Immerse yourself in Japanese woodblock printing, or mokuhanga; a technique refined in Japan during the Edo Period and practiced today as a sustainable, nature-based art form.
In this workshop, participants will be guided in learning the foundations of mokuhanga, as well as exploring the concept of texture as both a visual and tactile language. Participants will experiment with carving techniques that create a variety of surfaces, from deep reliefs to subtle grain patterns, learning how the baren’s pressure and the block’s texture can transform a print.
We will look to artists such as Shikō Munakata, whose bold, gouged surfaces expressed spiritual vitality; Kiyoshi Saitō, who emphasized woodgrain and simplified form; and Hiroshi Yoshida, who used fine gradations and embossing to evoke atmosphere. Students will carve and print using the natural grain of shina plywood and explore how brushwork, baren rubbing, and pigment application can heighten the sense of touch and movement within the image.
All levels are welcome. Materials are provided.
About the Artist
Patty Hudak is a painter and installation artist whose work merges the Japanese woodblock technique of mokuhanga with contemporary explorations of nature, the supernatural, and human imagination. Trained in Japan, she teaches mokuhanga workshops throughout Vermont and collaborates with the international collective Mokuhanga Sisters to expand public awareness of contemporary mokuhanga practice.
Hudak studied Studio Art at Wellesley College (B.A., 1984), Biological Illustration at the University of New Haven, and continued her education at the New York Studio School and the Alternative Arts School. Recent solo exhibitions include Turning and Turning(SVAC, 2025), Gyring, Spiring (Minėmå Gallery, 2023), and Botanical Ornaments (T.W. Wood Museum, 2021). Her curatorial project The World Between the Block and the Paperwas named one of Seven Days’ Top Ten Vermont Exhibitions of 2022.
Her awards include the Vermont Creation Grant (2026), Second Prize from Hunterdon Art Museum (2025), and the Awagami Paper Award (2021). Her work is held in public and private collections internationally.
https://www.instagram.com/hudakpatty/
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Mokuhanga: Carving and Printing with Texture (Japanese Woodblock Printing)
Saturday, 5/2 and Sunday, 5/3
10–4 p.m.
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