I interviewed artist Alexandra Buckle about her lino cut printing, her love of nature and teaching. Alexandra says about her art: “I gave the reduction lino printing technique a go and loved it straight away, I found it so exciting as you really never know what you are going to get at the end of the process, or at each layer for that matter. And it really allowed me to explore colour.”

Leslie: Can you describe the processes of lino cutting and reduction lino cutting please?

Alexandra: Lino printing is a form of relief printing where images are carved into lino with gouges. Ink is then transferred onto the lino block using a roller and any areas you have cut away on the lino will not take any ink. When paper is laid onto the inked up lino, the inky relief areas print and the gouged areas of the lino don’t print. A reduction lino print is created in the same way, however, the process is repeated to build up a multi-layered image, with layers of colour that are cut and printed from the same block of lino. As more layers are cut from the block, the surface is ‘reduced’ until it only retains the information to print the last layer of the print. This makes the prints truly original as the process destroys the block, it also means that all the prints in the edition (plus any spares to test on etc) must be created at once as there is no way to get back to a previous state of the block. Care must be taken to align the different layers on top of each other to create a crisp image. 

Leslie: What are qualities of your favourite cutters/gouges and barrens? How do they help you do your best work?

Alexandra: I have a selection of professional gouges made by Pfiel in different shapes and sizes, but I mostly use the U shaped ones as they create softer marks that suit my painterly style. I also like ones which are wide scoops as they make large painterly marks. I used cheaper cutters for many years, which are fine to use to be honest, they just don’t feel quite as luxurious to use. 

I pretty much stopped using barens once I got a press to print my larger work. If I am printing smaller I will still print by hand but I tend to use a wooden spoon to transfer the image as I have more control with it and it applies a lot of pressure. The press is invaluable for the larger prints as it is very difficult to print in reduction on a larger scale. 

Leslie: Why are woods your favourite places to find artistic inspiration?

Alexandra: I think I am happiest when I am walking in the woods, whether I’m crunching through dry fallen leaves or squelching through mud! My go-to woods is Stoke Woods near Bicester, managed by the Woodland Trust. Every season has something new to explore, and repeated visits are never boring because not only does the woodland change throughout the year as the weather and season alters, it changes year to year as trees fall and are replaced, new plants grow and the paths worn by visitors shift. In Spring I love the acid green as the leaves emerge and the woodland flowers, anemones, primroses, orchids and of course the bluebells, in Summer I love the sparkles of light that shine through summer foliage and the shade from the summer heat, in Autumn I love the variety of colour, the crunch of the fallen leaves and spotting mushrooms. And Winter is the most surprising discovery of all as there is a lot more colour than you would expect, beech leaves clinging to trees, moss growing on the ground, blue and purple hues in the shade and mist. 

At Stoke Woods I have favourite trees that I have been photographing for over ten years, they feel like old friends to me now, many of them have featured in my prints. 

Leslie: What were the first signs that you were interested in being an artist? What did you learn about painting and drawing as an artist that led to lino cutting?

Alexandra: I always enjoyed craft and design and liked art at school, particularly painting and colour theory. I think I knew that I wanted to have a creative career but I imagined I would have to work for a company as it was generally accepted that artists were poor and didn’t make any money. After art foundation I did a Design:Crafts degree at Staffordshire University which did put me in the mindset of being a solo creator, but the degree was geared towards creating in 3D. I ultimately made sculptural silver headpieces and jewellery. 

It wasn’t until a few years after I graduated, as I was making and selling jewellery and also enjoying a return to painting that I heard about the lino reduction technique which piqued my interest in lino printing again. I had done single-colour printing in the past but it didn’t appeal to me that much at the time. I gave the reduction technique a go and loved it straight away, I found it so exciting as you really never know what you are going to get at the end of the process, or at each layer for that matter. And it really allowed me to explore colour. 

For me, reduction lino married together my love of craft and painting. Quite quickly it became apparent that my approach to lino printing was quite unique and marketable and it took over from the jewellery making. I felt like I was able to create the type of images I would have loved to have had the skill to paint! Interestingly, I came back to painting recently and I found that ten years of printing has improved ‘my eye’ and I’m a better painter, even though I haven’t been practising in paint. 

