Written in 2004

Woodcuts are the most venerable form of printing. The artist cuts a design into a flat piece of wood, carving away all the wood from the areas that are to be left blank, leaving a relief, mirror image of the final form. Evidently the technique was used in the early Middle Ages for printing repeating patterns on fabric. Later, as paper became more available, artisans and engravers began to produce images, often for books, especially after Gutenberg began to carve letters of the alphabet as woodcuts and began to print text using this "movable type." My woodcuts follow from the European tradition, being very strongly graphic--very chiaroscuro, light and dark--which to me is a nice counterpoint to the subtle, nuanced quality of the watercolours I spend most of my time painting. The other well-known tradition in woodcuts is Japanese, the so-called Ukiyo-e school active from the 1600s through the 1800s; they are multicoloured prints, using multiple blocks, with the black block usually printing only an outline defining the forms in the image. I've recently switched from woodblocks to pieces of linoleum – thus, linocuts – as I've been unable to find the kind of wooden panels I want.

Cutting tools, graphite for transferring and checking the image, a brush for cleaning up the woodchips, ink and a brayer. I use a bookbinding press, properly called a standing press, to print the images from blocks like the ones below.