Sea and Hill and Wood

Woodblock Prints

I am learning how to make woodblock prints. My guide here has been Rebecca Salter's wonderful book "Japanese Woodblock Printing". As ever I am experimenting with things around my home. The woodblock in the photo was sawn from the ash log you see, planed smooth and then carved using an approximation of the Japanese technique. I then hand print Japanese style, using handmade paper (bought!) and black ink made from charcoal from the autumn bonfire.

I have produced and printed two blocks so far. Ash, Cat, Sun, Moon - the first woodblock print I tried. It contains symbols of good luck - a black cat, an ash tree and an ash staff. The second is A Frog Jumped Into Water - inspired by the reflections of trees in water.

Each is individually printed on either Kizuki or Kanoko Japanese papers with handmade black ink and/or watercolour paint and is available for sale (printed on approx A5 paper, prices range from £7.50-£20 + p&p; limited editions of 100; details on request to email address on home page). Ash, Cat, Sun, Moon is also available hand coloured on 225 gsm watercolour paper as a card (A6, £5 +p&p). A Frog Jumped Into Water can be bought plain, or decorated with Japanese Haiku poems.

On the forest floor

Ash, Cat, Sun, Moon

A Frog Jumped Into Water

Haiku texts available:

Breaking the silence
of an ancient pond
A frog jumped into water
A deep resonance.
BASHO

Was it a flower or a berry
that fell into the water
in the summer grove?
BUSON