Leslie: Tell us how you built up the layers and colours that went into ‘Lilly House Light’.

Alexandra: Lily House Light is a large linocut, the block measured 40x60cm. I first cut away areas of the block that I wanted the colour of the paper (white) to represent the sparkles of light. I then printed the first layer of light blues and greens in the water which had five colours applied in different areas of the block, to build interest and variation. Most of the colour was applied to the block with large rollers but in some areas I used a large paintbrush to give a looser effect. After cutting, the next layer to go on was a mid blue so I could add some rippling effects. I then started to work on the lily pad greens, working light to dark. I was selective as to which lily pads I inked in different tones to add more variation over all. I tried to cut the lily pads with large loose marks. Once the lily pad greens were complete I finished with the final dark layer of shadows and reflections to add contrast. 

This print had seven printed layers in total using thirteen different colours and I ended with an edition of 10 prints. 

Leslie: What have you learned from teaching lino cutting to adults?

Alexandra: I have been teaching lino printing for over ten years now. I’ve had hundreds of private one-to-one students in my studio and I learned that people are interesting! Over the course of a day, you can learn so much about someone’s life, their ups and downs, career choices, hobbies… Everyone had a different life story. Sometimes I felt like I was offering therapy through art and I was so glad to be able to offer that. 

On a more technical level, I have found that teaching has given me a better understanding of the linocut process as I had to quickly learn how to troubleshoot more effectively when students encountered problems, which in turn helped me to perfect my own technique. I found that I could use my students’ work as a way to explore ideas that I wouldn’t necessarily want to create myself but I got to exercise the planning part of my brain which opened up new possibilities for my own art. This is why I prefer people to come to my workshops armed with a few ideas of their own, as I enjoy the challenge of steering someone towards a satisfactory outcome from an image that I’m less confident with and I would find it boring if everyone was working on the same image. 

I also learned to manage many print designs at the same time while teaching group workshops – ensuring a group of twelve students all cut the right bit at the right stage can be a challenge!

And ultimately I learned that teaching art can be very enriching for the teacher and the student – I love seeing giddy, proud faces leaving with their creations. 

ABOUT LESLIE TATE’S BOOKS:

1. Love’s Register tells the story of romantic love and climate change over four UK generations. Beginning with ‘climate children’ Joe, Mia and Cass and ending with Hereiti’s night sea journey across Oceania, the book’s voices take us through family conflicts in the 1920s, the pressures of the ‘free-love 60s’, open relationships in the feminist 80s/90s and a contemporary late-life love affair. Love’s Register is a family saga and a modern psychological novel that explores the way we live now.
   • A signed copy of Love’s Register is available in pounds sterling here.
   • The paperback in other currencies is available here.                                                 
   • Ebook for Kindle in £s here and in $s here.                                                           
   • For other ebook reading devices here (all currencies). 
2. Heaven’s Rage is a memoir that explores addiction, cross-dressing, bullying and the hidden sides of families, discovering at their core the transformative power of words to rewire the brain and reconnect with life. “A Robin Red breast in a Cage / Puts all Heaven in a Rage” – William Blake. You can read more about/buy Heaven’s Rage here.
3. The Dream Speaks Back, written by Sue Hampton, Cy Henty and Leslie Tate, is a joint autobiography exploring imagination and the adult search for the inner child. The book looks at gender difference, growing up in unusual families and mental health issues. It’s also a very funny portrait of working in the arts, full of crazy characters, their ups and downs, and their stories. You can buy a signed copy of The Dream Speaks Back here.
4. Ways to be Equally Human tells the inside story of coming out as a non-binary person, from being ‘othered’ in gendered toilets to stepping up on stage & radio and taking action with Extinction Rebellion. Full of lyrical writing, humour and quirky insights, this is a book for lovers of language, nonconformists and passionate thinkers. You can buy a signed copy here.