The Art Of Lino Print Making

Have you ever heard of Lino print making? I have to admit that up until a few years ago I hadn't. I learned the art of Lino print making when I went to university. One of my goals to achieve while going to university was to find an art form that I could incorporate my poetry with. I decided to do extended minors in English and Visual Arts. As you can gather to complete the visual arts requirements I had to take several art classes. This was no hardship because being creative is like playing. I took two years of photography and two years of print making. It was while taking the print making classes that I learned to and fell in love with lino print making
I'll have to admit I was rather intimated by my ability to draw at first. During the first semester and part of the second one my pieces consisted of traced images from some old photographs I had. Part way during my second semester my instructor said she was surprised that she hadn't seen more of my poetry in my work. I took this as a challenge. I said fine I will do a piece from start to finish and won't show her until it was ready to be printed. I didn't want to risk her telling me that it wasn't any good until I was done. I had a reading break and a weekend to do my piece. I had a picture in my head to go with one of my poems and decided to start with that one. I finished the piece to the point that it was ready to print. I took it to class to show my instructor. I tell you the her reaction was completely unexpected. She was so excited when she saw it that she hooped and hallowed. She went out and got a few more instructors to show them my work. She said that I was a folk artist with my own style and I should do very little to change it.
As you can imagine that her reaction was a great confidence booster. I spent the next few semesters producing a body of work that incorporated both my poetry and my drawings.