The 14th Annual Roadworks Steamroller Printing Festival happened on Sunday at the San Francisco Center for the Book. It was a blast and the weather was perfectly sunny yet not too warm. A swarm of people watched a beehive of volunteers make prints.

First luscious black ink is rolled onto the linocut surface. Then the linocut(s) are arranged in the frame.

Then, after being covered by paper, a plastic sheet, a 1″ thick piece of fabric and a rug, the green 7 ton steamroller with gold filagree drives over them on Rhode Island street.

Roots of Motive Power provided the steamrollers. The organization exists to “preserve and restore steam and diesel powered equipment used in California north coast logging industry from the 1850s to the present.”

The prints are removed and set in racks to dry. Look at the gorgeous black ink!

Then the linocuts are then put back in a rack until the next run.

I bought two “personal” or smaller prints and would have loved to walk out with about six altogether. Each print was made to order. It was a fabulous event!