Cat sleeping on a car (Version 1)

Your woodcuts are incredibly appealing, Elaine. Do you draw them on paper, first, or are they adapted from photos? Either way, I love them.

I’m so pleased you find them appealing, Bernd. The images for my woodcuts/etchings/linocuts stem from a combination of sources – life drawings I’ve done previously or animal studies/sketches I’ve done, or from animal gestures in photos I have taken, or simply straight from my head as in Wild Horses. (I have recently broken my rule of only ever using my own photos as source material by requesting another redbubbler’s permission to use his photo for a print I’d like to do soon. If the print works, I’ll be acknowledging his photo as the inspiration for that print.)

Sometimes I prepare the drawings on sheets of paper the size of my woodblock and trace those onto the woodblock/linocut, sometimes I’ll draw directly onto the woodblock/linocut, copying the image from a larger one that I’ve previously done for some other purpose. For etchings I always draw straight onto the plates, and often directly from the environment or direct life observation, because I love the spontaneous effect of the lines in natural drawing, and etchings really lend themselves that sort of freedom. It’s much harder to carve my natural style of drawing in woodblocks/linocuts, so I have adopt a completely different style with them.

This particular print was inspired by a cat I saw sleeping on a car in Mens, France, and I do have the photograph of the cat. I did a drawing on paper, using the sleeping gesture of the cat in my photo, then adapted elements of the buildings and environment to suit my print. The drawing was then traced onto the woodblock. That year (2006) there was a heat wave in France, hence the “hot” colours in this print. In Version 2 of this same woodblock, I’ve tried to capture some of the colours of southern France.

Beautiful work, Elaine! I love the textures and the use of the two orange tones! Would make a super poster! ;o)

Gorgeous!! I think i prefer this twotone orange one to the multi-coloured one, though the cat probably looks more relaxed in the other print. So interesting to see both. And he is a French cat!! LOL!
Love this!!!
and love those details!!

It’s a beauty, love the expression on the cat’s face.

I really admire your color woodcuts and linoprints, I’m adventuring towards it myself!

Do give them a try….....very rewarding when they work! Thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback on my work, Michelle. I appreciate that very much.

I absolutely love this, Elaine! Beautiful work in every way!

great work!

Much appreciated, Solomon.