day 12 - Sekioka sensei returns home..

Today, Sekioka sensei returned home, but not before letting us have a go with cutting 'sakura no ki'..cherry wood. It was very difficult indeed to cut through the wood as it is very tough. This is great for making very detailed images, but our hangi-to knives were too wide to do it. He then allowed me to use one of his knives and it became a lot easier.

He then showed us the correct way to sharpen our knives, using a set of stones that go from very rough to very smooth. These stones have to be soaked in water before use, and then kept wet, otherwise they can damage the blades.

From left to right..back row - Dyan, Keiko-san. Middle row - myself and Michael. Front row, Elettra, Sekioka sensei and Asa. The tatami mats we are sitting on are actually quite comfortable now. We have to sit in seiza for 7 hours of the day [for those who don't know, the people in the front row of the photograph are sitting in seiza - it is the traditional Japanese way and is quite nice once one's legs get used to it], so this is a good thing.

Here sensei shows us the traditional way of sitting to do moku hanga. This is a moku hanga table which is slightly angled. I am going to see if I can get one of these [or make one] for when I get home. I can't really imagine making moku han prints whilst seated at a western style table now, it would seem quite odd to do so.

Regular readers may remember a picture I posted a couple of days ago showing the first cuts from my new block. Since then I abandoned that block [I started cutting it before Sekioka sensei came to teach us] and this is the new block, cut down to the second layer of plywood. I don't think I have done that bad a job.

On Sunday, we are going to a bonsai museum and then to a shrine, where there will be an outdoor Noh theatre performance. I think I might use the photographs from that as part of the work I will be making over the next six weeks.

day 10 - carving instruction

Today, we met Sekioka sensei, the carving instructor. He told us that his father had been a printer and his grandfather was also a carver, so it has been in his family for a number of generations. He said that his father's woodblocks were destroyed during the war. But before all that, here is the now obligatory image of the local landscape. We get the local bus at 8.10 am which gets us to the studio at a time of day when the light is beautiful. So, here once more are the fields outside the studio, but this time early in the morning.


Here is Sekioka sensei, who is showing us how the keyline blocks are created. Traditionally, the original artwork is pasted onto the block using nori [rice glue] and then while it is still wet, the drawing is peeled back, leaving the outline on the block. If the drawing is not peeled back, it is difficult to see it on the block, so it must be done carefully to only remove the top layer of paper, otherwise the drawing will be destroyed. Here he holds a print taken from a block, with the area in orange going to be the next colour [in this case red]. So, the artwork is pasted down, the outline cut and then printed for the amount of colours needed. Then, each block is pasted face down and the colour blocks cut ready for printing.


Here is one of the blocks that Sekioka sensei has cut. You can see the detail of the line.


Here, he demonstrates how to cut the block. The hangi-to, or outline knife, is placed at 45* to each side of the line and cut.

Here is a practice sheet, which is given to apprentices to learn how to carve. As you can see, it is very intricate.

Here, sensei is removing the excess wood from either side of the line, leaving the raised area which is printed.

Here, Keiko-san and sensei are discussing the finer points of cutting a grid shaped object on the block. Consider that what they are speaking about is in fact about 1.5cm wide on a block he has just drawn on. You can see the numbers on the grid, which show the correct order of cutting so as not to destroy the line on the block.

Here is an example of sensei's work.

Here are some Edo period woodblock prints that were shown to us.

Here, Keiko-san is showing us the various stages of printing a 14 plate image and there was a very interesting talk about the relationship between publisher, artist, carver and printer. Basically, the more money one has, the more complex prints can be made because of the timescale involved. This was explained as a historical reference, where rich men would get very complex private prints made for them, which they swopped with other people of similar financial position.

Here sensei shows how each block adds another layer to the image of the geisha.

At present we are cutting on plywood. As plywood is made up of a few layers, with alternating grains..ie. the top layer grain goes one way and the next layer down goes the other, we need to be cutting into the second layer. This gives the block more stability. But, we mustn't carve along the grain because it is difficult to do. So, instead of being aware of the top layer of plywood, we must carve in accordance with the second layer down, which we cannot see. The hangi-to must go down to this layer. Otherwise, thin lines will break up and the block will not be strong. I had never heard this information before, so we took some time working out how to carve lines, but being aware of the layer of plywood we could not actually see.

