From carving designs through layers of colored slip on pottery to carving woodblocks for printmaking seemed a natural transition to Claudia. After 40+ years of making pots she searched for a simpler, cleaner, and more efficient art practice. A practice where the results of the carving were apparent in a matter of days and corrections or additions could be seen immediately as opposed to weeks with gas fired pottery. 

During the summer of 2018, Claudia participated in a Japanese woodblock printmaking workshop at Penland School of Craft taught by Japanese print master, Keiji Shinohara. Equipment for “mokuhanga,” a traditional Japanese form of woodblock printmaking, involves wood blocks, one for each color within the print, water based liquid pigment, soft brushes, suitable papers, a disk baren for applying pressure to the paper on the block, good sharp wood carving tools, a design, and elbow grease. All the tools and materials are easily transportable and non toxic. Since then, Claudia has participated in three Big Ink events and exhibits with the Asheville Printmakers. The first Big Ink print is a 2’ x 3’ vertical print named “The Alien Circus Comes to Town” carved in shina plywood. The second print, “Hildegard von Bingen”, is 2’ x 4’ and carved in cherry wood.

Woodblock Printmaking