Carving out a career in printmaking

Twenty years ago, Carol Brown walked into the Houston Museum of Fine Art to see an exhibit of Japanese art. She was so inspired by the experience, she walked across the street and signed up for classes at the Glassel School of Art.

It took seeing just one Moku-hanga woodprint being made to completely change her life.

Since then, Brown has made printmaking her life, making a name for herself in her home state of Texas before moving to Carson City four years ago. Her work has included a series of wildflowers, clouds and Japanese clothing.

"I go to nature for inspiration, but I focus on specific parts like flowers, instead of landscapes," Brown said.

For her next series, she wants to focus on orchids because of their color and delicate nature.

Brown recently received her second Jackpot Grant from the Nevada Arts Council. She was among the 21 recipients of the grants, which totaled $13,129.

Brown will use the $800 award to attend the New York Botanical Orchid Show.

"I want to actually go and sketch all the flowers to use as the basis for my prints," she said. "If you study a lot of paintings, you can tell right away which ones are done from real things and which are created using photos. When it comes from a photo, coming from 2-D to 2-D, something is lost."

Once she completes her initial sketches, Brown will return to her workshop and begin carving. The blocks are carved from cherry wood using a 400-year-old process that takes several days to complete. The carving is done with Japanese tools to create a raised impression.

Once the wood is carved, it is covered in water, rice paste and dye. The Japanese paper that is used is soaked for 24 hours then placed on the carving.

The paper is then pressed into the image using a baren, a press made from 40 layers of lacquered paper.

"When I'm printing, I put out blocks of time because you can get into a rhythm, and it's almost Zen-like," Brown said.

Woodcarving is one of the least-forgiving mediums, forcing artists like Brown to adapt their carvings.

"My ceramics teacher said it best. She said, 'Art is about solving problems,'" Brown said.

Each carving garners about 200 prints before the wood begins to crack. When that happens, Brown begins looking for her next project.

"I get an idea. I usually don't know where it comes from, but it ferments for a while, and something makes it come together."

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.