Fall 2025
Coordinator: Julio Rodriguez
Details:
- Medium: Woodblock print–hand rubbed or pulled on a press, any pigments, any paper
- Theme: Tea
- Paper Size: Chuban (10 x 7.5 in / 25.5 x 19 cm)
- Paper Type: No restriction
- Registration period: July 1, 2025 to July 31, 2025
- Mailing deadline for finished prints: September 30, 2025
Laura Bortoloni, Rovigo, Italy
Tea in translation
25.5 x 19 cm, 3, plywood, Oil based on Awagami Shiramine, edition 22.
Typographic project based on the overlapping of the letters TEA and the ideogram 茶; the blocks were produced with laser engraving. The project was printed with a Saroglia proof press from the 1950s. The chosen colours reflect the different shades of tea. laurabortoloni.com
Joanna Bradley, Australia
Dark times
19 x 25.5 cm, 1 rubber, Sakura black oil ink on Thick Kozo, edition 21.
Dark times is the first print I designed with a person as the subject. The tea is comforting. The eagle, captured and displayed as a trophy – a reference to fascism and loss of freedom. The wolf at the door acknowledges our collective fear about what is ahead for many of us. My daughter suggested calling this print “New York Minute” or “Philadelphia Sailing”.
Sian Carlyon, Toowoomba, Qld, Australia
Mix & Matcha (chado)
19 x 25.5 cm, 1 Japanese Shina, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Sumi (Verde) on Japanese Ho-Sho, edition 24.
I started doing this print using the full colour ‘white-line’ technique, however, I realized why that often had an edition of 1! Then I wanted to play with some new sumi colours on this woodblock, settling on a traditional technique using sumi green to suggest the whisked green matcha of the tea ceremony.
John Center, Chicago, IL, USA
two T’s
10 x 7.5 in, 4 maple blocks hand carved by me text letters 1880 wood type., oil based ink, green and black. graphic chem. black tea stained paper. on calston acid free., edition 25.
wood cut press printed, paper died with black tea and collaged.
Christina Crews, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK
Together
19 x 25.5 cm, Shina ply, four blocks, Sennelier inks on Japanese Kozo, edition 22.
- Suminagashi – I started with floating sepia ink onto the paper suggesting the whispering steaminess of tea.
- Tea bowls – I printed the tea bowl blocks one by one using traditional Kento.
- Border – The lower border was printed from two blocks, vertical and horizontal. I used my fingers to press the ink into the blocks as I wanted a free, sketchy monoprint look to this.
I used lightly dampened paper for the tea bowls and almost dry for the lower border. Obviously this is a varied edition, floating ink follows its own course. This was may first edition using the mokuhanga technique and I found it challenging in a good way. It has given me the confidence to continue making varied editions. Wood-Water-Inks on Instagram
Royet Cristina, Lyon, France
Silence
19 x 25.5 cm, 7 (6 shina plywood, 1 poplar), Holbein – watercolour, Lefranc Bourgeois/Linel – gouache extra fine on Masa Awagami white 86 gm2, edition 26.
For my first Baren exchange I chose to interpret the assigned theme, “Tea”, literally. I zoomed in on the hands of the person preparing Matcha, during a tea ceremony. I used as reference, a picture taken during a tea ceremony I attended on my first trip to Japan, in 2007. I tried to capture the late afternoon light reflecting on the tatami mat and the hands. And also the moment of calm and peace that I experienced during the ceremony. cristinaroyet.fr
Bea Gold, Oceanside, CA, USA
Pot of Gold
7.5 x 10 in, one, black and true gold on nichiguchi, edition 35.
Tea is sparely gold paint bealgold@artist
Heather Halpern, OR, USA
Tim’s Tea Table
7.5 x 10 in, Wood, Daniel Smith on Thai Kozo, edition 30. HeatherHalpern.com
George Jarvis, Akita, Japan
お茶（Ocha=Tea)
25.5 x 19 cm, 1 , Matsumura shina plywood, Golden OPEN carbon black on 新鳥の子 Shintorinoko, edition 35. jarviskobo.jp
Rachel Kamata, San Antonio, TX, USA
Matcha Mania
10 x 7.5 in, 1 block of Linoleum (Reduction), Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink on Rives BFK, edition 30.
Increasingly, I see matcha products promoted in San Antonio. While normal “tea” can be found, it is in contexts far removed from tea that matcha pops up. “Matcha Mania” uses a single block of linoleum for 6 layers, some layers having multiple colors/gradients. I initially intended to pull all layers on a press, but ended up using the press and hand rubbing in conjunction due to some mechanical issues. rachel-kamata.com
Martha Knox, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Bell Beaker
10 x 7.5 in, 1 plywood, Speedball oil based black ink on Canson #480 Light Green and chine colle with brown Thai Mulberry paper, edition 22.
I’m also a ceramic artist and lately I’ve been interested ceramic forms from the Bell Beaker culture in ancient Europe. Many of the vessels have pressed or carved patterns in them that I felt had a connection to relief printmaking, and so I decided to make a print of a bell beaker. The connection to tea is that it is a vessel that could be used for tea, and indeed I do use many of the ones I’ve made out of clay as tea cups. marthaknox.com
Tom Kristensen, Sydney. Australia
Gilt TEA
19 x 25.5 cm, 2 blocks of cherry-faced plywood, Sumi and golden mica on Thai kozo, edition 22.
