Earlier this year McClain’s sponsored an educational outreach program where artists Todd Anderson and Bruce Crownover, along with science collaborator Dr. Gary Machlis, met with high school students and teachers in the Moab and Blanding area of Utah to talk about their latest woodcut project focused on the effects of global heating on trees in southeastern Utah. The project is called Sentinels: The Pinon Pine and Juniper Trees of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. They visited multiple schools including a tribal school for presentation and talk with students self-identified as being interested in art and science collaborations and related career paths. Sentinels was exhibited at two Utah State University campuses along with a series of outreach events. Sentinels includes 12 large woodcuts by Anderson and Crownover and three “word paintings” by scientist Machlis.
Sentinels is the latest body of work by the Last Glacier Collective, where art and science meet to address the impacts of climate change. Visit the Last Glacier Collective to find out more.
PDiM 2023
McClain’s is a proud sponsor of Print Day in May (PDiM), an annual global printmaking event that is free for anyone around the world to join. Participation is simple: make a print on Print Day in May which is on the first Saturday in May, post and tag @printdayinmay and a participating sponsor (like us!) for your chances to win prizes and to share your work with the printmaking community at large. You can post and tag on social media or if you don’t participate in social media you can submit a post on the Print Day in May blog. This year we awarded three participants a $75 McClain’s gift certificate. Congratulation and thank you to Savannah Crawford (@savanniecrawford), Janella Crawford Hine (@janellabeestudio) and Dan Rafalski! If you haven’t joined PDiM we hope that you will consider it for next year. Visit printdayinmay.com to find out more!
NEW!
“Sharp Tools: The Key to Improving Your Mokuhanga Carving” by Terry McKenna is now available at McClain’s. Thoroughly detailed with photos and illustrations throughout, “Sharp Tools” has been written about sharpening Japanese tools specifically for moku hanga but the same techniques can be used on western woodcut and linocut tools as well. Visit our website to view a downloadable sample of this book (link)
McClain’s also carries two more books by Terry McKenna, “Mokuhanga Fundementals: Core Skills to Successfully Make your First Japanese Woodblock Prints” and “Creative Print: Intermediate Mokuhanga” for the more advanced moku hanga artist.
Terry McKenna is the founder of the Karuizawa Mokuhanga School in Karuizawa, Japan. A student of Richard Steiner, Terry has made a career from moku hanga since 2009. He now lives in Japan, returning to his homeland Australia and to New Zealand to teach. Karuizawa Mokuhanga School offers residencies and online workshops.
Speaking of Richard Steiner, “Woodblock Prints: 50 Years of Woodblock Prints” retrospective is now available at McClain’s. Richard Steiner is an internationally known Moku Hanga artist and teacher who has made Japan his home since 1970. The seventy one prints chosen for Mr. Steiner’s 2020 exhibit, “50 Years of Woodblock Printmaking,” plus eleven bonus prints, are included in this book. Prints were chosen from each decade so viewers can trace his evolution in skill, styles and themes. Mr. Steiner also added his thoughts about some of the prints. At the end of the book is a brief history; lists of shows, exhibits, collections and gallery representatives; plus photos from the exhibit and his studio. These prints reflecting his very personal journey ranging from the playful to the serious and are always honestly original. These books are signed by the artist.
