I start by collecting textured rocks and fossils from Michigan shorelines and local spots

I sketch from real rocks or photos, simplifying them into black-and-white designs

I transfer the design to a lino block and carve away the negative space

I print the design using block printing ink on paper, fabric, and apparel

Texture is the biggest inspiration behind every piece I create

One of my favorite shirts I have printed!

It always starts with a rock

It starts outside.

On the shores of Lake Michigan, in random parks around Big Rapids, or honestly… sometimes just in my own backyard.

I’m always looking down.

Not just for any rock, but the ones with something to say.

The textured ones.
The fossils.
The ones that feel like they’ve been through something.

Because every rock is a tiny record of time. And I think that’s what pulls me in the most.

The ones with texture always win

I don’t usually go for the perfectly smooth stones.

I want the weird ones. The detailed ones. The ones that make you stop for a second.

Texture is everything to me.

That’s where the story lives.

That’s where the design comes from.

A Petoskey stone, for example, already has this insane natural pattern built in. I don’t have to invent anything, I just have to interpret it.

From rock → to sketch

Once I bring them home, I either:

Take photos of them
Or set them right on my desk and draw from real life

There’s something about having the actual rock in front of me that just hits different.

I start simplifying what I see.

Breaking it down.

Thinking about it in black and white, not color.

Because when you’re block printing, you’re not painting what’s there…
You’re carving away everything that isn’t.

Two styles of Petoskey Stones that I have carved

Figuring out what to carve

This is where it becomes a puzzle.

I’m looking at the texture and asking:

What needs to stay?
What needs to go?
Where does the contrast matter most?

It’s a lot of trial and error.

A lot of stepping back and looking again.

And honestly… a lot of trusting my gut.

The carving process (aka my favorite part)

From there, I move into the lino block printing process.

I use:

This part is slow, repetitive, super focused and I love it.

There’s something really satisfying about carving away material and watching the design slowly reveal itself.

It’s one of those things where you kind of lose track of time.

Here is a block with ink rolled on ready to be printed!

Bringing it to life with ink

Once the block is carved, it’s time to print.

And this is where it really becomes art.

I experiment a lot with color combinations, but lately I’ve been loving:

Light ink on dark shirts
Dark ink on light shirts

Like:

Turquoise on seafoam
Light pink on dark pink

There’s just something about those combinations that feels soft but still bold.

Why I love printing on fabric

I print on a lot of different materials, but t-shirts are easily my favorite.

Because now it’s not just something you hang on your wall.

It’s something you wear.

Something you take with you.

Something that started as a rock on a Michigan shoreline… and ended up as part of someone’s everyday life.

Creativity + repetition (my favorite combo)

The entire process is this mix of:

Creativity
Repetition

And weirdly… that’s exactly what I need.

The creativity keeps things exciting.

The repetition keeps it grounding.

It’s calming in a way I didn’t expect when I first started.

It all comes back to the texture

At the end of the day, everything I create goes back to that first moment:

Finding a rock.

Noticing the details.

Running my fingers over the texture.

That’s where every design starts.

And honestly? That’s what keeps me coming back.

Want to see the final pieces?

If you’re into Michigan-inspired textures, fossils, and nature-based designs, you can find them here:

How I Turn Rocks Into Art (My Block Printing Process)