Here I begin my year long journey. I was wracking my brain to come up with a card design for the New Year. From the ether, probably in the shower, I decided on an image of the rings of a tree. Each year, new growth, another ring, another circle of proof of having existed yet another 365 days. And always up for a good block print, I would carve and print the year on top of the image.

Inspired by the results and the fun in doing this project, I challenged myself to a year of block printing. Here is the first postcard…

I used the pink speedy-cut rubber because that is what I had laying around. It cuts quickly and is easier to size than a linoleum block. In the end, it was a bit too soft for the numbers. I would have liked a cleaner, sharper edge.

Printing the postcard 2-up from my ink jet.

Testing the opacity of the ink on the paper.

One down. 51 to go.