Yearly, Lili Arnold’s mom would block-print vacation playing cards to ship to household and pals. When she was sufficiently old to wield a carving instrument, Arnold started to make her personal, too. Nevertheless it wasn’t till faculty, when she took an Intro to Printmaking class, that she grew to become enthralled with the apply’s myriad strategies.
Block printing particularly captured Arnold’s consideration due to its comparatively easy elements and approach—no big presses required. The block can increase in scale, incorporate totally different colours, or be layered with quite a few pressings.
“I think what I love most about the process is seeing my first print after so many hours of sketching, planning, carving, and troubleshooting,” Arnold tells Colossal. “There’s a lot of thought and time invested in the steps before the actual print becomes real, so when I see that first reveal, it’s both terrifying and thrilling.”
Arnold’s compositions typically revolve round pure topics, particularly botanicals like cacti and tropical flowers. She is fascinated by the atmosphere’s infinite interplay of colours, textures, patterns, and symmetry.
“There’s such vast diversity of plant life out there, each ecosystem encapsulating unique details and wonders,” she says. “We as artists and botanical patrons have the pleasure of translating and expressing our appreciation of this beauty through our artwork, writing, gardening, exploring, and beyond.”
Comply with updates on Arnold’s Instagram, and browse prints accessible for buy in her store.
