What Shall I Make Next? - Part 1

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 do series along themes, such as my moonlight prints. 

I started doing moonlight prints decades ago (YIKES!). I love working with deep blue and purple tones of night scenes. My patrons love these prints as well. I find my prints are more successful if I have  personally experienced the scene I am creating. I spend many nights and early mornings walking my dog in the dark and admiring the night sky. These walks are the inspiration for my moonlight linocuts.  I have created more than a dozen images, in various sizes and color schemes, based on moonlight themes. 

Marketing experts say, find your niche and stick with it. I have found that to be true, although it is good to expand my horizons from time-to-time. About five years ago, I began incorporating other materials into my prints. I have used popsicle sticks and tree branches attached  to my block prints to create shadow boxes. Some of these projects were very successful, others not so much. I learn from my experiments and mistakes and it makes me a better artist. In my next blog, I’ll talk about a print I am making specifically for a show this spring.

 Be sure to  Subscribe to my newsletter to see all my blogs, and get updates on my shows.  To see my finished Linoleum Block Prints, featuring landscapes of upstate New York, dogs and their people,  and moonlight prints, visit my online store at  www.DCastleBabcockArt.com.