Have you ever had the experience when looking at a piece of art that gives you chills? I believe those chills are an indication of an artist truly connecting with the passion they were born to share with others. Dave Thomas of Blockhead’s Printing exemplifies this brand of art.
Dave’s art is created by linocut printing. I remember this process from my high school art class. In fact, that is where Dave was first introduced to the process. You take a piece of linoleum and with a special carving tool, you carve out the design you wish to print. He was always fascinated by the process, but he never had the time to invest.
Then, about a year ago, he rediscovered his love for this art medium. First by collecting prints that others had made and then by picking up a carving tool himself.
Now, Dave carves out music inspired designs in linoleum, inks the linoleum, and makes his prints by pressing paper against the carved linoleum.
His absolute favorite method of printing is called reduction linocut printing. An initial design is carved into a linoleum block and a print is made. Then, more is carved away and then printed with a different color. The process continues until the design is complete. By layering the colors, it gives depth and spirit to the design and gives the artwork it’s life.
Dave absolutely loves what he does, and it truly shows. He says he enjoys the focus that the carving requires. The entire process from beginning to end, gives him great satisfaction. And for me, looking at his artwork gives me great enjoyment.
If you would like to learn more about Dave and Blockhead’s Printing, you can find him at blockheadsprinting.bigcartel.com.
