'La Kollwitz.' is a linocut printing displaying a famous self portrait of Käthe Kollwitz (1867 – 1945), a german artist that established herself in an art world dominated by men by developing an aesthetic vision centered on women and the working class.
While the original is a woodcut, I chose to work with a lino plate - its much easier to carve in, has no directional grain and does not tend to split like wood. The image is first transferred on the plate using carbon paper. Then I remove the non-printing parts with a handheld gouger - leaving the printing parts level with the surface. When I'm finished, linolium paint is applied using a paint roller and pressed on a sheet of paper. Many printings can be made from one single linolium plate and the advantage is that they all get a unique look. Also coloured linocuts can be made by using a different block for each colour. Essentially, after each successive colour is imprinted onto the paper, I then clean the lino plate and cut away what should not be imprinted for the subsequently applied colour.
