At present, there are three main types of entry here in the Woodblock RoundTable. The first type - found in the left-hand column below - are the short stories that I write to include with each of the woodblock prints that I send out. Although the prints can be appreciated on their own as simply beautiful 'objects', I think that having at least a short explanation of how/why they were made is much appreciated by the collectors.
The center column are links to posts describing the 'construction' process of the recent prints. They appear here in reverse chronological order, so to follow along as any particular print is made, you should perhaps skip down to where it begins. (Post titles should make the order clear to follow ...)
The third column contain links to a number of short essays. Although woodblock printmaking takes most of my time, and provides most of my income, in recent years I have been spending an increasing amount of time at the keyboard of my word processor.
I originally started writing with the sole intent of producing those pieces for accompanying the prints - as well as stories for my newsletter (Hyakunin-Issho) - but after getting requests from one of Tokyo's English-language newspapers (The Mainichi Weekly) to contribute short essays, I was encouraged to write about a wider variety of subjects. One thing led to another, and I now find I have quite a shelf full ... In addition to the Mainichi, I have had pieces published by The Japan Times, The Daily Yomiuri, and various magazines.
I'm not a very 'serious' essayist, and you won't find much deep social commentary or biting satire in any of these pieces. They are familiar in tone and quite light in weight. I don't really know if there is much interest in them, although the responses in the 'Letters from Readers' column in the Mainichi seems to indicate that there might be.
Take a 'nibble' at a few of them at random. I would be interested in hearing your comments.
Small Print Collection
The album of postcard prints issued in 2006
Daruma
he sits up on his high shelf, and silently watches over me ...
Surimono
I found myself again and again coming back to the surimono genre ...
New Year Coin
... the coin traditionally given to small children as a new year present
Ono no Komachi
... created a design containing such small detail that I could barely see it!
Fuji at Dawn
This print collection takes off in a completely different direction now, with this 'impressionistic' rendering of Mount Fuji.
Port in Winter
... this same village was 'host' to a fleet of ships arriving from overseas ...
Old Game Card
This is a reproduction of one from a set of 72 game cards based on the '36 Famous Poets'
Karuta
I sketched a few of the cards as though they had been slapped into the air
Treasure Chest
The album of 24 prints from 2005 ...
Deep Winter
But once upon a time ... there existed a society which differed from our own in a quite interesting way - 'images' were not a part of the everyday surroundings of most people.
Shibaraku
One of the most dramatic moments in the entire kabuki repertoire; as the loud voice rings out from the hana-michi walkway in the middle of the auditorium, all eyes turn to see the actor who has just entered.
Sumo Wrestlers
I think I have done pretty well this year in bringing you works by designers of whom you are probably not familiar with, and this is yet another example.
Bonsai
... but so far, I haven't made use of any 'advertising' material in my hunt for interesting images - something that is rectified now, with the inclusion of this pretty little bonsai maple tree ...
Flower Basket
Now, most Japanese people do not realize this, but everybody in this country has been trained as an artist, in a process that started the day they first began to draw the simple kana characters.
Riding the Ox Home
I suppose this is an extreme simplification of a process which some people contemplate for almost their entire lives, but I see the earlier stages as being a struggle to 'find one's self', and the later stages as an attempt to then 'forget one's self'.
Autumn Moon
... what a wonderful sight the sky must have been before the days of tall buildings and electric lights ...
Bird and Bamboo
This print has its origins in a similar fashion to one of the earlier prints in this Treasure Chest series; both of them were created as copy models for aspiring brush painters.
Canadian Sunset
... the next morning I started work on this woodblock print.
Magpie and Insect
For the first (but not last) time in this set, we have a design by a non-Japanese artist.
Fudo Waterfall
With the rainy season over and hot summer now upon us, it's time to cool down ...
The Weaver
Our series reaches the half-way point with this beautiful and delicate image by Ogata Gekko.
Rainy Season
Here we are, breaking my rule about no 'duplications' in this series - a second design by Katsushika Hokusai!
