Printmaker, teacher, artist, John Amoss has created, in my humble opinion, one of the most important modern mokuhanga landscape series in The Appalachian Trail. In my interview with John Amoss we speak on his philosophies behind mokuhanga, the journey’s throughout his life that helped him reach the creation and completion of The Appalachian Trail, the works of Hiroshi Yoshida and Kawase Hasui, as well as his own printmaking process. 

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Show Notes: all links are hyperlinked. Just click!

John Amoss (Tanuki Prints) - website where John blogs, and discusses his Appalachian Trail series. You are able to purchase the series or the first and second prints of the series as well.  

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) - 100 Views of Famous Places in Edo

Paul Binnie - Flowers Of A Hundred Years The prints made from this series can be found in the above link via Scholten NYC

Annie Bissett - We Are Pilgrims 

Matsubara Naoko - naokomatsubara.com contains some of the prints from her In Praise Of Hands series. It is also a book being released by Yoshiki Waterhouse in 2021.

Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) - The Complete Woodblock Prints is a fantastic book which comes in several editions. 

David Bull’s Baren Forum was an early incarnation of Mokuhankan and his Twitch streams. This was where artists from around the world would come and ask questions and get advice regarding mokuhanga. It helped many early printmakers get going.

gomazuri -  is a technique in printmaking which gives the print a sesame seed pattern on the paper. Yoshida discusses this here 

Hasui Kawase (1883-1957) - one of the most important print designers of the shin-hanga movement. His prints tap into the idealized visuals of Japan through the weather such as snow, rain, and autumn leaves. His landscape prints are incredibly powerful and moving.  Shōzaburō Watanabe (1885-1962) - began the shin hanga movement in Japan in 1915 by hiring printers, carvers, and designers in the style of ukiyo-e. Artists such as Hasui, Yoshida, and Itō Shinsui (1898-1972) started their careers with Watanabe.

Calendaring/beta ban block - John discusses calendaring the paper which is running the paper through a press to flatten the paper more to get better flat colour. Beta ban is a term regarding a flat area of the wood block “containing an area of wide, featureless colour.”

surimono - a term regarding privately commissioned prints allowing for a more free artistic expression.

Ukiyo-e Heroes -  a print series begun by David Bull and Jed Henry with a focus on video game culture and characters from that universe.

The Appalachian Trail - a trail which travels through the American states of Maine to Georgia (14 states). It is 2193miles (3529km) which is walked. Suffice it to say it looks spectacular and John’s prints reflect that.

Daoism (Taoism) - a philosophy and religion which discusses and teaches the release of desire.

The Japanese Alps -  a mountain range which runs form several prefectures in Japan; Niigata, Toyama, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu and Shizuoka, on the island of Honshu.  100 Poems from 100 Poet’s Series by David Bull

Pacific Crest Trail - a trail which runs 2,653 mi (4,270 km) from the states of California, Oregon, Washington and terminates at the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Graham Scholes - Canadian printmaker. The boot camp does not seem to be running any longer.

dispersion pigments - concentrated pigments which use water. Guerra paints make these pigments.

Kremer pigments sell powdered pigments.

Cal Carlisle - an American printmaker (@heritageprintmakers) based in Cleveland, Ohio who has sold his own prints as well as worked for Jed Henry. He was also my first interview on The Unfinished Print.

Kitaro Echizen Washi

opening credit background music: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderley (1997)

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