Monday 28 May 2012

BABUSHKA BY GILLIAN NIX

This is my submission for this month's Russian theme.  I have really surprised myself by managing to complete this project with another week to go! I knew this would take me a while to carve the lino, so I started straight after the Russian theme was decided (go me!).

After googling Babushka I discovered that the word  means 'grandmother' or 'old lady' in Russian!  At the moment I am feeling quite granny-ish as it is winter here in Melbourne and I am constantly wearing my slippers and trying to stay warm.  This is my first winter in 3 years and I'm loving it, but it is taking me a while to adjust.  How fitting that I made a Russian granny for Art Club!  Is it life imitating art or art imitating life?  I wouldn't call it a self portrait, but I think the granny tag is one that I am happy to wear just now.

'Babushka' is a lino print which has been printed in black with smidgens of water colour paint for some added colour.   The paper measures 35 x 50 cm.

I love Russian folk art and have collected lots and lots of images over the last few years of many different patterns and designs.  I knew straight away that I wanted to make a babushka print and I had a drawing from a few months back that I dug out of my sketchbook. 

Hope you like it....


The colours are quite bright in these photographs but actually in real life they are much paler.


Here is my original sketch, the lino and the finished print together...


I love carving lino, it's pretty relaxing and I find it very addictive! 

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