About

Hey! I'm Katie, the artist behind Ginger Kiss Print Shop and I'm based in Manawatu, Aotearoa New Zealand. I create limited edition woodcut and linocut prints, and hand screen printed textiles, alongside my part time job.

I'm obsessed with cups of tea, flowers, plants, colours and cats. You may notice these themes to tend to pop up in my work quite often!

In 2017 I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a major in sculpture, from the University of Canterbury. Since leaving university I have focused on further developing my skills in screen printing on textiles and multiple block relief printmaking. I have also worked in several jobs that have a strong focus on colour, including baking colourful macarons and selling paint colours.

In late 2019 I made a big commitment to focusing on my printmaking by buying my trusty etching press, lovingly known as Ginger, and Ginger Kiss Print Shop was born! The first lockdown in 2020 gave me a chance to hone my skills and I began selling my wares at markets in Ōtautahi Christchurch. In June 2021 my husband, cat Ziggy, Ginger the press and I made the big move back north to our home town in Manawatu.

The prints I create are very different to a standard digital or giclee print. 

My prints are made by hand from start to finish.

There are many steps involved, and it can be very time consuming, particularly for creating some of the colourful prints you'll find on my website:

• Firstly, I design and draw an image by hand, using photos I have taken or sketches as reference. 
• I then transfer this sketch to either lino or plywood, and then use chisels to carve a detailed 'key' block.
• This is then printed and transferred to 3 or 4 more pieces of lino or plywood. I then carve different areas out of each block to represent different colours in the image I am trying to create.
• Next comes the proofing stage, where I test out how each block is lining up and decide the colours I want to use in the final print. This stage can take quite a while because I've got to work out how to mix the exact shades of colour I am after and decide on the most effective colour combinations.
• I then prepare my paper for printing the final edition. This step involves ripping paper to the correct size using a heavy ruler and attaching registration tabs to the back of the paper so the colours line up well on each print.
• I then print the final edition of the image. Each colour is individually mixed, and then applied to the printing block using a brayer, before being printed in the press. I only print one colour at a time, to ensure the colours dry and layer up crisply, so this takes place over several printing sessions.
• Once the prints are dry, each print is numbered, titled, dated and signed by me.
• And it is now ready to find a new home where it can be enjoyed by you!

 

I do my best to ensure consistency between prints, but the nature of the process means that each one is a little bit unique and different in its own way.

All of my editions are limited, but I may reprint them sometimes in a different colour way.