Episode Details

Lynita Shimizu's prints are ambitious, colourful; and most importantly, bring the viewer into their fantastic world.

On this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with mokuhanga printmaker Lyniyta Shimizu, about her history as a mokuhanga working printmaker, her teachers from Japan as well as her experiences in that country. Lynita speaks on her varied print subjects, her materials and her mokuhanga process.

Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com

Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase.

Lynita Shimizu - website, Instagram, New Leaf Gallery video.

Chinese University Hong Kong - is a public research university based in Hong Kong, and established in 1963. more, info here.

JET Programme - a teaching programme created in 1978, which is sponsored by the Japanese government, and various Japanese ministries. This organization brings people from around the world to teach English to Japanese students in grade school, junior high, and high schools throughout the country. More info, here.

nengajo - (年賀状) what began as a way for Japanese nobility to communicate with faraway friends and family during the New Year festive period, has become a way for all people to send New Year greetings to their own friends and family. More info, here.

Books Kinokuniya - is a Japanese chain of bookstores located throughout every Prefecture in Japan and around the world. More info, here.

Tomikichiro Tokuriki (1902-1999) - was a woodblock printmaker based in Kyōto, Japan. His prints were considered sōsaku hanga (creative prints), and shin-hanga prints (new prints). More info, here.

David Stones - was a student of Tokuriki in Japan. His woodblock prints are bright in colour and have traditional Japanese themes. His website has more information, as well as this really well produced video that came out late last year.

Margaret Stein Nakamura - is a designer and illustrator who studied three years under Tomikichiro Tokuriki in the 1970's. Her Tumblr of her projects can be found, here.

sizing/dosa - is a liquid form (prepared) animal glue which is brushed onto your washi, hanji, or other natural papers to stiffen the paper and prepare it for keeping the colour in your woodblock print. It has come to pass that size tends to be acidic and will break down the print over time. It's a bit of a double edged sword. Recipes for size can be found, here.

Yoshisuke Funasaka - is a woodblock printmaker in the sōsaku hanga style of printmaking. His work revolved around colour, fruit, and abstract shapes. More info, here.

Sho Kidokoro (1934-1988) - was a woodblock printmaker from Tōkyō, Japan. His prints were colourful, abstract, and he too focused on fruit, such as apples and pears.

reduction printing - is a method of printing where one block is used and