The Selkie Girls is a charming original linocut print featuring joyful selkie girls frolicking freely in the ocean.
Selkies are key characters in the myths of Scandinavia, Scotland, and Ireland. These seal folk live with a funny kind of longing: when swimming as seals, they dream of the land, and when walking on two legs as humans, they ache to return to the sea. By shedding their sealskin, they can switch between the two worlds — and by putting it back on, they slip right back into their seal form.
This print is produced through hand relief printing using a carefully carved linocut block. The process begins with carving a design into a linoleum block—either Japanese or battleship grade—followed by inking the block and transferring the image onto heavyweight 280 gsm premium printmaking paper using an etching press. The paper is composed of 60% cotton, is acid-free, and archival, ensuring longevity and excellent preservation over time. Linocut printing, a traditional technique, intentionally retains subtle stray marks known as "chatter," adding unique texture to each print. The piece is unframed, signed, and shipped in eco-friendly packaging. Each print pull varies slightly in texture, exemplifying the distinctive qualities of relief printmaking.