I am delighted to be accepted to the Mokuhanga Project Space Residency in Walla Walla, Washington. MPS is a space created to promote and support mokuhanga by exploring new dimensions of the art form in a global context.
The residency encourages participants to experiment and innovate in this broadening traditional medium to promote its place as a medium for self-expression in contemporary art. I will be working on a project that I started in 2021, as part of the Solve Studio residency organized by Claire Cuccio. I am planning to use both laser engraving and a scroll saw to create patterned and shaped woodblocks to print on .
Introduction to Mokuhanga Monoprinting on Carved Silhouettes
This workshop will focus on mokuhanga mono-printing on carved silhouettes. No experience is necessary and all materials will be supplied.
Location:
The Current
90 Pond Street
Stowe, VT 05672
802 253-8358
Date:
Saturday 5/10/2025 - Sunday, 5/11/2025
10am-4pm
Register HERE
Spring Mokuhanga Workshop with Patty Hudak
This workshop will focus on kento registration and creating a two color mokuhanga print. No experience is necessary and all materials will be supplied.
Location:
Two Rivers Printmaking Studio
Tip Top Building
85 North Main Street Suite 160
White River Junction, VT
802 295 5901
Date:
Zoom meeting: Friday, 5/23/2025 7-8pm
In-person: Saturday 5/24/2025 - Sunday 5/25/2025
10am-4pm
Register HERE
Introduction to Mokuhanga
This workshop will focus on the history of mokuhanga and will introduce kento registration, applying pigment with brushes, introduction to washi paper, and creating a two-color mokuhanga print. No experience is necessary, and all materials will be supplied.
Location:
Shelburne Craft School
64 Harbor Road
Shelburne, VT 05482
Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, 2025
10am - 4pm
Register HERE
Introduction to Mokuhanga
This workshop will focus on the history of mokuhanga and will introduce kento registration, applying pigment with brushes, introduction to washi paper, and creating a two-color mokuhanga print. No experience is necessary, and all materials will be supplied.
Location:
Southern Vermont Arts Center
860 SVAC Drive / West Road
Manchester, VT 05254
802.362.1405
Saturday June 28 and Sunday, June 29, 2025
10am - 4pm
Register HERE:
While in Ogawa, I stayed in Richard Flavin’s Washi House, a traditional home where he and his wife spent time covering the walls with washi. The interior had a very cozy feeling, and, although he has passed away, you could feel his presence in this imaginative space. His life story, which you can read here, is remarkable.
I spent the day with the installation artist, Tsuguo Yanai, learning his very unusual process of forming paper prints and sculptures with paper pulp. Yanai has created ambitious projects with washi over his long career and is generous to share his process with interested artists. Check out his website for more images of his work, which seems very relevant today given the wide interest in fiber as a material for contemporary art.
I stayed the night, and we had a great meal cooked by his wife, Yoshiko, also an artist.
I am thankful to Seiko Musashi of Wanokaze Washi for organizing a teacher for me to learn the art of chigiri-e, Japanese torn-paper collage. The process involves tearing colored paper to create an image, here is the one I made of Mt Fuji. I can see the potential of this process, working with mokuhanga on washi, and creating collage.
While I was in Japan, I wanted to visit artists’ studios to see how they were using washi in their work. Yoshi Shibasaki’s studio was magical, as he creates mobiles that are so light they move with the heat of your body. His wife, Sachi, made a wonderful lunch as well as served tea three times, each time a different pot of tea. She made origami with the wrapping paper from a small gift that I gave them. This was such a creative household, you can see more of it at Atelier Harutsugedori on Instagram.
While I was in Ogawa, I had the opportunity to meet the legendary papermaker, Hisako Ucnimura, who has been making paper for over 30 years. I have been using her paper since 2018, so I felt I knew her through her paper. It was humbling for me to meet her in person- I shared my work with her, so she could see how I used her paper. She seemed to like it, which made my day! You can read more about her on the Wanokaze-washi website.
I had the good fortune to spend the day in Fumie Matsumoto’s papermaking studio. We went through all the steps of papermaking with kozo fiber, including pounding the kozo with a wooden mallet, adding neri with a cloth bag, stirring the paper slurry, and creating the layers of paper with the sugeta.
Fumie has an interesting way of pressing the paper to drain out the water- she uses an old car jack- brilliant!
We dried the paper the traditional way, by mounting it on boards and drying it in the sun. The paper came out with an embossed impression of the woodgrain and it was nicely bleached from the sun.