- A pun on the word guilty.
- The Midas touch (Greek legend)
- The surreal (Dali)
- Under His Eye (Atwood) doubledaggerart.com
Brad Ladwig, Honolulu, HA, USA
Tea
10 x 7.5 in, 5 Shina Plywood, Holbein liquid pigments and tube watercolors on Nishinouchi, edition 30.
might do a second edition with different colors…”coffee” – looking forward to seeing everyone’s prints!
Michele Letourneur, Fairfax, VA, USA
Ceremony for One
25.5 x 19 cm, 4 blocks, 11 impressions, shina plywood, Daniel Smith watercolor on Awagami Silk Pure White, edition 25.
I’m typically an abstract artist, so this is my first try at something realistic. I’m continuing to experiment with oil-based lacquer to create tone-on-tone effects and building up multiple layers to mimic the appearance of ceramic. The copper accent is from a stencil brush, otherwise it is all mokuhanga.
Mike Lyon, Kansas City, MO, USA
B101-Tea
7.5 x 10 in, 2 solid cherry blocks, Guerra Paint & Pigment Dispersions – Quinacridone 195 and Cerulean Blue Medium on McClains Shin Torinoko, edition open.
Each of the two laser-engraved blocks was printed twice in order to produce more saturated colors. Although (theoretically) there are four colors in this print (white, red, blue, purple), the variation of the marks produces the illusion of continuous tone and the interplay between the hard geometry of the marks themselves and that continuous tone is pleasing to my eye. Kind of cool, I think. https://mlyon.com
Jacek Machowski, Rzeszów, Poland
the mug of…
25.5 x 19 cm, 7 blocks. Itabokashi, kirazuri, barensuri, nori glue binder various pigments on Kandashi 71 gms (washi), edition 100.
As usual, I began with searching for an idea. I considered a few options, but finally I wanted something playful. I didn’t want to make another simple cup or bowl… so of course, I ended up making one 😂 A bit of irony is hidden both in the image and in the text 😜
As for the assumptions, I wanted the work to be at least partially hand-designed and for the woodblock print to convey that sketch-like form. This time, I also wanted to use more blocks and more means of expression so that the piece would be more visually rich. And as usual, I wanted to try something new. I had the chance to try baren-zuri. It’s something between monotype and block printing (brush-like streaks in the background). I also tested itabokashi — very shallow and fluid cutting, which I applied on the mug pattern. Thanks to this, the edge of the print looks torn and blurred. I used this technique in a few other places as well, but it’s most visible on the Cup pattern. Maybe it’s also worth noting the tea stains 😀
The text was another challenge. At first, I wanted to write it in Japanese (I even prepared a grass-script version and consulted @traditional_label_lab ). Sensei @traditional_label_lab has helped me a lot in considering what idea of writing to use – thank you so much 🙇♂️. Finally, I chose a different solution: unclear, mirrored writing, readable only from the back 😂 For a while I wondered if printmakers might think I made a basic mistake when placing text, but in the end — if the work gains from it, why not? 😄
For the printing, I used 3 blocks with 7 matrices. To save material, on some I put two with separate kento marks. I printed nine times; two matrices were used twice. The navy on the mug was printed twice for stronger saturation; from the background block I printed the beige ground and the lower bokashi gradient.
As for techniques, I used baren-zuri (rough rubbed lines in the background) and itabokashi (a subtle cut that prints normally). I also applied gomazuri on the lower bokashi. On the mug it’s less visible, but in the background much stronger. This added depth and clearer separation of planes.
In some pigments I added mica — a shiny mineral that sparkles on the print. machy.pl
Bronwyn Merritt, Orlando, FL
Iced is Nice
10 x 7.5 in, One cork block, Speedball water-based block printing inks on Teabag paper, edition 25.
Three color reduction. Being from the South I had to give iced tea its due
Julio Rodriguez, Skokie, IL, USA
Tea Bath
10 x 7.5 in, Three blocks, linoleum, wood plywood, Printmaking watercolor inks on Rives (White, Heavy 175gsm), edition 25.
Straight forward cut & print process on Rives white paper. Printed sheets soaked on a chamomile “tea bath” to simulate old aged prints.
Zanna Tachibana, Kanazawa, Japan
Found Teabag
7.5 x 10 in, reduction technique (1block), 9 on Echizen Kitaro, edition 25.
first time attempting reduction technique. Lots to learn!
Cydney Taylor, WA, USA
Tea
7.5 x 10 in, 4 blocks, shina – 4th block white(3 layers), Daniel Smith water color on Pantion, washi, edition 22.
Floating tea bowls in a floating landscape of the imagination.
Monique Wales, Oakhurst, CA, USA
Here We Go Again
7.5 x 10 in, 6 Shina Plywood Blocks, Holbein Watercolour, Sumi on Shiramine 110gsm, edition 22.
l’ve been thinking about our past this year, particularly the reasons the United States of America initially formed a governing system incorporating a separation of powers or “checks and balances” to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful. We didn’t want a ‘King’ to be dictating from on high, without representation or counterbalance. The Boston Tea Party event escalated tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain, and lead directly to the American Revolution. The East India Co’s logo was on the boxes tossed into the harbor in protest and is reflected here, on the upside down teacup as a symbol of continuing rejection of any Monarchy or Dictatorship. moniquewales.com