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The technique of printing designs from carved planks of wood is one of the oldest methods of making prints,
having been used in China to decorate textiles since the 5th century AD. In Europe, printing from wood blocks
on textiles was known from the early 14th century.
The woodblock printing technique begins with the artist creating the image and choosing the colors for the
print. The image is then transfered to the wood blocks from which the final print is made. The artist then cuts
away all the space around the drawing, leaving the drawn areas raised, or in 'relief'. Each color and texture of
the original design has to be carved onto a separate piece of wood and printed in order. For example, a
simple woodblock print with three colors, green, black, and red, would require three carved wood blocks. Ink
is then rolled on the surface and the image transferred onto paper either by passing the block through a press
or rubbing it by hand. Since the cutaway areas do not take the ink, they appear white on the printed image.
All of the
following prints are original, limited edition, signed by the artist.
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