Although it was 35 degrees when I woke up this morning, I know that the art festival season is upon us. When I realize we are almost half way through 2026, I get a little panicked. I have been applying to shows all winter long and my show schedule is set. Here’s a preview of what I have booked this year: Corn Hill Arts Festival: This show takes place in the historic Corn Hill neighborhood of Rochester New York on July 11th and 12th. I am usually on Atkinson Street, but I hav

Art often begins with a quiet idea, a rough sketch, or a shape noticed during a walk through the city. From there, the creative process slowly grows into something textured and expressive. Printmaking brings that feeling to life through layers, color choices, and thoughtful carving techniques. Among the many styles used in modern workshops and studio sessions, linoleum block art demonstrations in NY, continue to draw attention from artists and curious beginners who enjoy hand

I am writing this as I gaze out the window of a cruise ship heading for British Columbia, so this will be short and sweet. Most of my photos are on my DSLR, but here are a couple examples of what I've seen so far. There are a lot of block printers I. the area. Here is one example that transformed into a shop sign. Wildlife is abundant. I saw whales yesterday, and here is an Eagle from the day before. Here is the sample of the landscape: Next week I will be home and ready to w

I haven’t been able to make prints for a couple of weeks now. The rest of my life, professional and personal, has gotten in the way. I am anxious to start something new. Today I am going to share with you a few photos I have taken during my daily dog walks that I hope to use as the basis for new prints. I have learned that I don’t have to go somewhere exotic to find beauty in the world around me. These are parks I visit frequently and can always find something intriguing as

It starts with an idea running around in my head about the image I want to create. Sometimes I am able to work totally from imagination or memory, but most times I need a little help from the numerous photos I have taken during my time out walking and hiking. The concept was to portray the beginning of the trail; most people take photos once they reach the summit, but the beginning of the journey is important as well. Here are two photos I used as inspiration for my linocut

Oftentimes people come into my booth during an art festival and ask, "What kind of Art is this?". Many otherwise intelligent and educated people have little knowledge when it comes to prints and reproductions. This is due to a lack of good art education in our public schools and artists who provide misinformation when it comes to selling reproductions. Today I am going to clarify the difference between Linocuts (or Linoleum Block Prints), Etchings, and Giclee's. Below are p

Have you ever wondered how a simple frame can completely change the way your art or photos feel in a room? When I first discovered a birch bark picture frame, I was amazed at how much warmth and character it added to my space. Unlike regular frames, the natural texture of birch bark brings a subtle, organic elegance that immediately draws attention and complements any artwork. Over time, I’ve learned how to choose, display, and care for these frames to make the most of their

Some of you may remember carving a linoleum block at sometime in your past. Beginners usually focus on shapes of different colors to create a print. The challenge is to get variations in value and to achieve visual texture among the elements in a landscape. Tree bark, leaves, grass and pine needles have their own distinct texture. If you are trying to achieve different tones of the same color, how do you use your carving tools to create shades, since you are rolling a flat

Customers come into my booth at an art festival and a familiar scene catches their eye. It’s a view of a popular lake or mountain, but it’s not THEIR PLACE. It is impossible for me to make a print of every view of every lake and mountain in the Adirondacks. There’s a ton of them! In this situation, I offer to do a commission of their location, based on a customer’s photo. The customer then sends me photos and I do a sketch based on their instructions. Sometimes I need to

I always have a backlog of ideas for my next linoleum block print, and my customers do influence what comes next. In some cases I have a specific request from a customer, or in this case, from a gallery. The Arts Center of Lake Placid is hosting a special exhibition entitled “The Art of Flight,” which will open in May. I was thrilled to be assigned the Loon as the subject matter for my submission. I have done several Loon prints over the years and they are always very popul

Art has a gentle way of slowing us down, inviting us to look a little closer and feel a quiet story unfold. Many people begin exploring handcrafted pieces to bring warmth into their homes, and somewhere along that journey, they discover the charm of traditional printmaking. Within this space, the appeal of linoleum block prints for sale often emerges naturally, offering a textured beauty that feels both timeless and refreshing. Before we explore more, let’s ease into the worl

Thankfully, I have more ideas than I have time to execute. I have never experienced a creator’s block; I can always come up with ideas for my linoleum block prints. That’s what keeps me working. When I get to the point where I am no longer motivated to create or my body gives out, I will know it’s time to retire. God willing, I have years ahead of me to work. So how do I decide what’s next? You, my customers and followers, help me make that decision. You may have noticed I

This is the final step of the reduction print! I hope you can guess the next step in the process. I have finished printing the light blue for the snow, which is my third color. I will cut out the parts of my design that should remain light blue. I always refer to my initial drawing to check my work. As you can see, the only thing left raised on the linoleum block is the evergreen tree. I chose to use a slight dark-to-light rainbow roll on the tree because the star is d

At this point in my blog, I hope I have shed some light on the reduction linoleum block printing process. Since I have just finished black, my second color, I will cut out the parts of my design that should remain black. I always refer to my initial drawing to check my work. In this case, I am cutting out the dogs. I chose to print black second because I knew it would be easier to cut out the dogs rather than cut out the background around them. The dogs also have some whi

How do you get the different colors? This is a question I frequently hear when I go to an Art festival. People reading this may have done a single color Linoleum block print; in this blog, I will discuss how I get multiple colors from one block and registration. Since I printed the blue rainbow roll last time, I now refer to my planning drawing to see which parts of my design should be that color. In this case, the sky and the shadows beneath the dogs will stay blue, so that

This blog will focus on printing the first color or a four color reduction linoleum block print and what comes next. As I said previously, when printing a reduction linoleum block, I must print all the paper at the same time. Because I continually carve away from the same block, I cannot go back and print more after the print is completed. I always print a few more than I think I want. “Stuff happens” throughout the process; even after decades of experience, I end up mixin

We step into the quiet authority of moonlight landscapes with confidence, knowing these scenes hold timeless emotional power within contemporary art. Our appreciation for nocturnal imagery is rooted in its ability to slow the viewer, invite reflection, and create an intimate connection between nature and imagination. In today’s limited edition printing, moonlight landscapes are not nostalgic echoes of the past but refined expressions of modern craftsmanship and intentional d

In my previous blogs, I described preparing the block and linoleum carving techniques. I am finally ready to start printing! In this installment, I will describe the block printing process which includes color mixing and a technique I use often called a rainbow roll. When printing a reduction linoleum block, I must print all the paper at the same time. Because I continually carve away from the same block, I cannot go back and print more after the print is completed. This is

Cutting Technique: Before I show you how to print, I want to give you some important information regarding Linoleum cutters. The Speedball cutters that I use come in five sizes. I photographed a number 2 cutter and a number 5 cutter, shown below. I seldom use the number 1 cutter because the line it carves is so small it will be lost when printing a multiple color Linoleum Block print. The block shows just the white parts of the image carved away. This is the paper showing thr

Reduction linoleum block printing is a complicated process. Many people struggle to comprehend it because everything is reversed. The image reverses left-to-right and the process is subtractive. Being dyslexic, reduction printing fits the way I think. I am writing a series of blogs depicting, with words and photos, the creation of a linoleum block print I recently completed. I hope that this will make reduction printing more understandable. When people ask, “How long do