This linocut “Living Soil” is the image that I have submitted an edition of 12 prints to the Print Council of Australia 2018 Print Exchange. I had a few options that fitted the size criteria, but this is the one that my peers at SWTAFE Diploma of Art chose as the one they liked best. Perhaps an artist always sees their own mistakes more clearly than others, but self-reflection is what helps us to learn and improve.

I had attempted a hand-coloured version with watercolours, but it felt too much like “colour by numbers” and the finished result did look too much like a children’s colouring in project. The great thing about using good quality paper (300gsm Fabriano in this case) is that it can withstand some fairly serious treatments, and I was able to brush off a lot of the colour under running water, leaving quite a nice washed out effect.