Lizards and the Art of Reduction Printmaking

Prints drape from the drying rack, while brayers, cutters, ink, and jigs are neatly stacked on the back counter ready for use.  Advanced Art jumped into the first fall project interpreting "My Morning Routine." We're doing four-color reduction prints with 12x12" safety cut blocks.  If you're wondering what a reduction print is, Wikipedia explains it as a "multi-colored print in which the separate colors are printed from the same block at different stages."  

Portrait of Licky Licky, courtesy of my student

Although everyone has the same theme, subject matter has ranged from pets to pancakes and  sweaters to Starbucks.  One student even brought in the subject for her print, a pet lizard affectionately dubbed "Licky Licky".  The lizard was momentarily left under my watchful eye quietly resting on a washcloth so my student could grab something from the other side of the room.  To avoid the possibility of a runaway lizard, I don't think I even blinked until my student returned to her desk.  To be fair, though, I don't think Licky Licky took her eyes off of me either.