The Seed Packet by Seed’s Gate Print Shop
The First Seed’s Gate Print Shop Newsletter
Issue 01 - The Birth of Seed’s Gate
Hello! Welcome to Seed’s Gate Print Shop!
If you don’t already know me, my name is Katlyn and I am a 31 year old wife to my amazing husband, mom to two growing boys, 12 and 5, and currently expecting boy number three! I am the sole artist behind Seed’s Gate and so far it has been a wonderful and continually sanctifying experience.
Seed’s Gate Print
Seed’s Gate started as a small idea. In a time when I was searching for meaning and grace, I was rediscovering the faith I was raised with and the power of a faith able to move mountains captivated me. To believe in something so strongly that it could defy the laws of the natural world was something I wanted and the God behind such wonder is a God I wanted to get to know. My husband and I had already started walking a path of reconstruction after both straying away from church as teens and digging in was a natural next step.
The good Lord made my brain in a way that it operates in images. Not in a photographic memory sort of way (my memory is actually rather poor lol) but I think and understand better in pictures and diagrams than I do in words. I started reading my Bible, devouring all the snippets on small faith and His Grace that I could. A need for repentance had knocked on my door, though I didn’t understand that or know it at the time. I needed mountains to move in my life and I could feel I’d found the righteous path.
From the beginning, the image in my head - when pulling together these ideas of the mustard seed, faith, grace, and drastic change - there was always a mountain in the background. Early drafts had a mustard seed under the mountain but as it evolved, the gate became a forward element.
The gate represents a choice, the one all people have to make: to follow Him or to not. The path is a path of life walking with Jesus - leading down into the mountain range where we are not promised an easy way. The mountain in the distance, oh it can be so many things! It can be the mountain that is moved by your seedling faith, as it was for me at the time. A nugget of God I find now in recall, some years later, is that it is so much more part of the path than something shoved out of the way. It was the problem that led to an early valley, but that same mountain also has a peak! And oh boy has my God moved that mountain in a way that has blessed us! I can plant my flag on its peak and talk all day about how He has transformed that valley.
In the midst of my troubles, taking my proverbial mustard seed, I entered my gate. And in so many ways, this art shop is a continuation of that choice though I’m still learning how to properly prioritize. I had wanted to open an art shop for years but for a long time I had lacked a medium I felt comfortable in and a meaningful subject matter. Now I had this novel printmaking process I was learning and a fire for how His Grace was renewing me and my relationships. I didn’t have the words or any bible literacy but I had this image in my head that I had to share. That is how Seed’s Gate was born.
“He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20
This little shop is made to be so much bigger than myself, with a purpose much bigger than I ever dreamed I would reach for. As a family we strive to follow Jesus and we are actively learning to regularly read and share the gospel. My goal with this shop is to use art to share the lessons I am learning and as much of Jesus from those lessons as I can.
I am continually inspired by how our Lord and Savior reveals himself through His Word and His creation. I seek to share that wonder through my art so that it may help you see the Hand of God in the peaks, the valleys, in the golden sun rise, and even in your deepest darkest grief, because He walks with us always.
Featured Seed’s Gate Prints
Every piece tells a story and as I send out newsletters I will tell each one. For now, please feel free to peruse what I’ve already written.
Rising Print
‘Rising’ is a multi block, jigsaw linocut print. Rising is inspired by Easter and its most prominent aspects, including one of my favorite things: stained-glass. The title intends to invoke not only Christ’s crucifixion and subsequent resurrection but also His ascension to Heaven to be with the Father. He died for us, overcame death, and then went ahead of us to prepare a place for us in heavenly places. He sits at the right hand of the Father until the day of the judgement of the Lord.
There is something about the ascension of Christ, leaving Earth to prepare the way for believers and sending down the spirit to guide us that settles a peace on me that feels something like sunshine. This inspired the colors of this piece. Simple but vibrant!
He is risen!
“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,”
Ephesians 1:19-20
Mustard Plant Print
‘Mustard Plant’ is a simple relief print. I love the Parable of the Mustard Seed. The simple symbolism of the smallest seed and the power of the smallest faith to move mountains. The beauty of its large leaves of the shading God’s creation. The mustard plant also has many practical uses including food, medicine, and making pigments from the stalk, leaves and yellow flowers.
“He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20
“He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Matthew 13: 31-32
About Linocut Printmaking
One of the things that draws me in with printmaking is how complicated it is! Each print requires multiple steps of development to get from concept to final print and each step can look different from print to print. So many decisions to make and each one impacts the final product!
Basic relief carving
This is where I started with pink erasers and an e-xacto knife! The general gist of this is to either carve the negative space around your image so it prints as a line drawing or carve the line and print the negative space so your lines are the color of the paper you print on. It sounds wonderfully simple, but gets more complex as the image gets more detailed.
Screwtape Letters Bookmark
Screwtape Linoblocks
Multi-block
A multi-block print is a single print using two or more blocks.
Wuthering Heights Bookmark
Wuthering Heights Linoblocks
Jigsaw
I have really liked this method though printing these tend to be time intensive. Using this method, you cut apart the lino so multiple colors can be used on one print.
Blueberries Jigsaw Print
Blueberries Linoblock
Reduction
This particular method is intimidating to me. This method allows for high detail and multiple colors but by nature is limited edition because the block is completely destroyed as you go. You print in multiple layers, carving a small amount at a time. I don't have any reduction pieces yet but if you are curious, look up Jennie Smallenbroek. She is a professional printmaker out of the Netherlands and has made some breathtaking 15+ layer reduction prints! I have a 5 layer reduction print in the works so stay tuned for sneak peaks and progress pictures in the coming months! In the meantime, here is a sneak leak from when I was mixing colors! I am looking forward to sharing this one with everyone!
Sneak Peak
Resurrection Lily
With inspirations ranging from Greek vases to the miracle filled life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is my largest piece yet. It is on the back burner while I prep for market but I plan to have a print run on these beauties sometime this summer!
Upcoming Events/Sneak Peaks
Market on Main - NEXT WEEKEND!!
June 6, 2026 - 10 AM - 2 PM
305 East Main Street
Downtown Nacogdoches
One Last Note
In the slow build of Seed’s Gate over the last two years, I have battled with imposter syndrome and heavy conflict about my ambition here being impure and selfish. I have wrestled with the fear that people will perceive me as a fake; that I am simply using the beauty of faith, of the Gospel, and all the wonder it has for our lives earth-side as nothing more than a spring board to make money. I regularly try to give this to God, especially as I prepare for market and take care of the business end of things.
All that being said, this shop is first and foremost a ministry and it requires intentionality to keep that direction. If you know someone going through something that one of my pieces speaks to, please let me know! I would love to join in prayer for them and to be able to gift such pieces free of charge in hopes they put it where they will see it and be reminded of the Goodness of God in the depths of their struggles.
Thank you so much for signing up for my newsletter! I am touched by the response of people wanting to hear more about my art and the meaning behind it. I feel so blessed to be part of such a wonderful Jesus-loving community. I intend to give this group the latest info on new creations, events, and sales. We will see how things mature!
Thank you for coming on this adventure with me!
-Katlyn
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