St. Luke's Attic

My friend, Joe, came up to me a few weeks back and asked if I could give him something to work on. Not just anything, of course, a linocut something. You see Joe has been coming to me for several months to learn how to make prints. He is doing an excellent job and is having a fantastic time with linocuts. In fact, his first linocuts far surpass my first linocuts. However, my friend Joe does not enjoy drawing all that much. At least not yet.

So no drawing, but a desire to make prints. I know some of you out there see no issue with this. I went to college with lots of people who saw no issue with this. Modern printmaking is founded by people who have no issue with this. I have issue with this. How can you make prints without drawing? The answer is usually abstraction or appropriation of someone else’s image.

The solution for Joe was simple. I would do the drawing and give it to Joe to cut. That way he would get his cutting time (and practice) and I would get an assistant to work on the pieces I don’t have time to cut (insert gleeful laughter)! It’s your classic win/win situation.

The image in question