General 5 — Spoons & Violets

Whiteline Woodcuts

Whiteline Woodcuts are colorful monoprints created with watercolor paint.

It was invented as a single block alternative to Japanese color woodcuts in Provincetown Massachusetts in 1915. It was practice primarily by women many of them queer. This is why it struggled to gain popularity despite the fact this technique is non-toxic, inexpensive and doesn’t require a printing press. learn more

I first learned Whiteline woodcut when I was thirteen in Maine, where I spent every summer as a kid visiting my grandmother. I got to visit the studio of Whiteline artists Kim and Phillppe Villard (Villard studios). I then spent every summer in high school hanging around their studio and trying to learn as much as possible. Then in college I began to experiment more with technical aspects of the medium.

Much of my work in Whiteline woodcut reflects on this journey, my personal connecting to Maine, my grandmothers house, and my family history.

Traditonal Whiteline Woodcut

Whiteline Woodcut is traditionally carved with a X-acto or pen knife and then hand printed. The paper is taped on to the block and watercolor paint is applied with a brush to individual sections of the block. The paper is flipped and printed by hand or burnished with a spoon in between. This is repeated until the full image is transfers.
This is how I was first taught the technique and how I work when I don’t have access to a studio..
Lasercut Whiteline Woodcut

Whiteline Woodcut was first created as a more material efficient way of creating Japanese color woodcuts. It then morphed into its own unique style. So in that same spirit of innovation I have been carving blocks with an industrial laser cutter. While prints can be laser cut in the traditional style. You can also create prints with extreme detail and create a more free form application of paint. There is also potential teaching application of laser cut blocks (for efficiency and safety when working with children)
Press Printed Whiteline Woodcut

Whiteline Woodcut is traditionally printed by hand which allows for multiple layers and overprinted details. This gives the prints a feel of a watercolor painting. While this is my preferred method I have enjoyed printing them with a press. The pressure of a press embosses the white lines adding to the texture of the piece and allowing for more experimentation. The text on the piece above is blindly embossed which fits well with the subtle watercolor.