In addition to papermaking, Fumie also taught me some washi paper arts including momigami (kneaded paper) and kyoseishi (strong paper), which is coated with konnyaku (Japanese yam) which strengthens and waterproofs the paper. I also learned how to repaper a shoji screen, which is not as difficult as I thought!
It was a wonderful day!
On my second day in Ogawa, it was time for me to learn how to make washi by hand. This is a skill that takes many years of practice, but it was a great opportunity for me to try to make it.
In addition to kozo, a second ingredient is needed to make washi. It is called neri, it is a viscous starch- a very slimy material. What makes neri so special is that, although it is a starch, it does not act as a glue. It is added to the water and kozo mixture to allow the fibers to separate and spread evenly in the water, and it helps the fibers to bind together. Kozo, water, and neri are mixed together in a big vat called a sukibune.
The papermaker uses a frame (meta) along with a bamboo screen (su) which combined is called a sugeta. The sugeta is repeatedly dipped into the mixture and rocks side to side, then back and forth, then dumps the mixture out of the sugeta. This process is repeated multiple times, each time creating a layer of kozo which adds to the density of the paper.
The paper is peeled from the su and each is stacked on top of one another. Miraculously, they sheets do not stick to one another, mainly because of the knitting together of the kozo fibers. The stack of paper is then pressed, to drain the excess liquid.
Finally, the paper is dried. This time, we dried it on a heated stainless steel plate, although sometimes they are dried on boards and placed in the sun.
Ogawa is an ideal place to make washi, as the temperature is cold (which is necessary to prevent mold and to allow the neri to stay thick), yet it is sunny in the winter, which allows the paper to dry thoroughly outside on boards. Once the paper is dry, it is peeled off of the boards and ready to use.
I recently took a trip to Japan to witness the harvesting of kozo to make washi. If you have ever wondered why handmade washi is so expensive, there is a lot of hand labor involved in making it.
Kozo refers to the Japanese mulberry tree, and it is a fiber that is used to make paper throughout Asia. The fibers of the inner bark are long, which makes it particularly suitable for water-based art mediums, as water can be absorbed throughout the depths of the paper. The kozo washi that is made in Ogawa is called Hosokawa-shi.
Kozo is a sustainable source of paper, which is harvested in the winter months. The branches are cut at the base of the bush and will regrow the following year, usually in a different place from where they were cut. In Ogawa, kozo is locally called “kazu” and the harvest is known as “kazu kiri”.
Once the branches are harvested, they are trimmed by hand on one end, and then cut to equal size (about 70 cm) with an electric saw. They are then stored in baths of water until they are ready to be steamed.
The steaming is done in order to peel the bark off of the branch. Branches are steamed with the wider end facing down in the caldron and then brought immediately into a room where the bark will be peeled away from the inner part of the branch. The branches are then discarded. In the past, farmers would do this job, as it gave them the chance to earn some income in their off-season.
Once the bark is peeled off of the branch, it is hung outside to dry, in order to prevent it from molding.
The bark is then soaked in water, and the outer dark brown and green layers of the bark are scraped off, leaving the inner white bark, which is the basis of kozo paper.
The white bark will then be boiled in soda ash, to soften it and to remove impurities. It is then rinsed, and bleached in the sun. During this process, the kozo is pulled apart by hand, and any impurities are removed.
I am delighted that my print, Folden Shadows: 40 was included and won a second place award at the Hunterdon Art Museum’s 2025 Juried Print Exhibition in Clinton, NJ, juried by Lauren Rosenblum, Jensen Bryan Curator, The Print Center, Philadelphia.
This piece is part of a series of six prints exploring mokuhanga combined with ink painting and sumi ink. It was created on handmade kozo paper from Ogawa, Japan.
We had a wonderful mokuhanga workshop at Susan Smereka’s invitation at the new new ART studio in Burlington, VT. I was joined by artists Ann Janda, Philip Galiga, Lynn Dunton, and Christine Niles, who created mokuhanga prints using carved silhouettes combined with uncarved blocks. Their deep sense of color led to extensive experimentation with the medium, resulting in beautiful finished prints. The studio is intimate, cozy, and well organized, check out their website for workshops and classes: https://www.susansmereka.com/new-new-art-studio.html
Christine Niles
Ann Janda
Lynn Dunton
Philip Galiga
My workshop at the Southern Vermont Arts Center focused on both the traditional and experimental aspects of mokuhanga. Each artist brought their own perspective, shaped by their experience and working habits. The weekend was filled with shared knowledge and creative exchange.
