Creating The Shelter Linocut Block

This block took around three months to carve.

It was a slow, physical process. Repetitive, but not mechanical. Each cut required attention - not only to the line, but to the pressure, the angle, the resistance of the material.

I didn’t work from a fixed plan. The image developed gradually, through accumulation. One line led to another. Some areas built up quickly, becoming dense and tight. Others stayed more open. At times it felt like getting lost inside it. At others, like finding a path.

The lino pushed back. Certain directions were easier, others fought against the tool. The hand had to adjust constantly. Grip, speed, depth - nothing stayed the same for long.

Working at this scale meant staying close to the surface. There was no distance. I had to move across the block, physically, shifting position, returning to areas, re-entering the structure again and again.

Over time, the surface became dense - a network of crossings, interruptions, and layered lines. What first felt chaotic slowly became familiar. Not organised in a clean way, but readable.