Today and tomorrow are the last days to see my show at GAW in San Francisco. Hope you can make it! You can view these two hand-detailed mokuhanga prints of a jug and a mug...
It's a series of four, with pen-drawn lines, but these two just seem to go so nicely together.
editions
exhibition continues
My show opened last weekend in Dogpatch, San Francisco. Here's me hanging my work...
Thank you to everyone who came to the opening reception, I am full of love for you all!
The show runs from February 5th – 27th on Fridays and Saturdays noon – 5pm, and by appointment at other times. I'll be at the studio most saturdays while the show is up, if you'd like to drop by!
Graphic Arts Workshop: 2565 3rd St #305, San Francisco, CA 94107
upcoming exhibition
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!
I'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
open studios this weekend
Today was the first day of our annual open studios at Graphic Arts Workshop. Here's the sunny studio all ready and waiting for the first visitors.
I set up my portfolios, wrapped prints and picture wall, featuring most of my newest artwork in a variety of frames.
I've been working on a new series of little prints based on the zodiac horoscope signs which are on show here for the first time.
I hope you'll all pop in to visit tomorrow, I'll be there from 11-6. Thank you to everyone who came to see us today. Happy Halloween!
open studios in a week
Next weekend: 31 Oct and 1 Nov, I'll be showing my work at the annual San Francisco Open Studios event, in my print studio in Dogpatch. You can find all the info you need about the Graphic Art Workshop here. I'll be showing new work, like this hand-detailed mokuhanga print,
and some new playing card prints like these.
Of course I'll be showing a wide variety of ceramic etchings, like this popular blue peonies print,
which you can also see at the preview show in SOMArts gallery in downtown San Francsico right now.
I do hope you can make it to the open studios, I'll be there from 11-6 on saturday and sunday. It's always nice to buy art direct from the artists! Please do come and say hello.
Kansas visit
I've just got back from a wonderful visit to Kansas. I spent a day doing a spot of teaching at Emporia State University and giving a presentation there. Here's a great poster one of the students made for my talk:
I went to Lawrence, to set up a collaborative exhibition with my friends Yoonmi Nam and Katie Baldwin at the new Wonder Fair gallery downtown.
We had our opening on saturday evening, which was super busy and fun!
We showed our project wood + paper + box, along with a special silk-screened poster of our complete box (available to buy from Wonder Fair).
We each also had space to show our own individual work. Here's mine, hung salon style.
The show will be up until mid November, so please do pop in and take a look if you're nearby!
stationery set
I've collaborated with my friends Katie Baldwin and Yoomni Nam on a hand-printed paper stationery set for Wonderfair's Letter Writing Club, in Lawrence, Kansas. 
This is a photo of all the elements before they're packed together. I made the letter sheets with envelope, and also did the calligraphy for the top label (which Katie then screenprinted). The letter sheets are relief printed in green/gold. Here's the gold block,
and the tests I printed to choose exactly the colour that would work.
Here's the final set all put together. They'll be for sale at the club, and then afterwards at Wonderfair. 
The club meetings are held regularly, to encourage good ol' fashioned writing letters, and we'll all be attending the next one on Sunday 20th September. Hope to see you there!
coffee and jug print
I've been working on some Japanese woodblock prints recently, and thought I'd show a few process photos. Here's my initial sketch...
I then carved and sanded the wood plate and did the printing in three colours.
I 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.
And voila, the finished print.
wedding anniversary two
in editions, people, printmaking
Today is our second wedding anniversary, hurrah! I made this little etching of a constellation of stars to celebrate...
open studio
in editions, exhibitions, printmaking, products, San Francisco, shopping, travel, USA
Today and tomorrow I'll be at my studio in Dogpatch, San Francisco, with lots of prints for sale. I'd love to see you, please pop by!
Graphic Arts Workshop, 2565 3rd St. #305 San Francisco, CA 94107. 11am – 6pm both days.
For the first time, I even have a selection of my vintage prints for sale... 
It's been fun sorting through my collection, I'm looking forward to sharing!
open studios San Francisco
I'll be taking part in San Francisco's Artspan open studios next weekend: October 25 & 26th, at my print studio in Dogpatch: Graphic Arts Workshop, 2565 3rd St. #305 San Francisco, CA 94107. 11am - 6pm both days
It's an opportunity to visit the print studio, and buy prints directly from the artists. I'll have a big selection of etchings...
some lithographs, and also some Japanese woodblock prints...
All available to purchase. Some work is framed, most is unframed. I'll also be selling some limited edition greetings cards.
Bring along your wallets for some happy bargains!
Really hope to see you there.
Tokyo print exhibition
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!
Tokyo
in drawings, editions, exhibitions, food, friends, japan, printmaking, travel
I'm in Tokyo for the 2nd International Mokuhanga Conference, where I'll be giving a presentation as part of our group project wood + paper + box, and also showing some work in the corresponding exhibition. Photo to follow of that next week! In the meantime, here's a tasty picture of our okonomiyaki dinner last night...
phonograph project
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.
wedding anniversary
Today is our first wedding anniversary, hurrah us! It's represented by 'cotton' or 'paper', depending on where you live, so I made this little etching on cotton paper...
exhibition weekend in San Fransciso
Thank you to everyone who made it along to see our printmaking studio exhibition in the Mission this weekend. There was an amazing selection of prints on show, in all sorts of techniques.
The opening on saturday evening was super busy and the bookshop/gallery ambience was relaxing and unusual!
season's greetings!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season full of warm and tasty treats...
framed teapot print
Here's a nice photo from kapok, advertising their hanging lights. It's got my blue Peony etching in a pretty white frame on the right hand side!
lavender sachets
I've decided to make one special limited edition Mariko Jesse product collection every year. Welcome to the very first! I've designed and made some fabric lavender sachets that feature two of my ceramic etchings printed on the front. The reverse sides are made from a selection of pretty vintage materials. 
This sachet is 14 x 11cm, with a dark purpley-brown etching of a white jug on a floral background. As well as the lavender, it contains rosemary hand-picked from our garden.
This sachet is about 11cm square, and has a specially created image of a Chinese teacup decorated with lavender flowers. The lavender inside is from Provence, and both sachets contain some rice to give them a bit of weight. 
I've used vintage fabrics and ribbons that I've collected over the years for the reverse side. Most are cotton, though there are also some linens and silks. Thank you to my friend Karen for helping me with the actual sewing!
They're packaged in a little card box with my new shiny gold sticker, and a paper description inside.
They're available exclusively in Hong Kong from Mingei Antiques in Central, or online directly from me. E-mail me if you'd like to buy one, or pop to my etsy shop here.