Jo Spencer joined the Pointe Blank collective with only a few days until we launched, she pulled around a wonderful idea and design in rapid time. She shares with us her idea and process…

“Trained as a designer, I normally approach a project in a really structured and controlled manner – which works well for client-based projects. However, I like to try to inject a bit of personality and have fun with projects when I can and this was the perfect excuse to get my hands dirty and get back to a more traditional method of image making. Using lino cutting enables me to create an aesthetic which is not perfect; and cannot be controlled down to the finest detail.

In the story, Dr Coppélius is an industrious man and somewhat of an alchemist. By fusing the traditional craft of lino with a more modern desktop-bound way of working, I hope to have captured some of the essence of the narrative; a story that although written hundreds of years ago, still appeals to audiences around the world today.

 
I cut the lino by hand, printed the two designs – one with pattern and one without to represent the confusion surrounding Coppelia’s identity. The end of the process saw me scan the two lino prints and create the offset digitally using Illustrator and adding the other typographical elements.”

Thanks to Clare Kelly for the wonderful photos.