Process

Block printing is a hands-on process that's been passed down across cultures for centuries. Katharine Watson's printed and painted designs all begin with original sketches that are then either hand-painted with watercolor or gouache, or carved into a block of linoleum.

A single small block may take her three to five hours, while larger ones take shape over weeks and months. Every flourish, petal, and detail you see in our prints was slowly and meticulously carved by hand, by Katharine. The finished blocks are then tested and printed on our hand-fed, hand-cranked presses that date back to the 1920s.

They're works of art in their own right. See them in action in our behind-the-scenes video, or get a glimpse of the before-and-after of our process below.