靜與淨 / My Japanese Woodblock Prints

日本木刻版畫有著一種幽然的美感,  或許是樹木生命所付與木板的靈氣,  或許是水彩透明的質感,  加上印刷時使用人工的臂力透過日本手工製紙的樸質,  這些因素皆增添了西洋版畫無法表現的靜與淨的味道.

我用我家名為卡夫卡的貓做為我版畫印刷的主角許多次了.  我喜歡這個簡單的構圖,  貓兒望向繡球花 , 彷彿期待什麼或發現什麼.  我曾刻過一張鋁板, 這次 我將它刻在木頭上, 想試試日本木版印刷的效果.  這張是我試了十幾張印刷後最滿意的一張.  之前用的紫色背景水彩用到乾涸,  於是在潤浸微濕的和紙乾掉以前, 急急忙忙的調了深和淺兩種橘紅色, 結果出乎意外的,  給這景像帶來陽光似的溫暖!

每年春季課程我才有機會學到日本木刻版畫這門古老的藝術.  從木板上鑿出深而精細的溝紋要有一雙強而有力的手和幾把好的雕刻刀才足以應付.  我關節粗大的右手在使力一陣子之後彷彿更為腫大變形, 總要休息片刻, 否則連端咖啡杯都會抖 .  但是木頭的樸實在和木削的香氣令我著迷,  黑色墨水的魔力總在最後一刷時散發它的能量 瞬間擄獲我的心.  我持續學著這門藝術,  有時想的只是希望有一天我老到使不動印刷機時,  還可以自己在家刻木板, 用水彩, 黑墨和鞋刷和和紙 就可以繼續做版畫 .  同時有著一杯熱茶和一室的音樂,  或許還有一條狗或一隻貓!

這將是個美好的期待, 如同暖陽下的卡夫卡一般.

Japanese woodblock prints show the special beauty which cannot be shown in Western printmaking.   Maybe it’s the woodgrain; or maybe the quality of transparent watercolour as a printing media; or the strength of human arms that brushes the woodboard, penetrating the Japanese handmade paper: all those facts give the “clean & solitary” beauty to Japanese woodblock prints.

Kafka, my Cat, has been used as the main character in my prints.  I did one etching print of this simple yet interesting composition image.  I would like to try to carve this image into wood board and make Japanese Wood block prints.  After many test prints, with black ink image or violet background prints,  the orange background one, as the attached image,  is the last and best print that I tried to pull out in good paper last Wednesday.  The duo-toned orange colours bring a warm and sunny atmosphere to the whole image, surprising me!

I’ve only been practicing Japanese Woodblock Printmaking, the old traditional Japanese art technique, since the Spring term.  It requires a pair of strong hands and a few fine carving tools to carve and gauge the woodblock nicely and deeply.  From time to time, I have to rest my hand in between gauging the wood, otherwise I cannot even hold the cup when I need a drink of tea or coffee.  But the organic quality of the woodblock and the scent of the wood dust charms me very much.  The black ink is like magic which charms my heart the minute it shows on the paper.  I continuously learn from this art technique, simply because I have been thinking far ahead about how when I am too old to handle the heavy press, I can just do Japanese Wood block print at home.  I don’t need too much to make a print, just watercolor, black ink and shoes brushes and paper… and at the same time, I can have a cup of hot tea, in a room with music, with my dog or cat beside me.

It’s something to look forward to, just like Kafka under the sunshine in the mornings!

June 10, 2011.