Tools.

One of my favorite ways to add colour and pattern to my paintings is by using printmaking materials to create rubber stamps.  I also love to share my tools when Iead workshops so they tend to break down after awhile...which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it means I get to create new designs.  I've often been asked what I use to create my stamps so I thought I'd share some of my favorite tools.  First of all, the brayers (rollers) are fabulous not only for adding colour to the stamps when I'm using them, but also to push paint around quickly on large canvases.  Other tools I use are:

• Speedy-Carve or Speedy-Cut Printing Block - I have tried a variety of carving materials and tend to gravitate to any rubber, soft cut material...it's easier on the hands and more flexible for printing onto stretched canvas
• Brayers (rollers) - I used the larger one for years (3 inch) but last year picked up a smaller one and find I tend to use that more for the stamps and the larger one more for paint directly on the canvases
• Xacto Knife - to cut the stamp shapes out of the printing block...I find that it's easier to situate the image the way I want it when I can see the outline of the image
• Carving Tools - because I tend to create small carvings, I tend to use two specific cutters, one is a small v-groove to cut outlines and small details, and the other is a bit of a larger u-groove to remove large parts of the block
• Sharpee - they're not in the photo but I do tend to use a fine point and occasionally extra fine point Sharpees to mark my designs on the block for cutting
• Moleskine - I don't exactly transfer images from my sketchbook directly to the block, but I do carry a pocket sized moleskine sketchbook with me at all times so that I can sketch out ideas that tend to end up in my paintings and/or my carvings...I also carry an extra fine Sharpee to draw/doodle with and to take colour or ideas notes

The carving blocks are thick enough that occasionally I will carve another image into the back (when I'm desperate and have run out of printing blocks to carve).  And these are fabulous to use for mainge cards and to stamp on fabric as well.