Moving is not one of my favorite activities. Especially when I have lived somewhere for a long time. But I have to admit that packing (and purging) are useful activities. I discover all manner of treasures that I’ve totally forgotten about – especially in my studio space. When we sold our home last year, I found a little treasure tucked in a trunk with my dad’s papers. It’s a linoleum block that my mom carved when she was young.
Mom was in high school in the 1940’s – back when lino blocks were carved from pieces of linoleum tile. You know, the stuff that went on the kitchen floor. In case you are wondering, this piece of linoleum was your basic kitchen red. My grandfather was in the furniture business and he probably started out selling flooring, so I expect that a few loose tiles were acquired for mom’s art projects.
I have to say that they don’t make flooring like they used to. Between the linoleum and the backing, this piece of linoleum is a full 1/4″ thick. It’s hard as a rock now, but I would expect that from something that’s been sitting around for over 60 years.
The carving on this block is really detailed, and I knew it wouldn’t work for Paintstik rubbings. So I grabbed an ink pad and and made a quick print on paper. It’s absolutely beautiful.
When I look closely at the block, it’s clear that the backing on the linoleum must have been quite soft when she made the carving — and that she had a lot of patience. The cross-hatching lines are very smooth, and there are very few “oops” marks on the block.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to carve a lino block as detailed as this one. Nor am I sure that I want to! But this little treasure and my mother’s passion for creative expression explain a lot about the path I’ve chosen in life. As the old saying goes, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Did you inherit your creative energy from someone in your family? Leave a comment here on the blog. I’d love to hear about it.
Shelly, I always enjoy your news letter. Could you have your mother’s lino block pattern made into a rubbing plate. I loved her design. Thanks.
I remember making lino blocks in school!! I loved it, but somewhere along the moves in 3 states, I don’t have my tool or any of the lino. How nice to have found this treasure. Since the “new” lino flooring isn’t the same – what do people use to make these today?
That is a beautiful carving and a work of art all by itself. How lucky for you that it was kept all these years. Would it not work on the paintstiks because the lines are too close together or because they aren’t deep enough or a different reason?
Hi Regina, the lines in the lino block my mother made are much too fine and close together to make a paintstik rubbing. It’s amazingly detailed. Paintstiks are a pretty blunt instrument and all the fine detail would be lost. I’ll give it a whirl with some silk or something really fine when I’m playing sometime, but I don’t expect to have much success.
I do remember the linoleum blocks. Still have some from when I printed my own Christmas cards. Was really fun except for the time I misspelled my name that I carved. Hard to remember to do it in reverse. Can’t make corrections
Hi Janet, Actually, if you use a gelatin plate, you don’t have to carve letters in reverse. I’ll have a post on gelatin printing later this week — or you can check the Gelatin Printing chapter in Rubbing Plate Roundup where I talk specifically about printing with ‘words’