Welcome to Ruby Victoria Letterpress & printmaking


Here you will find photos of all my original hand carved linocut prints and letterpress printing.
A commercial printer by trade a printmaker by choice.
I specialize in original handcarved lino block prints with a bit of letterpress thrown in for good measure.
All printed on antique printing machines with that unmistakable bite into the paper that you can only get with letterpress printing

The work that I do is not created on a computer everything is hand drawn then hand carved out of lino then printed one impression at a time on my tabletop letterpress machine

I do not use polymer which limits me somewhat in regards to type but I love to use traditional methods in my printing that involve handset type and hand carved designs and I think this is what make my work totally Original and Unique to what other people are doing right now and it also meaning everything I make is an original work of art
I love what I do and love to share it with others that are interested

Narelle


Saturday, February 28, 2009

more new blocks for printing


here are some more little block I have been working on I was asked to print up some gift tags to go with baby gifts and these are what I came up with, what do you all think?
Actually that's not entirely true the one with the heart, I did for Allan because he had gotten some wonderful news about his composing and was asked to play at a local festival and I was very proud of him and wanted him to know how much I love him, so I printed this and put it around the house with messages written on them hehe but all the rest are gift tags!!

new photos






lots of new photos lots happening will explain later when ruby is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Easters coming !



Here are some print I have been working on for Easter printed them tonight to see what they would look like, I am pretty happy with them ,I have never worried about printing festive stuff before now let alone in pink or blue !! heaven forbid I use any other colour than black while printing lol
Got my prints back from the framers today and they look amazing, I think the people at the Ecohaven will be happy with them and i really hope someone likes them enough to buy them, now that would be fantastic !

Monday, February 23, 2009

WHAT'S THE POINT?!
OF THIS WHOLE BLOGGING THING !

If you have any idea leave a comment, I wont hold my breath tho !!!!!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

salamanca market





Went to the market today with Allan and ruby to get some fresh produce so Allan could make his soups and sauces yummy the veggies all looked so fresh and bright you cant help but buy them.
The veggies are grown and sold by a community of Mongolians that live on the outskirts of Hobart.
Ruby enjoyed the atmosphere and the street performer, she joined with the crowd clapping and shouting the count down till he did his big finale and to top it all off the weather was beautiful, I got lots of new photo for new prints Allan got is super fresh ingredients and Ruby didnt have a tired tantrum!

Friday, February 20, 2009

gallery



Had my little meeting today with Erin at Gallery71 in Hobart this morning, it all went very well she loved my work and said that she would love to have some of my prints around their shop and would like me to take part in a group show in their downstairs gallery in the near future.
Erin picked out two prints then more eventually when I can afford to get more framed she chose the chook and the garlic one.
Picture framing is terribly expensive luckily my framer agreed to let me have an account with them so I could get the prints framed and hung at the gallery/eco haven shop quick smart !! People are being so nice to me lately, I am definaltly not knockin it !!!
Another plus today was i mentioned to Erin that Allan was a composer and was writing more music for a new cd and that he already has one out of medative piano music and she suggested he bring a couple in to sell in the shop,so today turn out to be pretty good for both allan and !

Thursday, February 19, 2009

new prints






thought I would load some new photos of my latest prints hot off the presses.
I am in the middle editioning some blocks and needed to have a break my fingers are getting numb lol
I am really excited about the one I call "my mothers love",thought of the title when I was printing it, I have decided that my best prints are the ones that are deeply personal but usually very painful for me to look at and remember how I was feeling and what had made me draw what I did I have one other print that sticks out in my mind that is the same I will post it when I find it again.
I still think my drawings and prints a miles better now than they ever where and I am happy with nearly all the work I have been producing lately, it might be due to the fact that I am personally in a wonderful place right now !!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Bumble bee


Just another drawing I did a little while back that was turned into a linocut print but I didn't think it worked out overly well, others think differently I am yet to make the final decision on whether to scrap it or not!!




wooohooo somebody likes my prints!!!!

I'm so excited I was just looking at my etsy and I have gotten a request from a gallery owner in Hobart to see my work and an offer to show my work in their gallery yaaaaaaaaaay !!!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

my stuff arrives






Some of my stuff arrived today from my house in Burnie, very exciting I finally have my big map draws to put all my paper in and my book press and a few other things I have been missing desperately!
yaaaaaaaay I feel like I have finally moved properly and not living in two different places on the opposite ends of the state.
I am posting some of my old work i found today amongst all the other stuff, It kind of nice to see how my prints have changed and improved with time

Ok well i tried to add the photos but blogger wont play the game right now so i will add them tomorrow

another little cross stitch


Here is another little cross stitch I just finished today its a Lizzie Kate freebie.
I really like her designs, not that easy to find in Tasmania tho, Its been good to do a few small things lately and see them finished cos I am notorious for not finishing anything so for me small it good!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Tasmanian symphony orchestra


went out Saturday night without ruby for the first time in ages, we went to see symphony under the stars with the Tasmanian symphony orchestra, it was fantastic although it did get a tad cold.
Heaps and heaps of people there, we got there early to get a good spot, we got a good spot alright I sat on a jack jumper nest and got stung right on the ass I'm now covered in bumps all over my chest from a reaction to the sting and they seem to be getting worse rather than better, I am pretty lucky I only got stung once cos when I looked at where I was sitting the ground was swarming with the little buggers so I got off pretty lightly really.
We moved to another spot, where ants would not be gnawing on my butt and we snuggled up and enjoyed the rest of the night.
When we got home ruby was laying all over her babysitter fast asleep so it looks like we all had a good night !!

