Enchantress of Numbers

This is the on-going saga of my block print of Ada Lovelace (previously mentioned here and here). So, after drawing her on paper, and deciding that the equations did not look right on the gears, I re-drew her on lino with the equations around the circumference of the gears. Yes. Carving three equations with super- and subscripts is a new level of insanity in my printmaking. Enjoy!


My first move was to print several proofs on sketchbook paper. Then I moved to Japanese kozo (mulberry) (11" x 14") paper. I printed the single block into two colours: silver and turquoise. I found that this was pretty, but not quite what I wanted; the colours were insufficiently saturated and the detail was not as visible as I wished.

So, I did a run on mauve Japanese gampi paper (10.5" x 15.25"). This time, I used gold for the gears and face with a mix of purple and turquoise for her dress.

The equations depicted around the gears relate how to calculate Bernouilli Numbers. This is not only because Ada published how to do this MECHANICALLY, but because she foresaw that machines would one day be able to work with SYMBOLS (like those used, for instance) and not just numbers!

Process on the Princess of Parallelograms

I don't usually post shots about my process of printmaking, but here goes. This is the drawing I made on Monday evening at the music for drawing soiree. Reynardin posted hers, so I have been inspired to share.

This is a drawing of Countess, Lady Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), who published the first computer program.* She worked together with Charles Babbage, the inventor of the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine (the first - analogue! - computers), correcting his notes on how to calculate Bernoulli Numbers with the Analytical Engine. More importantly, she (a great communicator, daughter of mad, bad and dangerous to know Lord Byron) was able to understand and explain the workings of the analytical engine and the potential of computing machines. Her comments seem visionary to the modern reader. Babbage called her the Enchantress of Numbers and the Princess of Parallelograms.

She is shown in front of my sketch of one of Babbage's drawings for gears within his machine. Also included are some equations for Bernoulli numbers.

The image of her is inspired by a couple of well-known engravings. This will end up as a lino block, so everything will be reversed, when ultimately I carve and print it.


So the next step is to draw the image on a lino block. I do not use any transferring techniques. I re-draw my image. This gives me a chance to fix and change things. For instance, I think she looks more like Ada now. Also, I haven't made a decision about including equations. Since she had nothing to do with designing hardware, I want to hint at software - specifically the mathematics. I was not convinced by the placement of the equations on the drawing. I had this brainstorm to write them on the gears; this would convey that the movement of the gears could ultimately make the calculations. Except, I don't like how it looks. The equations are not matched to the size of the gears... and there is no artistic license when it comes to equations. So, I have to think some more...

Like my stripey new shoes?

*Mysteriously, she looks like Faunalia's friend (and mini-me) Becca.