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mokuhanga print

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I completed one large-ish print while I was on the mokuhanga residency in Japan: one that features plants in a garden. I was inspired by the abundant greenery all around the house, and in the surrounding gardens.I did some initial pencil sketches and arranged them in a wide landscape.Then did a painted version to work out solid areas of colour.I then started carving a long block of shina wood. And then carved, and carved some more...When the block was fully carved, I set up, ready to print.It's the largest mokuhanga print I've ever made, and was extremely challenging. But I learnt alot, and really pushed myself. I had only meant to do a pink and green version, but felt that blues might work too. I'm now fond of them both!I intend to take the print further, and create an artists book out of it. It'll be shown in Hawaii in a few month's time, and I'll blog again when it's all done...

meyer lemon seeds

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I recently packaged my mokuhanga lemon print for my collaborative project with Yoomni Nam and Katie Baldwin. I made an etching of a seed packet, and folded up the lemon print to fit inside: a print inside a print.seed-1The seed packet design is based on vintage references I found while researching my part of the project, which is about California.seed-2More news about this project, called Alabama + California + Kansas soon!

San Francisco snowdome

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I've been working on a new etching this week for an exchange project between my print workshop and a gallery in Japan. The theme is 'my San Francisco' and I decided to go for the ultimate kitschy object, the snowdome. snowdomes 1I still feel like a tourist here and I looked for all the things that really appealled to me when I first arrived. I feel like the Bay is San Francisco's heart, so I featured watery icons like the seal, the bridge, and the ferry building. And of course I couldn't leave out the fog, and the sutro tower, that you can see from everywhere...snowdomes 2I did several different versions of the print, some with colour/gold/stars and am still deciding which to show. We'll have the exhibition in our gallery in September and also in Japan around the same time. More details to follow!

print exchange

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I took part in a print exchange between my own print studio the Graphic Arts Workshop and the Print Club of Rochester which is now on show in the GAW gallery. There was no specific theme, so I decided to do a new playing card in my ongoing series.playing card 1 copyI sketched all sorts of wading birds and chose sandpipers doing a spot of fishing. The opening reception is this afternoon 3-5pm, please do pop in if you can!

GAW_Rochester_ExchangeHere's how they look on the walls...wall

exhibition prints

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My show continues for 2 more weekends, and I'll be at the studio this afternoon (saturday) so please feel free to drop in!pink jug 2Here are two of the newer pieces in the show. I've been experimenting with adding different media onto prints: the pink jug is a mokuhanga print with added pen line drawing, and the bird mug is an etching with watercolour.bird on a cupGraphic Arts Workshop: 2565 3rd St #305, San Francisco, CA 94107

upcoming exhibition

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I'm going to have a solo show in San Francisco, yay! It's in the little gallery at the front of my printmaking workshop in Dogpatch. The reception is on saturday 6 February from 2-5pm, I'd love to see you there!postcard front copyI'll be showing a selection of my ongoing playing card etching series, along with a new collection of mokuhanga woodcuts and etchings about tea. The show runs from February 5th – 27th on Fridays and Saturdays noon – 5pm, and by appointment at other times.

There will be a presentation by Linda Marshall about handmade Japanese washi paper at 1pm, just before the reception, so please do come along to that if  you're interested!

Graphic Arts Workshop: 2565 3rd St #305, San Francisco, CA 94107

 

coffee and jug print

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I've been working on some Japanese woodblock prints recently, and thought I'd show a few process photos. Here's my initial sketch...IMG_1876I then carved and sanded the wood plate and did the printing in three colours.IMG_1929I wasn't happy with the line showing the rim of the jug, so I carved it out, and printed extra layers of a more brushy look on top of the original flat dark areas, to add some depth and texture.IMG_2039And voila, the finished print.

kokeshi

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I've been trying to do more mokuhanga, and recently completed this print of Japanese kokeshi dolls for my new collaborative project with Yoomni Nam and Katie Baldwin.kokeshi 2 c;eaned This time we're calling our project alabama + california + kansas. You can find out more on our blog. We'll again be travelling to visit each other in our studios in these locations, and sending work to each other. Here's a pic of the wood block for this print, as I was carving it.

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Tokyo print exhibition

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Our collaborative mokuhanga print project wood + paper + box is on show until sunday at the Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidei). You can read all about it here.This is the installation, which shows a generally chronological view of our 1 year project.Each print was framed in perspex and had its own individual shelf. We showed each artwork as a physical object.This uchiwa fan is my final print. It's double-sided and when the light shines through the white jugs, you can see the reverse print pattern through it. Hope you can make it see the show!

phonograph project

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I've just completed my prints for the group portfolio project Phonografik Collectivo. I was invited to join, and assigned a letter, or glyph, from the Phoenician alphabet, and asked to create an edition of prints based on its sound. I was given the glyph

which has a sound like nu-n, or noon.

I listened to the sound over and over, and realised it reminded me of the repetitive sound of oars hitting the water. I've always liked Phoenician galley boats, so I developed my work from there as a starting point.I then decided to make etchings, of scattered Phoenician coins, that featured the glyph, in a sort of minimal, hidden way. I mixed a dark green/black ink, sort of an antiquey colour, with gold highlights and details.It's going to be so interesting to see how the other participants have responded to their glyphs.