BIRCH SPIRIT woodblock print

To see more photos of making this print, click on BIRCH SPIRIT Photo-Log link in the right hand column.

Moku hanga Japanese method.
Print title: "Birch Spirit".
Paper size: 6.5" x 15";
Blocks: Birch plywood.
Paper: Japanese handmade Washi- Masa Dosa.
Inks: Black - neri zumi
and Guerra pigment dispersion.
Fine mica powder mixed into inks.
Hand-rubbed with Murasaki baren.

Tanka poem handwritten on print:

Lady of the woods
a beacon to the stream
this white birch tree--
her parchment bark poems
float into opal twilight.

Bette Norcross Wappner (b'oki)

2009 NEW YEAR'S PRINT

SEE MORE PHOTOS OF MAKING THIS BLOCK AT:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bette_norcross_wappner/sets/72157612531532508/

--Blocks: Poplar plank.
--Print paper size: 4" x 6"
--Paper: Japanese shin-torinoko.
--2 color ink: black neri-zumi (concentrated sumi-e) and silver metallic water-based ink.
--Fine mica powder mixed into both inks.
--Non-edition: 53 prints

Haiku:

Venus and Luna
press into the ink-black woods
first poem print

Bette Norcross Wappner (b'oki)

Lutetium Element print complete

I produced this print for the Printmakers Element Print Project:
http://azuregrackle.com/periodictable/table/

The print image definitely looks toxic :) -- Lutetium element is used in catalyst cracking in petroleum refineries. The smoke coming from the stack is a molecular model of a catalyst. I used silver metallic ink and fine mica powder to simulate the color and appearance of Lutetium and to emphasize the toxic environmental pollution caused by refineries.

Title: Lutetium
One Block: All Shina printers plywood
Paper: Japanese made white Shin-Torinoko
2 Waterbased Inks: -Black- Neri-Zumi Sumi Concentrate Paste
-Silver Metallic
Fine Mica Powder mixed into the silver ink.
Hand printed with a Murasaki Baren.
Edition: 4 prints.

Although this print isn't my usual poem-print it still incorporates lettering. I enjoyed researching and producing it and being a part of this great project.

"Lutetium 71 Element" printing underway

Finally printing this block. I tried to make the printing easy, yet a way to incorporate a 2-color print. The black is Neri-zumi, a thick concentrated sumi paste, is slightly graded from bottom to center. My hope is to have the silver ink with mica powder to grade from the top down to center of print.

Current print project

BLOCK: 3/8" Shina (a special woodblock printmaking plywood) - purchased at:
www.imcclains.com/catalog/blocks/allshina.html

KNIFE: 3 mm Hangi To (knife) by Futatsu Wari - purchased at:
www.imcclains.com/catalog/woodblocktools/hangito.html

I'm getting ready to print this block. I will show more photos and talk about the details of this print project soon! Although this print will not be Surimono-related, I wanted to share with you what I'm currently working on.