Vanessa McKiel
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vanessamckiel.bsky.social
Vanessa McKiel
@vanessamckiel.bsky.social
Inspired by wildflowers
Printmaker & writer in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Artwork available locally at the Lunenburg Art Gallery and Jenny Jib
or contact me through my website vanessamckiel.com
Lovely skies here last night!
#auroraborealis #lunenburgnovascotia
November 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
When printmakers carve pumpkins...
#printmaking #happyhalloween
October 30, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Reposted by Vanessa McKiel
A plant that crackles and pops! Jewelweed was our latest interviewee in the Wild Talk outdoor studio. With an original print by the marvellous @vanessa_mckiel
www.thebarnacle.ca/seven-questi...
@lunenburgbarnacle #nativeplants #jewelweed #fallcolours #naturewriting
October 17, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by Vanessa McKiel
It has been almost a full cycle of Wild Talk. And we have a real *treasure* of a plant coming up in Oct! With original linocuts from the inimitable @vanessa_mckiel. @lunenburgbarnacle www.thebarnacle.ca/tag/wild-talk/
#naturewriting #nativeplants #naturalizedplants #ediblewildplants #weedsnotlawns
September 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
All carved and ready to print!
#printmaking #linocut #commissionedart
September 15, 2025 at 6:30 PM
"Front Harbour with Fishes"
23" x 23" hand-coloured linocut with letterpress chine-collee is off to a new home!
#linocut #printmaking #printmaker
September 5, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Tiny little prints on scraps of paper!
#queenanneslace #linocut #printmaking
August 27, 2025 at 12:48 PM
"Front Harbour with Fishes"
23x23" hand-coloured linocut with letterpressed chine colle
is now front stage at the Lunenburg Art Gallery and I am so honoured and grateful!
#printmaking #linocut #novascotiaartist
July 5, 2025 at 2:07 PM
I am back from a fabulous 2 week artist residency on Nova Scotia's Brier Island. I was able to print 2 big linocuts (23x23") and now am happily hand-colouring fields of wildflowers. #linocut #printmaking #reliefprinting
June 22, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The first ten (of 25) are finished!

'Cod's eye view'
12x12" hand-coloured linocut with letterpress chine colle

#linocut #printmaking
May 17, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Woohoo!! My 24x24" image has been transferred to the linoleum block and I am carving!

#printmaker #linocut #linogravure #xilografia #novascotiaartist #reliefprint
May 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM
I am excited that my idea to letterpress onto red tissue paper before gluing it on to the print seems to have worked. This technique is called chine colle, but I will have to call this letterpress chine collee!

#linocut #printmaking #letterpress #chinecolle
May 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
More newborn prints! Finally finished carving a 12x12" lino and spent the day pulling prints. Once these have dried I will be painting the town!
#linocut #printmaking
April 29, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Mayflowers in April!
Mayflowers 4x4" linocut

#linocut #printmaking #mayflowers #trailingarbutus
April 21, 2025 at 7:32 PM
When you think you are paying attention and your test print confirms that you actually were not!

It's taken a long time but my tiny books are nearly there. Just printing the covers and then binding.

#letterpress #linocut #printmaking
April 19, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Some progress on the work in progress!
#printmaking #linocut
April 14, 2025 at 12:41 AM
New work in progress!

This is a 12x12" study for the larger 24x24" linocut I am planning.

#printmaking #reliefprint #linocut #linogravure #xilografia #novascotiaartist #oldtownlunenburg
April 10, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Newborn prints!
Nova Scotia's provincial flower should be blooming in a month or so.

Mayflowers 4x4" linocut

#printmaker #linocut #linogravure #novascotiaartist #mayflowers #trailingarbutus
March 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
And sometimes, spring in Nova Scotia moves so slowly that it seems to go backwards! A sugar snow covered everything last night. Luckily, snowdrops have antifreeze proteins and can create their own heat.
#flowerpower #novascotiaspring
March 27, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Spring in Nova Scotia is never in a hurry, but it is here! One day I might make a linocut inspired by these images.
#printmaker #novascotiaspring
March 26, 2025 at 5:34 PM
The spring rains have turned the lungwort lichen its lovely bright green!
Lungwort lichen 4x4" linocut
#printmaking #linocut #lichen #novascotiaartist
March 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The snowdrops are finally emerging in my yard and my snowdrop prints are nearly finished too! I printed some with sepia ink and some with green -- not sure which I like better! Do you have a preference?
#printmaking #linocut #snowdrops
March 16, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Learning Letterpress:
1. Old school: type is set and ready to ink for a test proof
2. New school: take a photo on a smart phone and flip it :)
I am sure it will get easier but it is remarkable how many typos you can make when you think you are being careful

#letterpress
March 10, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Snowdrops!!
9x9" hand-coloured linocut
#linocut #printmaking
March 1, 2025 at 9:16 PM
"What the people want is simple - they want an America as good as its promise."
--Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, born on this day in 1936, and as relevant as ever

With gratitude to amos paul kennedy jr and his school of bad printing 😊

#letterpress #printmaking
February 21, 2025 at 10:53 PM