A live demonstration of traditional Japanese woodblock printing followed by a guided session where participants create designs inspired by 'The Great Wave'.
York Art Gallery is hosting Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga Printmaking on Wednesday 29 July, a day dedicated to traditional Japanese woodblock printing. The whole thing runs from 10:00am to 4:30pm, with sessions starting every 25 minutes, so you can drop in whenever suits you rather than committing to a full day.
If you've never come across it, Mokuhanga is a traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique. The day is split into two parts: first, you watch a live demonstration by printmakers Andy and Naomi, who'll be working through the process in front of you. Once you've seen how it's done, you'll be guided through a short session of your own, where you'll create four printed designs inspired by The Great Wave. You'll be working with rich Prussian blue ink and authentic materials, and you get to take all four prints home with you.
It's set up for all ages and abilities, so you don't need any prior experience with printmaking to get involved. The session is a good way to see a proper craft in action and then have a go yourself, rather than just reading about it. The prints you make are yours to keep, and the Prussian blue is a nod to the original Great Wave prints that made the style so famous.
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Tickets are £15 per person and are bought on the day, so there's no need to book in advance. Just a heads-up: the ticket covers the workshop only, not general admission to York Art Gallery, so if you want to wander the galleries before or after, you'll need a separate ticket for that. The gallery is at Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW, and the sessions run from 10:00am to 4:30pm on Wednesday 29 July.