Shikō Munakata (1903-1975) was a renowned Japanese woodblock printmaker and painter, celebrated for his dynamic and expressive works. His style embraced traditional Japanese aesthetics, with a focus on bold lines, spiritual themes, and a deep connection to nature. Munakata often employed a distinctive technique in which he printed with sumi ink and added color by painting through the back of the paper using watercolor or gouache.
In this workshop, we explored the techniques of mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing) through the lens of Shikō Munakata’s methods. Participants began by designing prints that emphasized strong, bold lines and simplified forms that harmonized with the shape of the woodblock. Using free carving with gouges and chisels, we printed the images in sumi ink, then painted through the back of the paper, allowing the color to permeate and appear on the front—mirroring Munakata’s approach in his color prints.
This workshop was especially enriched by the participation of one artist, Carrie Chalmers. Carrie’s mother and grandmother had a personal friendship with Munakata and were collectors of his work. They even hosted Munakata at their Vermont homestead, where he sketched and painted the landscape, creating an ink painting that featured their two Volkswagens. Carrie shared several of Munakata’s prints with the group, giving artists the rare opportunity to reference his works while creating their own. This was a truly unique experience, and it helped us connect with the spirit of Munakata. We also felt the presence of Carrie’s mother and grandmother, making the workshop even more meaningful.
I will be teaching two more mokuhanga workshops this month!
EXPLORING BOKASHI IN MOKUHANGA
Location: Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, VT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8
7–8 P.M. VIA ZOOM
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 & 10
10 A.M.–4 P.M. IN PERSON
In this workshop, we will focus on printing techniques, in particular, creating “bokashi” or gradations using water and pigment on the block.
We will spend as much time as possible experimenting with printing, so you can get a feeling for varying the conditions of the block, to see what the results will be.
Register here
MOKUHANGA PRINTMAKING
Location: new new art studio in Burlington, VT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
7–8 P.M. VIA ZOOM
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 & 17
10 A.M.–4 P.M. IN PERSON
We will experimenting with the printing block, so you can develop an understanding of the varying conditions of the block. This workshop will broaden your sense of the possibilities of mokuhanga through experimentation.
Register here
All of my workshops are geared to every level; you can come as a beginner or as an experienced artist. Materials are included, so you only need to bring an apron, a sketchbook, and any materials of your own that you may have acquired.
I am deeply honored to be selected for the 2024 Southern Vermont Arts Center Artist Community Award. SVAC has been vital to my development as an artist, curator, and educator in Vermont. Posted here are images from my exhibitions at SVAC, including the collaboration with Mokuhanga Sisters in presenting THE WORLD BETWEEN THE BLOCK AND THE PAPER in 2021-2022. Also, a reminder that I will be teaching a mokuhanga workshop at SVAC FROM 11/8-11/10, and would love to see you there! Thank you, SVAC, for all that you do for artists and the art community in New England, and thank you for supporting my work in Vermont!
Awards night!
Indigo and Ink 2020
There, Through the Broken Branches, Go 2020
Installation, Unmasked 2021
my workshops at SVAC
This autumn, I will be teaching 3 mokuhanga workshops in 3 different studios in Vermont.
MOKUHANGA TECHNIQUE INSPIRED BY MUNAKATA
Location: Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction VT
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
7–8 P.M. VIA ZOOM
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 & 20
10 A.M.–4 P.M. IN PERSON
In this workshop, we will explore the techniques of mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing) through the lens of Shikō Munakata. We will focus on strong, bold lines and simplified forms that respond to and fit the shape of the woodblock. Using free carving with gouges and chisels, we will create our images. After printing the image in sumi ink, we will paint through the back of the paper, allowing the color to penetrate to the front of the image.
Register here
EXPLORING BOKASHI IN MOKUHANGA
Location: Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, VT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8
7–8 P.M. VIA ZOOM
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 & 10
10 A.M.–4 P.M. IN PERSON
In this workshop, we will focus on printing techniques, in particular, creating “bokashi” or gradations using water and pigment on the block.
We will spend as much time as possible experimenting with printing, so you can get a feeling for varying the conditions of the block, to see what the results will be.
Register here
MOKUHANGA PRINTMAKING
Location: new new art studio in Burlington, VT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
7–8 P.M. VIA ZOOM
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 & 17
10 A.M.–4 P.M. IN PERSON
We will experimenting with the printing block, so you can develop an understanding of the varying conditions of the block. This workshop will broaden your sense of the possibilities of mokuhanga through experimentation.