Kabuki Actor
Time for some drama in the series! Things have been pretty quiet up to now, to say the least, so here's something to wake you up!
Girl on Bicycle
... the Meiji viewers' attention was drawn mainly to the exotic bicycle ...
Elephant Fable
So just how much detail can we cram into one of these little prints?
Swimming Carp
... publishers of woodblock prints have frequently played fast and loose with design attributions ...
Peony Pattern
And now - as they say - for something completely different!
Benzaiten
One of the real pleasures in my job is uncovering buried treasures ...
Ningyo-cho Doll Market
If I had to guess, I would say this is a Frenchman strolling around the streets of late-era Edo ...
Bush Warbler
... you don't have to be a tourist to enjoy its quiet beauty!
Spring Fuji
To open this special series of prints - the Hanga Treasure Chest - I have used a design dating from the 1820's, created by a relatively unknown print designer - Teisai Hokuba.
Beauties of 4 Seasons
The album of four prints produced in 2004 ...
Summer: Obvious Love
I still can't see 'Obvious Love' here, but I do know something beautiful when I see it!
Autumn: Scent of Chrysanthemums
The single biggest challenge I faced was the area at the side of her face where the hairs criss-cross each other repeatedly.
Winter ...
... beauty is not a monopoly of the young ...
Surimono Albums
These albums have 10 prints each; here is the album from 1999 ...
Horses in Snow
It has to come from both of us - you must demand the best work, and I will try to produce it.
Two Women Sewing
I hope you understand when I tell you that I worked very hard indeed to make those 'mistakes' just as they are!
Gathering Shellfish
... when they were opened, they were found to contain carved woodblocks from the Edo period.
Summer Bamboo
... as we walked around the rooms, I felt that we were likely to fall through the floor at any time, the structure seemed so fragile.
Room With a View
... and it must be perfect for every one of the printing impressions, 19 in all on this print ...
Red Dragonfly
I almost expected him to fly off the page, he looked so realistic!
Monkey and Crab
We take the hint, and fill in the rest mentally by ourselves.
Women in a Boat
I have learned that there is a very big difference between working on a reproduction of a print, and an adaptation.
Mandarin Ducks
The question of how many colours to use for any particular print is something that touches on two fields: art and economics.
Progress Reports
The main core of this RoundTable: posts describing how the prints are made!
[River in Autumn - 7] Colour block progress ...
I worked out a way to get the separations combined onto 10 wood faces, so by using the back side of the keyblock, and four new pieces of wood, there will be five 'blocks' in told. Here are the completed five faces ...
Work on the next print begins
Finally, after nearly two months since the previous posting, work on the next print - The Seacoast in Summer - has begun. What have I been doing during that time? Well, the edition for the Forest in Spring had to...
[Forest in Autumn - 3] : Colour Separations
I'm really not sure just how much detail of the process I should be showing for each of these prints. There are going to be 12 in the set, but surely, watchers are not particularly interested in seeing every stage of every print?
[Forest in Autumn - 2] : first steps
Unlike the previous print, which was structured around an actual view of the river, this one is not a 'real' scene, but one 'assembled' from pieces ... the tent, some trees, and some bushes.
[River in Summer] - Edition Wrapup
Last night saw the completion of the printing on the second batch; the edition is now complete, and the blocks will be set aside to dry. Just when they might ever be used again is completely unknown, but they will be wrapped up and carefully stored away.
[River in Summer] - Block scans now online
Had a bit of 'extra' time this evening while waiting for the paper for the second printing batch reach the proper moisture level, so I spend some time with the scanner, and made a set of images of the entire block set for this print.
[River in Summer - 14] - Impressions 1~3
Once the print is finished, I will be making a page with all the step-by-step images placed in sequence, but for now, let's show them here on the RoundTable ...
Essays ... General
Familiar in tone, light in weight; I hope you find something here of interest ...
Sing for your Supper
I stuffed coins into every pocket I could find in my trousers and jacket, front back and inside, and then started home, jingling at every step.
Walls Within Walls
... a limb of an old and gnarled tree stretched out, and some of the gates and doors stood ajar, allowing glimpses of silent gardens ...
