Yoshi Nakagawa – Native Plant Transfer Printmaking

TitleInformation
InstructorYoshi Nakagawa
Skill LevelAll Levels
Length of Workshop1 day
Date (s)Friday, June 28, 2024
Cost$175 per day x 1 day + $25 Material Fee
Total Price of Workshop$200

Workshop Description:

Get in touch with the land & printmaking! We’ll start by gathering Northwest native plant cuttings around campus. We’ll then roll on black oil-based ink on the cuttings with a brayer, and hand print on Japanese washi paper with a spoon. Next, watercoloring, signing, and writing the common and botanical names for plant identification. Learn to hand sew your prints together as a paper quilt. Also learn how to print the plant cuttings with an etching press on 100% cotton paper. After learning these plant transfer techniques, book artists can use these skills in making their books by hand printing or etching press. Be a naturalist & printmaker with no experience necessary!

Materials/equipment to be provided by students:

  • Watercolors (gouache, gansai, calligraphy ink colors, or any water-based colors)
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Sewing thread (any color, not white)
  • Sewing needle
  • Latex or nitrile gloves
  • Face mask & apron (optional)

See Materials Glossary for definitions and images

Materials/equipment to be provided by instructor:

  • 6 sheets of 6 x 9.5-inch washi paper per participant
  • One 7.5 x 11-inch 100% cotton paper per participant
  • Newsprint/newspaper
  • Letter sized copier paper (1 packet)
  • Various PNW native plant cuttings in case there aren’t many on campus
  • Black oil-based ink
  • Ink spatulas
  • 7 brayers
  • Spoons for hand printing (1 per participant)
  • Extra watercolors
  • Soft paint brushes for watercolor (1 per participant)
  • Cups for water, palettes for watercolor
  • Extra pencils
  • Scissors (4 spares)
  • Rulers (4 spares)
  • Extra sewing thread (any color, not white)
  • Extra sewing needles
  • Extra latex or nitrile gloves
  • Rubbing alcohol for degreasing brayers
  • Simple Green for degreasing
  • Vegetable oil for cleaning ink
  • Paper towels/rags
  • Pruning shears

Instructor Biography:

Yoshi Nakagawa is a visual artist and gardener based in Tacoma, WA—specializing in printmaking for over 24 years. Raised in Portland, OR, she pulled her first print at the University of Puget Sound, and continued her craft in Seattle and Oaxaca, Mexico. Her artwork is influenced by patterns of the natural world and Japanese textiles, along with experiences living in Oaxaca and Japan. She has exhibited and taught workshops in the US, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and Honduras.

Website: www.yoshinakagawa.com