This course offers a contemporary take on woodblock with traditional methods and tools that have been used in Japan for centuries. Exploration will include a trip to the Barbara Hepworth Gardens and its simple and shapely sculptures inspired by the rocks and lines of the Cornish coast.  

Translated literally as ‘creative prints’, sosaku hanga emphasises the artist’s need for autonomous self-expression in the drawing, carving and designing of prints. This remains a major appeal of woodblock printing today: it’s an independent printing process that you can do at home, without a press and using completely sustainable materials.    

Learn to extract modern ideas from your surroundings and simplify them into semi-abstract designs – knowledge you can use in any creative endeavour. Enjoy the satisfying process of carving your designs into soft poplar ply and hone your compositional skills creating clean prints with a precise and professional finish.  

This is a wonderfully unique opportunity to engage with traditions from both Japan and St Ives to produce ethereal, experimental prints.