Print Exchange 2.0

It is once again time for the annual Remarque Workshop print exchange. In all honesty, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline. This was partly because of family matters but also because I hadn’t progressed much with my printmaking skills. The idea of submitting the same level of execution as last year was upsetting, and my inability to focus was threatening to tank the entire project.

I have been here before and I bet you have too. All those self doubts hanging around like the dust around Pigpen.* Then I remembered that small change is better than no change. I know that my carving skills have improved but I wanted to push myself a little more. So, I decided to add a second color.

It wasn’t easy. My approach to registration was a bit crude. I didn’t use linoleum, and the physical properties of the plate material (essentially MDF) changed the print quality on certain types of paper. There was a puppy chewing on my shoe the entire time. Ultimately, the prints I submitted aren’t perfect. They are, however, enough.

So, you can find my print “Jump” on the Remarque Print Workshop website (2026 Exchange). It was inspired by a music playlist from my youth in the 80s.

*Pigpen is one of my favorite characters from the Peanuts series by Charles M. Schulz. He is perpetually covered in a cloud of dust and dirt. He initially resisted this unique type of magnetism, but he later came to accept the beauty of being himself - dust and all. You can read more about Pigpen on the Peanuts website.