Here, sensei showed us how to cut a line that tapers to a point without destroying it. It is quite delicate work and amply demonstrated why it takes six years just to train as a carver. We all felt quite priviledged to be in his company today and reams of notes were taken by all with complex diagrams to remind us of how we should correctly prepare and carve the wood and how to properly use our tools.

day 9 self-study..

Today has been a day of self-study, where we work by ourselves on new work. I think it was yesterday that I mentioned I didn't know what my new work was going to be about, but today it became clear. It is all about systems, forms and a new way of looking at the world. The geometric shapes are based on the local landscape, Shinto architecture and the colours are exactly what I see on a daily basis here on Awaji island. The last picture is the black 'block' being carved. Each colour has its own block which will be printed separately. We are all looking forward to meeting the master printer tomorrow.

a walk round the local area

Today was the first day that we have explored the local area. We were all too tired from the week to do very much yesterday, so we rested. Here are some pictures from todays walk.



This image is from a temple, where it is a requirement to wash one's hands before entering. The water must be poured over one's hands and onto the floor, not back into the fount.

This is from the graveyard over the road from the temple. This is a very ornate grave with many tiny graves making up the collection. We took a wild guess and thought it was probably a local family's site.

On Awaji, a lot of the residents are farmers. This grave is marked with the farmers hat and walking shoes, used in the fields with the sticks probably used to demarcate his crops.

Here is the entry to another local temple where we met the monks. I bought a beautiful book of ink drawings that the monks had made.

Here the rice is drying ready to be harvested.

This area was outside the temple. This bridge had many prayer plaques hanging off it.

This is on the walk back home to the residency showing typical Japanese country architecture.

I found the colours on this flower amazing. It looked like it was lit from within.

More rice fields being harvested.

Tomorrow we have a 'self-study' day before the master carver arrives on Tuesday. I decided before the residency not to plan any new work, or bring any of my ideas with me, but instead respond to the locale. I am glad I made this decision. Things in Japan function with what is known as 'katachi', which means form. From bonsai, to greeting people, to making tea to martial arts. They are all governed by strict rules of how things should be. At first they can seem a little strict, but it is gradually becoming clear that these structures and forms are reflections of nature and are actually very natural and make total sense when one knows the reasoning behind them. So, my work in Japan will be an investigation into form and structure. Of what, I do not know as there are so many forms to observe, from the geometry of the landscape to the interiors of houses and everything inbetween, that it is hard to decide. It will become clear when I start drawing tommorow.

Three colour separation.

Today we learnt how to make a three colour separation image. We first started by drawing an image with three colours. Then, we traced each colour and used carbon paper to transfer this onto three separate blocks of wood. These were then cut out and printed, light colour first, going to darkest colour, one on top of each other. First though, here are some pictures of the local landscape, just outside the studio door.

The rice is being harvested at the moment.

Maiko sensei went back to Kyoto today. She had only come to run a three day workshop. She is in the photo above with the black jumper. Next Tuesday a master carver is coming to start to refine our technique and teach us more traditional methods of printing. Then, the following week we have a master printer coming to spend a week with us, to show us how to print properly. Then we have three weeks of 'self-study' which is where we make the three editions of prints that we have to donate to the Awaji island. Below are the pictures of the woodblock print process.

These spiders are everywhere and are pretty huge.

I have noticed that I am far less wordy recently. I am hoping the photographs speak for themselves and tell a far better story than any words could possibly describe.

First day of printing at Nagasawa studio..

Today's schedule went something like this..visit Shinto shrine which is next to the studio we are working in, leave offering for a safe and harmonious residency and then work until 5pm learning the basics of Japanese printmaking. On this particular diary entry, I am going to let the images speak for themselves. Here you can see the beautiful landscape surrounding the studio - Autumn has set in here and the mist was rising off the mountains. You can also see Keiko-san and Maiko-sensei teaching us how to print. There are also some pictures of me at the mountain god shrine.