What's in a Name?
I simply took a pencil and went through the list marking those items that sounded to me like they would be a good name for a young girl.
On the Shelf
... these books that had enough of an impact on me to prompt me to keep them after reading, instead of turning them in at the second-hand bookshop, as I have done with so many others.
Side by Side
It's just simply pleasure to be together with an interesting, intelligent and attractive woman.
Yes or No?
End of conversation. Suzuki-san then quietly dies of thirst waiting for the offer to be repeated.
Exotic Shinjuku
I still haven't been able to get over the feeling that I am living somewhere 'special', somewhere very, very special.
Troublemakers
... they must have had some kind of bad experience in a similar situation at a previous time, and had thus been 'trained' to expect trouble from foreigners.
Romeo! Romeo!
No sooner is that last line written ("I want only to be with you!") and our name appended, than the desire to have the letter safely delivered to her waiting hands starts to mount. (For she is waiting, of course!)
Partners
... when I first heard about their collaborative relationship, I could barely believe my ears.
Level Playing Fields
... 'game over'. I had completely failed at whatever it was the program was expecting me to do.
Book a Train Trip
... as one learns characters and words, one by one they become visible, until finally the complete picture stands clear.
Becoming a User
The music I've been writing with the assistance of my new computer certainly isn't going to climb very high in the 'charts' ...
Golden Boys
... diving head first out the door at 10,000 feet for a free-fall lasting nearly a minute, swooping and sliding around the sky, and then opening the wing-shaped chute and flying it home to the target spot.
So Who Cares?
... how much they need editing; how clumsy many of the sentences are, and how poor I am at expressing ideas clearly.
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho!
... a system of schools, factories and offices that, although based on sound principles of division of labour and organizing production, had grown into a huge monster ...
The Green, Green Plastic of Home
There are great opportunities for personal expression in this slipper-donning ritual, and the performance can actually reach virtuosic heights.
Carrots, Again?
... hiding peas one by one atop the wooden support bars under the table top.
In the Park ...
That's me lying in there, just a few days old, and sleeping peacefully while my mother gets me out of the house for some fresh air.
In the Red
I do not find the concept of 'self-sacrifice' a particularly noble idea.
All Together Now!
... during the conversation you find yourself in the ridiculous situation of bowing to somebody you can't even see!
Ooohh, That Smell!
... coming home from school, I would open the house door and know instantly what was waiting in the kitchen.
On the Hot Seat
If I have on something with no buttons down the front, they know that it must be Wednesday ... archery lesson day!
Head vs Hands
How do I make a living? Of course, with my hands ...
No Place Like Home
Do two kids who sleep side by side, study side by side, play side by side, and bathe side by side, have a different relationship than two who have private rooms for these functions?
When, oh When?
I write these thoughts now, because as I finished the latest print just last night, I was especially struck with how 'clumsy' it seems.
Fill in the Blank
Although it would symbolize full entry into this society, real practical acceptance could only come from one's actions: from living among Japanese people in a Japanese way ...
Just Like You, Just Like Me ...
... this 'selective blindness' of travellers created the general image that foreign lands were indeed all strange places ...
The Autumn Leaves
He was simply walking back and forth among the tree branches overhanging the building, carrying a small, flat basket ...
Faster! Faster!
... it just became too much, and she caved in and started crying.
Get a Life
"Wanted. Woodblock carver and printer to work in a 200-year old style, recreating a series of Edo-era prints ..."
Different Kind of Homeless
Not if I live to be a hundred years old will I ever be able to afford to buy a piece of land here adequate for building a comfortable house.
An Unusual Guest
Oversize pointed ears, tiny beady eyes, and a mouth bristling with needle-like fangs, none of them longer than a millimeter, but appearing huge in her tiny visage ...
Bulls-Eye!
... slowly raised my bow, had tried to think of nothing, and had let the arrow fly, unconcerned about where it would strike.
A Re-Cycle Adventure!
