"Out, damned spot!" So says Lady Macbeth, imagining the blood that stains her hand as she is wracked with guilt over taking part in murder. I was inspired to create this piece after watching the ballet Macbeth. In a pre-show talk, the choreographer spoke about the use of hand gestures to interpret Shakespeare's story for the audience, and my linocut continues with this theme. The pink and green pattern in the background is reminiscent of Scottish tartan, yet it swirls as the world starts to turn surreal for Lady Macbeth and her husband in the scenes where they begin to go mad. The pink reflects Lady Macbeth's advice to her husband to "look like the innocent flower"—and the green her advice to "be the serpent under it." Green also stands for the jealousy that drives the story.

This was created as a reduction print, which enabled the colours and patterns to line up perfectly. Because this method destroys the linocut print as it is created, there will only ever be 18 limited edition prints of this piece.

Approximate size

• Printed area (not including the signature): 6 1/2" w x 8 1/2" h
• Paper: 8 1/2" w x 10 1/2" h

Frame not included.

The colour may vary slightly from what you see on-screen.

Limited edition

This is a limited edition of 18 "variable edition" (VE) prints, individually numbered and signed.

"Variable edition" means that print you receive may not be exactly as shown in the photos. Each print is unique due the handmade nature of printmaking, which produces subtle differences based on the alignment of the paper and linocut, ink coverage and pressure while printing.

When printing, I keep the environment in mind

I use:

• real linoleum sheets that are made from all-natural materials like wood pulp and linseed oil, and are fully biodegradable

• Cranfield’s Caligo Safe Wash Relief Inks, which are oil-based but don’t require harmful solvents to clean up after printing

• heavyweight, fine-textured paper that is acid-free, meaning it uses fewer chemical agents during manufacturing and won’t yellow or break down over time

• as little packaging as possible to ensure the print arrives to you safely.