Moku Hanga

I had a blast at the Moku Hanga workshop that I attended last weekend at the Zea Mays Printmaking Studio in Florence, Massachusetts. I learned so much about this traditional Japanese method of woodblock printing. Two days were not nearly enough to assimilate and practice all the new techniques. My head is spinning with ideas and I can't wait to get the additional tools that I need to continue printing multi-colored woodblocks.

Here is Annie Bissett, our guru, demonstrating how to mix inks. There were nine participants in the workshop, all fabulous artists, all fun to work with, all inspirational. The studio was spacious and full of light. We each had our own work table and plenty of elbow room. Annie was a constant source of wisdom.

Here I am carving one of my four blocks for the four colors in my print -- yellow, red, blue, and black.

Now I'm inking the first block in yellow.

I carved Kento marks in the corner and bottom edge of each of my four woodblocks to help me place the paper just so on each block.

Finally, I rubbed the back of the paper with a baren to press the ink from the woodblock into the paper. And, Voila!

Here's my first Moku Hanga wooblock print. Not the undisputed masterpiece that I had intended to create, but a start. I hope there will be many more to come.

For more photos of the workshop, check out Annie Bissett's wonderful blog, woodblockdreams.