And there on the back of his truck, was a brand new mountain bike. A 21-geared, super-lightweight, mountain bike.
Possessive Possessions
Each item a simple accessory for living, but taken all together ... what a monstrous pile they make!
Music Lessons
... the stuff just seemed to come welling up from inside him, to spill over and flood the room with melody. Every note the guy played was musical.
Trivial Pursuit
... far more than those more overt propagandists, it is actually the 'familiar' essayists who are the most effective at philosophical guidance.
Fading Flower
Her voice was soft, but she spoke with confidence, her clothes were quietly elegant. This Fading Flower moved about with grace.
Essays ... 'Shorties'
Mostly written for the 'cover spot' of the Mainichi Weekly; with only 350 words allowed, very good practice for trying to express one's thoughts concisely!
The Great Escape
I have made myself a 'collection' of these private places, to which I escape any time that I feel the need.
Fire and Water
It seemed as though we were rather sitting in front of a fireplace ... glowing, mysterious flickering motion in a darkened room ...
Grey Skies
... some of them joke about the length of the rainy season in that country ... 12 months!
Golden Age
In her eyes, Japan is currently in a kind of golden age, just as England was about forty years ago ...
At Last!
I finally, finally had the experience that I have been waiting for ever since first setting foot in this country back in 1981.
Hand-Picked Convenience
He wore heavy work gloves, reached out to each branch of the tree, and quickly stripped it of all the leaves.
Take a Deep Breath!
I was magically transported from dirty, dusty Tokyo, to a place far away in the clean countryside.
Out of Step
How is it that our traditional calendar seasons so poorly match the reality around us?
When the Shopping Gets Tough
No sooner do I step through the door into the shop, whether small local one or large department store, than I can feel the sweating start.
Living Fossils
... still living mostly on pizza and beer, like in the old days ...
My Friend the Ambassador
...does know that anybody willing to get down on the floor and wrestle with him like Terry does is going to be his true friend for life.
'Childish' Children
... surrounded by models, robots, and books on dinosaurs. Now there's a kid I could talk to!
Do You Know Granola?
No sooner have you begun when somebody comes and stands behind you, waiting for his turn!
Autumn Friends
... people seem to become quite nostalgic when they first hear them each fall.
'Canada 96'
Impressions of Canada following a return trip there ten years after moving away ...
Introduction
I have never really liked the traditional idea of being forced to bring back an o-miyage, a souvenir, for every single person in the community back home ...
'Capers'
... the contrast between their display of rather scrawny (and very expensive) vegetables and the mounds of fat, juicy and very healthy-looking ones here couldn't be stronger.
Balancing Act
A few seconds later, I stood back in amazement and stared. There was my rock, balanced 'upside-down' on a small point.
Trains of Two Cities
Passengers are even sometimes seen jumping over the entrance barriers, in order to enter without paying.
Snapshots ...
... even though I thus have no actual photographs to show you, I do have a collection of remembered 'images' ...
Where to Tonight?
They find a cheap hole in the wall space on a back street somewhere, clean it up, put in a few tables and chairs, scribble a menu on the wall, and go to it.
Lunch in a Time Slip!
... a horseshoe-shaped counter with red-topped stools arrayed around it, along one wall a half dozen booths, and up on one wall a menu board made of some kind of grooved black material in which white letters were arranged to spell out the 'Daily Specials'.
'Summer Suite'
A set of short pieces written while staying at the old farm in the county ...
Don't Bug Me!
... once when I found a short snake in temporary residence in there, I withdrew quietly ...
Under Construction
What more satisfying and interesting work could there possibly be for a man?
Wooden School
... everything has a deep sheen like an old-master violin.
Getting Better
... grabbed some large plastic bags, came back to the river, and started filling them up with trash.
Is God Green?
... boils aloft from a gigantic tangle of earth, stones, and writhing roots ...
Radio Exercises
Not only was the playing field itself totally covered with the swaying figures, but the stands as well.
Evening River
They will find no poetic frustration in this scene, for they will need to use no words ...
Rice Dreams
How do you think I'd look with mud between my toes?
