GRAPHIC DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION

Lino Prints for Conservation Honors Program Project

As a child, I often visited my grandparents' cabin near a nature preserve, and I have loved and valued the environment ever since. I created my Lino Prints for Conservation Honors Project to use my artistic skills to bring awareness to threatened ecosystems in the Midwest. My wetlands ecosystem design was created using images I composed in Photoshop. After sketching the design and applying it to a 12 x 18-inch linoleum block, I carved the design and printed it using a Vandercook printing press. Skills: Creative Concepting, Photo Compositing, Linoleum Block Carving and Printing Programs: Photoshop

Before I started carving my full-size block, I used two smaller blocks to practice mark-making. I noted the size of the carving tool I used for some of the marks by indicating the number of the tool next to the mark.
My in-progress wetlands sketch. The composition includes endangered Karner blue butterflies, a sandhill crane, marsh marigolds, a painted turtle, cattails, and threatened American lotus.
The sketch is then transferred onto the linoleum block.
(Thank you to Courtney Dicmas for these photos in her beautiful garden.)
In-progress carving.
Getting close to printing! Mixing my ink, Pantone color 5473.
After printing a few test prints, I decided it needed a little more carving.
After cleaning up the area, I'm ready to get back to printing.
Printing on the Vandercook press.
(Thank you to Beth Grimm for taking the photos.)
The carved block and one of the prints side by side.
The carved linoleum block after printing and removing excess ink.
The finished wetlands print.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than one-third of the U.S. federally threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands.​​​​​​​
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