👣 The Canvas We Walked On 🎨 The Story of Linoleum Art 🖼️
🎨 A follow-up story branching from the “Techniques and Materials” chapter in the Art Album. ✂️ Linocut, or linoleum art, invites children to explore one of the boldest and most accessible forms of printmaking. Originally a floor covering, linoleum was discovered by artists as a soft, carvable surface perfect for making expressive prints! 🌟 This story opens the door to experimenting with carving, inking, and pressing designs just like famous artists once did. It links beautifully with other stories in the chapter where children explore printing, mark-making, and the many ways humans leave impressions behind—on paper, in clay, and even through fabric dyeing. This hands-on exploration of positive and negative space, pattern, and design encourages children to ask: What kind of picture would I carve if I had only one color to tell my story? 🧠🖌️
ART STORIES
7/14/20252 min read
A long time ago, linoleum was just something people walked on. This smooth, rubbery material was made to cover floors in kitchens and classrooms and hospitals! 👣 But one day, an artist looked at a leftover piece and thought… “Wait a minute! This feels just like something I could carve!”
Artists discovered that linoleum was soft enough to carve with simple tools, yet strong enough to hold the shape of their drawings. So instead of using wood like in old times, they carved into linoleum, rolled it with ink 🎨, pressed it onto paper—and ta-da! A beautiful picture appeared! But here’s the surprise: everything was backwards! 👀 A bird they carved facing left printed facing right. A word they carved had to be written in mirror writing to come out the right way!
It was like making your own magical stamp. 🔁✨
Soon, this new way of printmaking became so fun and useful that even famous artists tried it—like Pablo Picasso! 🧑🎨 He loved how linoleum could hold sharp lines and bold shapes. Also he could make more from the same picture. He made bold, exciting pictures full of shapes, animals, and people. You can see some of his famous linocuts like Still Life with Snacks and Bottle or Still Life by Lamplight, 1962. 🖼️✨ Lady with a Ruff, 1963 and Man with a Ruff, 1963. Do you notice something curious about these two linocuts—Lady with a Ruff and Man with a Ruff? 🎨🖼️ Look closely…the frames.
But linoleum isn’t just something from the past—it’s still used today in schools and hospitals and other public buildings—especially where people want eco-friendly, durable, and easy-to-clean floors. 🌍✨! 🏫🏥 Because it’s made from natural things like linseed oil 🌱, cork dust, and wood powder, making it strong, easy to clean, and better for the Earth 🌍.
I brought here some linoleum sheets, which you can use to make a mini poster, wallpaper, create cards, or design wrapping paper or your own stamp! 🎁✨ Just imagine—people once only thought of linoleum for floors… but now you’ll use it to make your own art! 🖼️✨
💭 I Wonder… what kinds of patterns or pictures would you carve? What other materials could you use to make stamps if you don’t have linoleum? Could you try potatoes, sponges, or soft foam? 🥔🧼
🎨 Possible Follow-Up Exploration: Make Your Own Unique Linocut Stamp! 🎨
✅ Step 1: Draw your design on tracing paper. 🎨 START SMALL AND SIMPLE
✅ Step 2: Flip the tracing paper onto the lino block, drawn side down, and scribble on the back to transfer your design onto the linoleum. ✏️
✅ Step 3: Use carving tools to carefully cut out the design—always cut away from your supporting hand! 🖌️
✅ Step 4: Roll out a small amount of ink until it feels tacky, then spread it evenly over your lino block. 🎨
✅ Step 5: Line up your paper carefully on the lino block and press down in gentle circular motions using a burnishing tool or spoon. 🥄
✅ Step 6: Slowly lift the paper—ta-da! You’ve made your first print! ✨
If you don’t have linoleum, try the same process with potatoes, soft foam, or even thick cardboard. Design your own poster, greeting cards, or patterned paper—just like artists have done for hundreds of years! 🎁
With Montessori joy,
Vanina 😊
