Another Odyssey

 Here is another linocut I thought I was happy with. That is, until I got to thinking about it. Below is the original version of One Way Ticket, of which I’d editioned ten and then stored in my plan chest.

Then I made the mistake of opening said plan chest and accidentally looking at them.  I found I didn’t like that female figure at all and also, well, where are all the people? Tooting Broadway is a very busy tube station after all……

So with the help of my trusty repair kit, I added three more figures – a couple walking by, hand in hand, and a man striding into the other station entrance. I thought I’d just change the woman in the foreground too – make her hair longer and tone down her top – and add some floor tiles inside. Okay, that’s better….

Hmm – I’m sorry but it’s all so dark. I know, I’ll lighten the sky – make it daytime instead of evening. Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll change her top again…

 

I still don’t like her top though – let’s try a different pattern – and, well, why not make the sky yellow and the interior of the tube station blue?
No, sorry, I don’t like any of that and what’s more, I’m not sure if it’s not all too crowded now. Perhaps I should take out one of the figures?

Okay, that will have to do – surplus male removed, blue sky and yellow interior re-instated, and I’ve gone with the original top. And if you think this was a lot of work, I can assure you this is an edited version….

6 thoughts on “Another Odyssey

  1. Oh Gail, you do make me laugh! I'm constantly amazed at your persistence, dexterity and skill, but as we know there are endless possibilities – however, you're not obliged to try them all.
    This shows me one of the (few) advantages of reduction printing – there is no scope for a change of mind as there's no lino left by the end

  2. Thanks, Colin, and you've hit the nail on the head again! With lino I have no choice but to cut back on the detail (otherwise I'd be not only trying put the train driver in, I want to include his moustache).
    But to compensate for this, I do feel compelled to try every possible combination….

  3. Hi Gail
    Great to see how your print is evolving.
    How did you add the people in – did you cut extra lino blocks of them and then use them to print over the top of the original?
    Jacqui

  4. Interesting question, Jacqui – I cut away and removed sections of the blocks on the areas I wanted to change and glued new lino in place. Then I drew the new people in, cut them and printed the prints again from start to finish. As I use multiple blocks, this is quite possible, if a little laborious.
    If you were to use the reductive method, then, as you say, the only way to alter a print once it's finished would be to over-print but I imagine the outlines of previous ink layers would show through….

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