Register here
All of my workshops are geared to every level, you can come as a beginner or as an experienced artist. Materials are included, so you only need to bring an apron, a sketchbook, and any materials of your own that you may have acquired.
I am delighted to be included in the exhibition, Unique Similarities, at the Highland Arts Center, in Greensboro, VT, alongside three accomplished Vermont printmakers: Carol MacDonald, Susan Smereka, and Elise Whittemore.
Maureen O’Connor Burgess curated the exhibition and invited us to create prints that expanded the printmaking process beyond the practice of making multiples. As a result, these works include stitching, folding, and collaging to create unique images. We are all working with a palette that emphasizes layers of shadow and tone.
We will give a brief artists’ talk at 5:15 on June 29th. Our reception will be followed by a concert by the pianist Joep Beving at 7 pm. If you would like to attend the concert as well as our opening, tickets are available here: https://highlandartsvt.org/events/joep-beving/(You do not need a ticket to attend our exhibition)
I will be exhibiting my recent mokuhanga prints.
Thank you to Seven Days Vermont for their thoughtful coverage of our exhibition- you can read all about it here
During my time as a visiting artist at Lafayette College, I had the wonderful opportunity to engage with the Asian Studies Department and share my experiences. Invited by Professor Seo-Hyun Park, I presented my journey in practicing art and mokuhanga printmaking in Asia. My visit was a blend of lectures, workshops, and interactions that made the experience truly enriching.
On the first day, I had a lunch presentation for the students in Asia 101: Introduction to Asian Studies, taught by Professor Cho. I conducted two mokuhanga workshops on consecutive days at the Dyer Center. It was gratifying to see the students’ enthusiasm and interest in this traditional Japanese printmaking technique.
Throughout my visit, I also had the pleasure of meeting Rico Reyes, the Director of Galleries and Curator of Collections at the Williams Center for the Arts. Rico provided an insightful introduction to their collection, which added a deeper context to my experience at Lafayette College.
On my final day, I was a guest lecturer in East Asian International Relations, led by Professor Park. The students’ creativity and eagerness to relate politics and art made the session interactive and enjoyable.
In the afternoon, I visited the Intermediate Painting class, Art 218, taught by Professor You, at the Williams Visual Arts Building. The interaction with her painting students was a perfect end to my visit, as we engaged with both meaning and form in their work.
MASABAN: An exhibition of Mokuhanga Sisters at the Udatsu Paper and Craft Museum in Echizen, Japan
As part of the Fifth International Mokuhanga Conference in Echizen, Japan, Mokuhanga Sisters were invited to exhibit their work in the Udatsu Paper and Craft Museum.
In this series of work, paper is our muse. Working with a half sheet (masaban) of washi paper and sumi ink, each artist in the Mokuhanga Sisters works in the mokuhanga technique to create a woodblock print. Mokuhanga is an ancient technique of water-based woodblock printing, where imagery is carved into wood, inked, and transferred to the paper by applying pressure with a handheld disk called a baren. The result is a suite of nine works on paper, each printed in an edition of 10. Artisans from the village of Echizen made each sheet of paper for this project using traditional papermaking methods. Through the materials of paper, wood, and ink made from soot, we explore the color black. The nine prints exhibited together explore the absence of color, positive and negative space, texture and form, line and shape. As artists, we consider the physicality of materials and what it means to make work by hand.
To see more images from this exhibition and our other project, please visit the Mokuhanga Sisters’ website: www.mokuhangasisters.com
I am working to complete my image for the Mokuhanga Sisters Exhibition “MASABAN” which will open at the Udatsu Paper and Craft Museum in Echizen, Japan in April.
I am using paper which was handmade in Echizen. I first printed digitally onto the paper which was facilitated by a Vermont Arts Council Artist Development Grant. I worked with Cone Editions, who produced a miracle to print this finely on handmade paper.
I finished the print by folding the paper, printing by hand using sumi ink, to produce unexpected symmetries. I am planning to experiment more in the future with printing on oversized blocks with folded paper.
My work, “Going Around” will be exhibited in “Discoveries”. This exhibition highlights the learning, teaching, and collaborating between faculty and students at Two Rivers Printmaking Studio, in White River Junction, VT.
