Merry Christmas 2025!
Subject: „Winter Scene in Three Shapes“
The artwork, entitled “Winter Scene in Three Shapes,”, depicts, as the title suggests, an abstract winter landscape constructed from the geometric shapes of circles, triangles, and rectangles. The composition of the shapes is based on the golden ratio, but is deliberately counteracted by an asymmetrical arrangement. Another notable element is the free-swinging line that embraces the geometry of the image and separates the sky from the horizon.
The color scheme of the image thrives on the contrast between a deep blue and a warm yellow that shines from inside the implied house and on the horizon. Behind it are two silent pine trees in a mixed shade of green. The composition was significantly influenced by the theories of Wassily Kandinsky, in particular his 1926 work “Point and Line to Plane,” which I recently studied.
Printing technique: Linocut - Reduction printing
I chose linocut as my printing technique because linoleum is easy to work with by hand. To keep the edition as exclusive as possible, I chose the special technique of reduction printing, which was also popularly used by Picasso.
Reduction printing uses a single printing plate, which is continuously worn away with each layer of ink. This means that the printing plate changes permanently and cannot be reused. Reprinting additional copies is only possible in a new edition with a newly carved printing plate. The process requires very precise planning of the individual layers, as the colors are printed on top of each other. The order of the layers and the removal of the plate determines which areas are ultimately visible in which color. In addition, the work must be as precise as possible so that all layers are printed congruently. The design “Winter Scene in Three Forms” was printed in four layers.
Production process: From sketch to art print
The next step was the manual process of printing. First, I transferred the sketch onto the linoleum printing plate in reversed form. To do this, I painted over the sheet with pastel chalk and traced the lines on the back. Then I began the initial carving work for the white areas where no ink was to be printed. I used a cutting tool to carefully carve the fine lines into the plate. Once the plate was prepared, I built a printing device with the same height as the printing plate so that the paper would not crease during printing. With the help of a guide the size of the paper, I ensured that all sheets could be printed in the same position. Then the actual printing process began. To do this, I spread the slightly viscous linoleum printing ink on a glass plate and applied an even layer of ink to the printing plate. The plate was then placed in the device and the paper was laid on top. I pressed the paper evenly with a cloth and carefully pulled it off again. This process was repeated for each layer, with a day of drying time in between. The image was printed in the order yellow, black, blue, and green. The final step was to sign, number, and label the prints.
From the initial sketch to the finished art print, the process took several weeks and involved many steps. I started by sketching the design with a pencil and set square. I cut a sheet of paper to the desired final size and experimented with the arrangement of circles, triangles, and rectangles in relation to each other. The first elements to be created were the rectangles that suggest the glimpse of a house (it was important to me to establish a connection to architecture). Gradually, the design began to take shape. I added new elements and removed others until I had a harmonious image that felt right. The next step was to find a suitable color scheme. I tried out different color schemes with colored pencils and digitally, and finally decided on a reduced color palette of blue and yellow (also basic colors from the Bauhaus school). I added the color green later to give the image additional depth and a sense of calm.
Art print: Florian Kaiser-Winter, “Winter Scene in Three Forms,” 2025
The art print “Winter Scene in Three Forms” (2025) was hand-printed using gum arabic-based aqua linocut ink on 300 gsm Hahnemühle paper. The paper format is 18 cm × 24 cm. The print area measures 15 cm × 21 cm and is surrounded by a 1.5 cm border. The edition is limited to 25 numbered and hand-signed copies.