Combining for a New Look

Multiple block can be combined by carefully selecting the part of each block to be printed and the part of each block to be eliminated.  In the image below, the part of the butterfly and milkweed block to be used is the butterfly.  The part to be eliminated is everything that is part of the plant.

The new plant to be included in the image is the fall dandelion.  The parts that have been omitted on the dandelion block include many of the dry, fly-away seeds with their umbrella wind-catchers. The part that has been omitted on the Monarch block include everything "milkweed."  The trick is to eliminate the portions without damaging the block, so that it is possible to return to both of the original prints.  If either or both of the blocks were permanently altered, it would not be possible to return to the original image; the plate would be gone.   "Striking" the plate was actually the final step in the printing process to reserved a limited edition printing.  Once the "strike" has occurred, the prints run from the original complete the "run."

The new, combined image is the butterfly landing on the dry dandelion.  With careful alignment and planning, the image looks like a unique, original block that has been printed.

Monarch on Fall Dandelion Relief Combination - Black ranger ink on 300 series tan Strathmore paper.