The Joy of Teaching Printmaking

Big Lebowski block prints carved by a student in my printmaking class. (photo courtesy of Alexandra)

I started teaching block printmaking in 2012. My first student was my mom. She’d been diagnosed with dementia and as her memory faded she fell into a state of deep depression. She’d always been a spark plug for our family, an enthusiastic cheerleader. I wanted to do the same thing for her.

I’d been carving block prints for years and I found the process relaxing. One night, I visited my mom with my art supplies. As a teenager, her favorite actor was James Dean. I transferred a pencil sketch of the actor to a linoleum block then showed her how to carve around the lines to make an etched block.

While working together, we played the American Graffiti soundtrack with songs from my mom’s teenage years. A funny thing happened. My mom started smiling. And laughing. When the song “At the Hop” came on, she sang along with the lyrics. For the first time in years I felt as if I was with my mom as she used to be.

I asked my mom what color she wanted for the print. She chose red. Specifically dark red. In color theory, dark red corresponds to determination, courage and passion. My mom’s dementia was scary and confusing. Her choice of color reminded me she was still a fighter.

My mom and I rolled ink on the carved block with a brayer. We placed print paper atop the block and I showed her how to use a baren (hand press) to…