print your own copy of the linocut that you can print and share with the teachers in your life.
Home Is Where Your Mom Is
Mother’s Day is less than 2 weeks away, so I’ve been brainstorming ideas for a Mother’s Day card to send to my mom. After working the design out on paper, i’m ready to transfer it to a wood block.
the carving begins! 
ready to print! 
We will get through this together-linocut
My latest linocut!
This will be a greeting card to share with friends and family who might feel alone right now.
i assume all kentuckians know where this phrase comes from. for those who don’t, every day, our governor addresses the state for an update re: covid 19. He always starts saying this, then encourages us to say it together. his demeanor and team spirit has calmed me down on more than a few moments during this anxious time.
I know that a lot of people are experiencing economic insecurity right now, and would enjoy this image, but can’t buy a card right now. I would NEVER encourage digital printing of a hand printed work of art, but these are serious times. If you would like to download a high resolution copy of this art to print and share (for personal use only) follow this link.
https://www.kenswinson.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/GetThroughThisTogether.jpg
Below is the step by step process:
A rough sketch for today’s linocut. This will be a greeting card to share with friends and family who might feel alone right now.
I used my iPad to do some fine tuning on my design. Now I’m ready to transfer it to a block for carving.
design transferred, and ready to carve! 
Carving. I included my finger in the photo to give you a sense of details and scale. I’ve been carving a lot of wood lately, compared to it, the limo cuts lite butter!
a little bit over 1/3 done 
YOU ALL KNOW NOT TO TRY CALLING ME BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM. carving during the governors update 
Carving Done! Time To Print! 
Dishwasher bunny
I’m about to start the 4th in my dust bunny series of bunnies spring cleaning. Today’s woodcut is dishwashing!
the design is sketched out on the block. Time to start carving! This is the first indoor scene. I have been using a similar pattern to represent clouds, but for this scene, I’ll use the same pattern to represent soapy dishwater.
soapy water?! 
Almost there!!! Still some details to carve, then I’ll be ready to print!
Not sure what I was thinking when I gave this dust bunny modern appliances. THEY took more carving than the rest in of the design. Ok, let’s take it to the cabin to put some unknown paper!
the test proof! Overall, I’m happy with it. I might have made some different choices (no modern appliances) in parts of the design, but it’s still cute as a button, and will be a good addition to my army of dust bunnies, who are going to do all my spring cleaning for me!
Time to print!
laundry bunny you can support my work and add this to your collection by ordering below.
Throwback to good times at the cabin
A throwback to life, not so long ago, but before social distancing: printmaking at the log cabin print shop with Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center. Thank you Rene Thomas, for the photo, and Regina Lang for bringing the students to our community! Hope we can “flatten the curve” and see each other in person soon!
Printing Garden Bunny at the Cabin – LIVE
I left my tripod at home, but im going to try to share a little bit of one handed printing in the studio. Hope you all are social distancing and enjoying the spring weekend!
