Reduction Linocuts of Cats | Anne Gaines Fine Art

Let me introduce myself. My name is Anne Gaines, my company is Anne Gaines Fine Art, and I am most well-known for my Reduction Linocuts of cats. One look at my art, and it goes without saying, I love cats! I have lived with a cat for most of my life, and I like to think that I am a keen observer of these creatures, and these influences are seen in my art.

My art begins with a thumbnail sketch and a smooth piece of linoleum. Out of necessity, I work from a very good drawing.  I render my palette down to fewer than a dozen colors, and establish the color placement, before I make the first cut in the linoleum.  Rather than creating numerous linoleum plates (one for each color), reduction printmaking uses a single plate that is carved, and re-carved, to become the printing plate for the next color.  I use Japanese woodcut tools and print with water soluble ink on hotpress watercolor paper, without a printing press.

Reduction linocut is my joy, and acts are my favorite subject:  I love to draw and plan, I like order, I enjoy creating with a limited palette, I like the feel of carving the linoleum, and I revel in the shock of adding a new color during the printing process.  I am constantly inspired by birds, trees, flowers, my cat, other animals, and the Scriptures. I feature cats in a large percentage of my reduction linocuts;  I love to create colorful, bright, whimsical cat art.  In addition to creating reduction prints, I also teach printmaking workshops to share my knowledge.  It is wonderful to see others learning and enjoying the printmaking process.