Whiteline Woodcut, 2019
2 day intensive taught by Joseph Vorgity

Saturday, November 2nd, 9am-4pm
Sunday, November 3rd, 9am-4pm

White line woodblock printmaking is a cousin of Japanese woodblock printmaking, or Moku Hanga.  It was invented in Provincetown 1915 and is done entirely by hand, without a press.  White line uses a single matrix, a block of wood, and a variety of watercolors to create a complex and varietoned print.  The inking and printing of the image is an involved and creative process where the artist lays down individual color areas and prints by hand using a wooden spoon. 

Each print is done in its entirety, one at a time, and so a variety of images can be made with one block if the artist prefers.  Many admirers of the technique observe that the blocks are exquisite works of art on their own.

Participating artists should have some familiarity with watercolor techniques.  No prior woodcut experience is necessary, and this class is appropriate for a range of experience levels in printmaking, from beginner to advanced.

Students will learn how to make a Provincetown white line woodblock print, gradation inking effect, handprinting with watercolor inks, proper cutting procedure, knife sharpening, proper color separation for a white line print.  This class is entirely non toxic.

Tuition is $260 per student, and includes all necessary materials. Any cancellations will be reimbursed minus a $50 nonrefundable deposit up to 7 days prior to the workshop start date.

About the artist:

Joseph Vorgity is a contemporary realist watercolorist and printmaker. His still life, landscape, and figurative subject matter are recognized by strong flat areas of color with sharp lines to delineate shapes. Some themes are narrative, others have a surreal quality while many are created primarily for their beauty and visual impact.  Some of the figurative pieces are modeled after traditional religious pictures of saints and deities while others are related to figures in Japanese woodblock prints of the early 20th century. His strongest influences come from the American Precisionist Movement, the Arts and Craft Movement, and from Japonisme.

Vorgity maintains a studio in Los Angeles and is a member of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society. Joseph is also the proprietor of Hyacinth Press which produces woodblock printed greeting cards.