Woodblock Printing Process

What happens? An image forms in my mind, and I am blessed with that ability to see what I want to do. Even more a blessing is putting the image on paper. A blank sheet is most daunting, and, in every stage, I often wonder if I can create something out of thin air. To me it is a challenge and is also a connection to the image. I often wonder who guides my hand and I am often amazed that I am actually doing it. It’s like I am a third party observing from over my shoulder. Blank paper is the foundation of composition. It is the space between the objects that define them. Creating something out of empty space has endless possibilities.

A couple of years ago I drew two Buffleheads from life that I shot on Nassawadox Creek, Virginia. They were stuffed and are hanging in Bonnie Lodge today.  I transferred the image to a woodblock by tracing the drawing, using rice paste and pasting it in reverse on the block. This is a Japanese method of transference. The image looked very intricate to carve and so I shelved it for a couple of years. This year I started carving in earnest. Between the drawing, carving, printing, and coloring it took at least 2 months.

In the Japanese woodblock tradition, there are different craftsmen at each stage of the print. The artist gives the sketch to a master craver, and he creates the image and transfers it to wood. The master personally selects the wood. There is a person who selects and saws the tree into print blocks. He understands the grain and hardness of the wood which dries for up to twenty years. Normally a softer cherry indigenous to Japan. In the Master’s workshop there are apprentices who sharpen tools for years before they even make a cut. It may take 20 years before they are allowed to make intricate cuts and thirty before becoming a Master. Then there is a tool maker, ink maker, paper maker, and printer, all different coordinated skill sets. In all there are about 20 people who contribute to making one woodcut. The knives used for cutting are made in the same way a Samuri sword is made, folding of fine steel hammered and honed into very sharp tools. My tools are mostly Japanese and made in that way. I kind of combine these skills into just me, and while I consider myself an American Artist, I greatly admire the Japanese print making artistry.

I would like to give special thanks to Brian Thomas of the Vilas County Veterans Service Office (715-479-3629) who helped form the concept of giving to Veterans, Mugsy DePuydt who did the exceptional framing (717-617-1753), and Randy Samuelson proprietor Phelps Sawmill (715-891-9218) who provided the wood for framing.

100% of the cost of each print will be donated to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation for Gold Star Families, disabled Veterans and First Responders. Payment can be made to dogood.t2t.org/WoodblockPrintArtShow25. The URL should be self-explanatory. Tunnels to Towers has providing me with a website to which patrons can directly pay for the print or they can pay me with a check made out to Tunnels to Towers and I will mail it. Patrons can also provide payment to the Warehouse, which in turn will be transferred to Tunnels to Towers. Patrons will get full credit for the purchase, which will be 100% tax deductible. Purchased prints will be marked as sold and remain in the show until it closes on the last day of August. At which time prints can be picked up or mailed to the buyer. If another buyer wishes to buy an already purchased print, I will print, color, and frame a duplicate. Regardless of printing sequence, all prints are originals of the same quality.

Sincere Thanks, Rick McKee. Contact: [email protected]; 757-442-1104.