Charles Spitzack – Woodblock, Washi, and Dabbling: Notes from an Artist Residency in Japan (Online); Saturday, October 24 – 3:15pm PT / 6:15pm ET / 11:15pm UK Time

Artist Charles Spitzack reflects on his six-week artist residency in Echizen, Japan, where he studied mokuhanga, traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking, and worked closely with handmade washi.

In this one-hour artist talk and demonstration, Spitzack will discuss the history and process of Japanese woodblock printing, the relationship between mokuhanga and washi, and the lasting influence of woodcut printmaking across cultures and generations. He will share images and experiences from his time in Echizen, including what he learned from contemporary mokuhanga artists and papermakers, and how those traditions have influenced his own approach to making and teaching woodcut.

The session will conclude with a live demonstration of a simple white-line woodcut print, a technique developed by the Provincetown Printers in the early 20th century. Combining elements of Western relief printing with ideas drawn from Japanese color woodblock printing, white-line woodcut offers a direct and accessible way to create a multi-color print from a single block.