Notecards at Carolina Creations by Printmaker Rigel Stuhmiller

I am a Bay-Area based printmaker and illustrator. In my work I try to capture the beauty, curiosity, and wonder I see in the world.

In addition to doing freelance illustration, I also have created a line of notecards.

A healthy community is important to me.  A portion of my time each year is donated to select non-profits that build a strong community.  Sales of my artwork have raised over $10,000 for charity. When designing my products I choose environmentally friendly options sourced as locally as possible.

The Printmaking Process 

To create a block print, I first start by drawing an image on a block of linoleum. Linoleum is a material made from linseed oil and wood or cork dust. The image must be drawn backwards, as it will leave a mirror image when printed.

Next I carve out all the negative space in the image. The linoleum that remains will catch the ink and form the final image.

When all the negative space is carved away, I ink the linoleum block with a roller, or "brayer".

To print the piece by hand, I place a piece of paper over the block and rub the back of the paper with a wooden spoon. This transfers the ink to the paper.

The final print is revealed.

 To print the piece on the press, I place the inked block on the bed of the press and place a piece of paper on it. 

Then I cover it with press felts and roll it through the press. 

The metal roller of the press applies a large amount of pressure to the paper and plate, transferring the ink to the paper.

To make a multi-color print, I use a few different techniques.

One involves carving multiple linoleum blocks, each of which will print one area of color. 

In this example, I have carved five different blocks. One block can be painted with multiple colors, which can result in a more complex and painterly print.

Here are some of the beautiful cards we have at Carolina Creations by Rigel.

Stop in and check them out!