The materials and tools for this craft originate from the hands of skilled artisans. From beautiful paper made in the mountains of Japan, to the bamboo sheath wrapped around my hand-held printing disk, this form of printmaking never feels far from nature, my muse. The division of space and abstract qualities of traditional Japanese woodcuts attract me. When planning my own prints, I work to simplify what I am seeing or feeling. To move from the inspiration of the sketch to the mechanics of the print requires thoughtful organization of color and space. The image is broken apart; different colors are carved from separate blocks of wood. Only after just the right amount of pigment, water, and rice starch have been brushed across the wood, and the layers of color have been pressed into the paper, does the image come together again as a woodblock print.