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Hello! Hailing from Rockford, Illinois – USA, my name is Sarah Reed-McNamara, the one woman Printmaking machine at SRMprints.  I specialize in Linoleum Block Printmaking, creating fine art prints and textiles for home and fashion. I have been working on prints for many years now and opened up a print studio in 2017 (after years of working out of my home and borrowing print presses!). This blog post is a look into the large scale pattern prints that I make.

Something I’ve really enjoyed working on the past couple of years is pattern building. This year I started working large-scale with building up and repeating bold patterns. Follow the process in the pics I’ve laid out here!  You’ll see hand block print layering, inking and shiny gold Cranfield Colours relief ink – it’s a big favorite in the Printmaking community!

To start the process, I design my lino cut print blocks. Then I carved into the lino, or trim my print blocks as necessary, to get my design made. In my studio, I ink and hand press every paper print, using my lino blocks and a baren for pressure. Each image on my large scale pattern repeats is hand printed. I love creating ink blends and layering the prints. When I go into my studio to make large prints, I have no idea what the end result will be, I just know that I want color, negative space and to please myself with design.

It’s so much fun to get my large color ideas out, in the big ways that I want. Legion Paper has tons of great paper options. I like Stonehenge Paper for my work.  This is the kind of work I love and live for – playing with color, texture and pattern repeats. If other people like it, that’s a bonus, but being able to do something that’s truly for me – is where it’s at.  Happy Printmaking – stay true to you and make what you love!

Enjoy!

Sarah Reed-McNamara

Find me here:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/srmprints

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SRMprints

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/srmprints/