This is the image from Christmas Card from a couple years ago, of a black lab waiting outside on a snowy day.
In a reduction lino-cut block print, each color involves its own printing process. Prints are typically printed from lighter colors to darker colors. To do this print, all of the areas that a printed as the white snow were cut away, and the plate was inked in a light green, and printed. So the first "pull" and the uninked white areas and the some trees. Next, some trees were cut away, and a slightly darker green was rolled on the linoleum. Since the trees were cut-away, it's nolonger inked. After the second pull, the print has the two colors of trees and the white snow. Next, everything is cut away except fot the dog, and printed black. The red dog collar was hand colored on the actual print.
Unlike a regular block print, that can be printed any number of times. The number of prints for a reduction cut is limited to the number in the first pull, since the plate is slowly destroyed with new color/cut. Along the way they are registration mistakes, where the image doesn't line up correctly, or not enough ink was applied. So you need to plan on a certain number mistakes along the way. So to make the 50 final prints, I started with 60 first pull prints.