The artwork will be exhibited in the gallery at Two Rivers Printmaking Studio from March 1 — May 24, 2024. An artists’ reception will take place on Friday, March 1, from 5pm-7pm, as part of White River Junction’s First Friday celebration.
During the reception, at 6:00 pm, Carole McNamee, artist and teacher from Quechee, VT, will be at the studio to demonstrate a creative and simple technique for displaying prints: the portfolio book.
The reception and demonstration are free and open to the public.
Gallery hours are Thursdays & Fridays, 11 – 2 pm, or by chance or appointment.
MOKUHANGA PRINTMAKING WITH SUMI INK
At the New New Art Studio
4 Howard Street, Suite I-17, Burlington Vermont, 05401
February 9 -11, 2024
Friday - via Zoom, 7 - 8 pm
Sat. & Sun. - in-person
10 am - 4 pm
This class is an introduction to mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing) using sumi ink for printing.
Originating in China, then refined in the Edo Period in Japan, mokuhanga is experiencing a revival internationally as a nature based art form.
Trained in Japan, Patty Hudakwill guide participants in the
immersive techniques of carving and printing, using handmade brushes, Japanese paper, starch glue, sumi, and a handheld baren to carve and print an edition of sumi prints. We will cover the history and importance of sumi ink in Asia, and its potential as a medium for printmakers. Supplies included.
For more information, click here.
Dynamism: A group Exhibit featuring Studios at VSC Artists
December 6, 2023 through January 25, 2024.
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 9 from 4-6 PM
Closing Reception: Thursday, January 25 from 6:30-7:30 PM
Vermont Studio Center hosts Dynamism, an exhibition of new media and traditional art featuring the work of Studios at VSC Artists, a community of artists living in or near Johnson with studios on site. We invite viewers to see colorful, poetic, abstract landscapes by Arista Alanis; interactively-originated digital images by Fletcher Bach; a site-specific interactive installation by janet e. dandridge; kite and dart series mokuhanga collage prints by Patty Hudak; color-contrast alternative method paintings by Katherine Langlands; collected antiquities reborn into figurative assemblage sculptures by Sabine Likhité; complex life-inspired sculptural forms by Meg McDevitt; intergenerational inquiry image-on-ceramic pieces by Corinne Planche; abstract, Informalistic paintings by Lynne Reed; and large, gestural, figurative drawings by Jo Weiss.
Woven into Studio Tour Nights and the audience for Visiting Artist and Writers’ talks, Vermont Studio Center has been enriched by community artist program. Each VSC studio artist/writer has an independent space dedicated to practice art making and contemplation. Having studios in close proximity to each other yields opportunities to get to know each other and the residents.
We had a nice write up in the Times Argus by Artist Correspondent Mary Gow.
Arista Alanis
Fletcher Bach
janet e. dandridge
Patty Hudak
Katherine Langlands
Sabine Likhite
Michael Mahnke
Meg McDevitt
Corinne Planche
Lynne Reed
Jo Weiss
I will be teaching two weekend mokuhanga workshops in December, where we will carve and print a holiday New Year card.
Two Rivers Printmaking Studio, White River Junction, VT
NEW YEAR’S CARD OR HOLIDAY CARD WITH MOKUHANGA
SAT AND SUN, DEC. 2 & 3, 10 - 4 PM
This will be a two day workshop, we will have time to work with two or three color designs
Information and the link to register is here: Two Rivers Printmaking Studio
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT
This will be a one day workshop, simple carving, one block
Information and the link to register is here: Southern Vermont Arts Center
WEEKEND WORKSHOP:
(Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday)
- Friday, November 10 (6-8pm meet and greet, demonstration/open to public lecture)
- Saturday + Sunday, November 11 + 12 (10am-4pm)
This class will introduce mokuhanga techniques using gouache as the medium for printing. We will be using Holbein’s set of gouache, Traditional Colors of Japan: Autumn, as inspiration for our prints. Originating in Korea and China, then refined in the Edo Period in Japan, mokuhanga (Japanese water-based woodblock printing) is experiencing a contemporary revival as a nature-based art form. I will guide participants in the immersive techniques of carving and printing, using handmade brushes, Japanese paper, rice glue, gouache, and a handheld baren to carve and print 2-color mokuhanga prints. We will cover the history of color in Japanese prints, and the potential of mokuhanga as a medium for contemporary printmakers.
The 2-day workshop will be preceded by a public lecture, demonstration and meet-and-greet on Firday, November 10th from 6-8pm.
If you would like more information and registration, you can contact The Current Education here.
