White Line Woodcuts with Sue Fierston

White line woodcuts, also known as Provincetown prints, use a unique American printmaking technique developed in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in the early 20th century. The process involves printing multi-color images from a single block of wood. In this workshop, we will trace a 6 x 8-inch simple drawing or photo onto a wood block and cut the line drawing into the block using a woodcut gouge. These cuts become the white lines in the final print. We will paint the spaces between the lines with watercolor and hand-print the image onto printmakers’ paper using a wooden or metal spoon. By the end of class, you’ll have at least one unique print, a hand-carved woodblock, and supplies to continue the process at home.

White-line woodblock printmaking began in 1915 and is the first woodblock printmaking unique to the United States. Western artists admired the Eastern traditional type of woodblock printing made by the Japanese artists. The Eastern art form required several blocks of wood to produce a finished print. The Western printmakers of 1915 created their own style of woodblock printing using only one block of wood. READ MORE

Students must purchase a specialized woodcut knife before class from Imcclains.com.  This knife costs approximately $18. Bring a simple 6 x 8-inch drawing or photo (printed out on copy paper) and a large wooden or metal spoon, such as a salad or soup spoon. You can reuse the spoon for food, as it will not touch the paint. Take some time to search through examples of white line prints for inspiration.

TERMS and CONDITIONS: This is an adult-only class. Because materials are prepared for each participant, cancellations with a refund minus the cost of the materials ($15) will be applied if cancelled within seven days of the course. Cancellations are not accepted within a week of the course date.

INSTRUCTOR: Sue Fierston is a printmaker and current president of the international Nature Printing Society,  a worldwide group of artists who are dedicated to nature printing in all forms. NPS members print real fish and leaves as well as tree bark and spiderwebs.  Sue holds nature printmaking workshops in the spring and fall at the Smithsonian Associates and with NHSM. Her prints and paintings can be seen at: suefierston.com and on Instagram at: @suefierston_leaves_three_ways. Sue published her book, Into the Woods: Families Making Art With Nature, in June 2020 with Swinging Bridge Press.