North Art Summer Show Exhibition

Thanks to my wonderful friend Patrick who helped me hang my woodblock prints for the North Art Gallery Summer Show. Thanks also to Adrian for curating the event. The preview was fab and the show will be up for 4 week so do pop in and say hello! 

Hanging the Woodblock prints

Netsuke Miniature Prints

Save The Elephants

£5 from the sale of each print will be donated to Save The Elephants. 

Through my interest in Japanese antique netsuke, I have become more aware of the ivory trade that is still in operation today. 

Save The Elephants are a founding partner of the Wildlife Conservation Network in the US which transmits 100% of donated funds to the field. 

"Our mission: to secure a future for elephants and to sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of the places they live; to promote man’s delight in their intelligence and the diversity of their world, and to develop a tolerant relationship between the two species."

Save The Elephants continue their research to find solutions to reduce conflict, end poaching, trafficking and the demand for ivory. They raise awareness and provide internships and scholarships in conservation education. 

Inspiration for the Project

The Hare with the Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal

This book was the inspiration for my journey into the wood. Each woodblock is hand printed with a baren using Japanese carbon ink on white hosho paper. The description 'NETSUKE’ is debossed with 10pt New Clarendon metal type printed on the adana 8 x 5 printing press.

The space invites you to take a quiet moment and sit on the cushion provided and read from the book if you wish. There are also hand printed bookmarks for you to take away.  

Other Artists exhibiting at North Summer Show 2018 include:

Show Miche Watkins, Tina Altwegg, Gareth Pitt, Sarah V Penrose, Ian Pillidge, Jane Warring, Jess Stevenson, David Brown, Tony Eastman, Victoria Fox, Ian Usher, Caroline McGlone, Lenny, Andrew Wilson and Luz Gallardo-Franco.

North Art

Gallery Opening Hours

Thursday 2pm - 6pm

Friday 2pm - 6pm

Saturday 10am - 4pm

Sunday 10am - 2pm

...and by appointment; please email contact@northart135.com

A Miniature Woodblock Print from Mokuhankan

Mokuhankan Patreon - Miniature woodblock print from the Mokuhankan studio - design by John Amoss. 

Woodblock Printmaker David Bull

I’ve been following David Bull’s woodblock printing website for a few years now and what I love about David is his absolute passion and dedication to woodblock printing and generosity of sharing his process. He has built an online extensive encylopedia dedicated to woodblock printing. This wealth of information includes advice on tools for carving, sharpening stones, tools for printing, wood for carving, printmaking papers, sizing recipes, pigment and paste recipes. Whatever you’re looking for this is definitely a fantastic place to explore.  

http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/index.html

Mokuhankan

David is based in Tokyo at his studio Mokuhankan where he has a number of carvers and printers working with him in the studio to create exquisite original woodblock prints and reproductions of some well known prints including those of Hiroshige and Hokusai.

David also produces videos which give a real insight into his world of woodblock printing. (Almost 100 videos to choose from on Youtube!) He has created a series of Ukiyo-e Heroes with illustrator Jed Henry, a Hiroshige reproduction of ‘Heron and Irises’ - edition printed by Ayumi Ohashi, a reproduction of Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave’. His latest video shows the whole process, in real time, from start to finish, carving and printing the well known Japanese woodblock print ’Female Nude Seated in Water’. Original design by Ichijô Narumi (1877~1910).

I recommend anyone with an interest in woodblock printing to check out David’s amazing world of woodblock printing at woodblock.com, mokuhankan.com and his YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/seseragistudio/videos

Mokuhankan Patreon - To our fans and supporters - a miniature woodblock print - design by John Amoss.

Patreon

By becoming a patron ‘Patreon Chibi’ I am now a patron of David’s work and just before the New Year I received my first miniature woodblock print from the Mokuhankan studio - design by John Amoss. 

Beautiful Japanese postage stamps too : ))

"Mokuhankan is my attempt to see if traditional woodblock printmaking can perhaps find a place in contemporary society. I am going to publish some prints - on a very small scale at first - and see if I can find the combination of image, quality, price, and presentation, that will achieve that goal." David Bull

Thank you David and John and all the production crew at Mokuhankan. I think traditional woodblock printmaking certainly can find a place in contemporary society. Your print is a joy to behold. 

Awagami International Miniature Print Exhibition 2017

Year of the Cockerel 酉

In May I applied to the Awagami International Miniature Print Exhibition 2017. I submitted two prints. 'Monkey Wearing Short Gown' celebrating the year of the Monkey, 2016. To celebrate the year 2017, I carved a cockerel of a netsuke from The British Museum. I usually make a visit to a museum or gallery to make a sketch of the original netsuke but as I was eager to get the prints to Awagami Factory. I searched The British Museum’s online collection and found a photograph of a netsuke cockerel carved by Yoshinaga around the late 18th C. The original netsuke is made from wood with eyes inlaid in dark horn. 

Carving the block and printing the cockerel

酉

とり

 tori

I carved the cockerel from Japanese magnolia wood to print an edition of 75. Both prints, the cockerel and the monkey, were posted to Awagami Factory. The prints were received and will be on display at the Awagami’s Hall of Awa Japanese Handmade Paper Museum for their 2017 exhibition - October 7th - 29th October. 

"The exhibition will feature a total of 1,347 miniprints submitted from 1,010 artists hailing from 54 countries.” A.I.M.P.E

"In Japan, since the Edo Period, the Tori no ichi, a market fair  has been held on the Days of the Rooster in November (to welcome the New Year) at various Otori-jinja shrines found in all parts of Japan. This fair is sometimes called by the familiar name of Otori-sama. The patron deity of good fortune and successful business is enshrined at Otori-jinja shrines. Open-air stalls are set up selling among other things, kumade rakes (symbolic of the rooster’s feet)  for ‘raking in wealth and good fortune.’This good-luck rake is made of bamboo and is decorated with masks and koban (old gold coins)."

Find out more about cockerel / rooster symbolism at: Japanese Mythology and Folklore

Call for Entries - AIMPE 2017

Two years ago when I was searching barens at Intaglio Printmakers in London, I stumbled across a leaflet with a call out for entries for Awagami International Miniature Print Exhibition held in Japan. I was in the early stages of my woodblock project focusing on mini woodblock prints of Japanese netsuke. AIMPE sounded like the perfect place to submit my prints but I wasn’t ready. And the following year I still wasn't ready.

This year I'm ready! : ))

In the last few weeks I have been working on ideas for a new woodblock print for the exhibition. Last week I submitted my application and this morning I posted two mini woodblock prints to Japan! 

The mini prints will be revealed once the exhibition launches in October. 

"Awagami Factory is a brand of Japanese washi papers produced solely in Tokushima, Japan. Awagami operates on 8 generations of family knowledge and skill focusing on quality and refinement within this world-heritage craft.” Awagami

Spring Forward - Root & Rise

Website Refresh & Spring Clean

For the past month I've had the wonderful opportunity to been working with Nicky Spear and Sarah Preece from Root and Rise. Nicky and Sarah have been helping me kick start some new ideas for eightfivepress and make some changes to my website. After a few meetings we decided it needed a complete refresh. So...I'm really excited to be launching my new website during the Month of March just as the buds are blossoming and the daffodils are springing up their radiance. Please do have a look and let me know what you think. Hopefully you should find the site much easier to navigate and will be able to view my work too! 

Woodblock Mini Prints

I now have my very own online shop where you can purchase my mini woodblock prints of antique Japanese netsuke. To find out more about this project, you can follow the journey of my woodblock process at Into The Wood.

I hope you enjoy the new site! : ))

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woodblock | linocut | letterpress