Steamroller printing!

I'm working on a print for an upcoming steam roller printing day, to be held this fall at Asheville Bookworks! If you're not already familiar with steam roller printing: this is when a group of people get together, rent a steamroller, and make prints from oversized carved blocks that don't fit in most normal-sized presses. After carving the blocks, apply ink over the surface, place it on the ground (a nice smooth pavement preferred), then place a large sheet of paper or cloth over it, cover it with blankets, then literally drive a steam roller over it. This applies the pressure you need to transfer the ink from the block to the paper. I'll be documenting my progress here, starting with this, the first sketch. It's only 6"x6" right now, but will be enlarged and transferred to a 3'x3' block, to make a final 3'x3' print!

To see more about steam roller printing, check out this video of the 10th Annual Day of the Dead Steamroller Printing at The University of Montana, Missoula, MT. It shows the process from beginning to end, including an awesome print parade at the end.