Friday, February 13, 2009

cross stitching


Yup I'm back into cross stitching ,after seeing a flower fairies cross stitch I did for a friend I just had an erge to stitch again so I started with this little one but i have a larger one on the go to put in Rubys room but I just like to do little ones while I am in the middle of bigger things makes me feel like i have accomplished something and this way i tend to get less bored with it !
Not alot of printing of drawing going on here at the moment though I guess I have to get back in to the swing of allan being back at work and having ruby to myself again.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Moving




Well we finally got our act together and went up to the north west coast to pick up all my stuff from the house in Burnie, it wasn't really too bad a job Allan amused ruby and make coffees while I went through all the boxes and worked out what was coming and what was going to vinnies and stuff, it took only a couple of days well, really a day is guess cos I wasnt really going for it I'd work half the day then the rest of it we caught up with friends.Dad was a big help too he took a load of stuff to his place in the ute for us to pick up another time, Its funny ruby hasnt spent alot of time with my dad but its like she just instantly warms to him,he was so sweet with her he would say .come over here and give your ol poppy a squeeze.lol not like dad at all really !!!! but it makes me melt hearing him talk to her like that !!
The best part of going up there was catching up with some friends i hadnt seen for about 8 months, we stayed one night at my bestest best friend Kathy's and we had a ball allan hadn't been to the mayhem that is kathys before but he really enjoyed it, he spent most of his time in the kitchen cooking, resting and talking to the boys about computer games while kathy and i caught up and carried on like we normally do.
We also took ruby to the burnie park for a play we went and got pizza and sat in the park and had tea.She had a lovely time with another little girl there running around together and giggling with one another.
oh yeah a message for Kathy, Allan is really serious about moving to penguin he was looking at realestate and said he would like to move there between 6 and 12 months time he really loves it there. woohoo!!!!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

yay i did it


I sat in my new garden chair and drew this, I thought I was having a bad day, it feels a bit better now! I like sitting outside in the breeze I can do it more often now !

tip shopping and gardening





felt like utter crap this morning still down and everything is irritating me,I tried to sit and draw this morning but wasn't working out, Allan was down stairs belting out Beethoven on the piano and it sounded unbearably loud I had to go upstairs and close the door,then someone started a whipper snipper up aaaaaaaaaaaargh !!! I could feel myself getting more and more tired, I had to get away from all the noise so when Allan had finished we went out for a look at the tip shop in the next town we picked up two deck chairs that I have been searching for, for ages, got them for $5 each and a bed base on casters with pull out drawers underneath for $10 .We then went for our ritual cappacino Ruby had her usual "rubycino" felt a little better when we got home walked in and the smell of chicken stock Allan was cooking filled the air, I love living with a chef !!
Ruby and I watered the garden ,well our little herb garden we planted for Allan cos he loves having fresh herbs in his cooking, the plants just seem to be exploding its great it makes me feel like less of a failure when I see something I have done grow! anyway ruby and I water the garden together every day it is another of our little rituals we have and she loves it I guess it makes her feel special too. I would really like to be able to make our little court yard a haven full of flowers,somewhere i can hide and relax with my little family.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

I hate depression




This is the first day I have had at home alone for about 8 weeks and I had big plans to get stuck in and print the lino blocks waiting to be editioned, then wham it hits I feel tired , restless I cant decide if I want to do anything or nothing, I at least got one edition done I think this has happened cos I had to change ruby into another room and she isn't adjusting too well and this means she isn't sleeping well again I haven't had any sleep for 3 nights and not I have the house to myself all I want to do is sleep, but I don't want to sleep aaaaaaagh I really want to get some more drawings done for more prints but the thought of sitting and drawing just make me feel anxious, Like I said, I hate depression!!!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

my daughter and i

These are photos of my daughter and I at around the same age, spooky how much we look alike I never see it until I look at photos like this ! ruby is the one in the pink!!

unprinted block


This is a lino block I designed and cut out when i was pregnant with my daughter ruby as you can probably figure out it was a very happy time for me but it also had it stresses.
I havent printed it yet as it is still at my house in Burnie waiting for me to bring here with all my other stuff just sitting there screaming out to be used.

composing runs in the family





seems like composing runs in the family, this pic was too cute to not add to my page considering I haven't had a chance to do any more printing I thought I would fill the gap with ruby victoria !!
Printing will start up again tomorrow when i finally get a whole day at home alone tomorrow siiigh! so I will post more prints tomorrow!