magnolia spitzack woodblock woodcut mokuhanga print printmaking washi seattle art

"Magnolia" places Spitzack within the [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) lineage of bird-and-flower imagery that has been central to Japanese woodblock practice since the Edo period, though here translated through a contemporary American sensibility. The magnolia, with its broad fleshy petals and exposed stamens, is well suited to mokuhanga: the medium's water-based pigments and absorbent [washi](/glossary/washi) support allow for soft [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations across each petal, capturing the characteristic blush from white through pink that defines the flower. A subject like this typically calls for several registered blocks — separate impressions for petal interiors, outlines, foliage, and ground tone — with the [kento](/glossary/kento) registration system holding each pull in alignment. Spitzack's engagement with this traditional genre, recognized at the 2024 International Mokuhanga Conference in Echizen, reflects how American practitioners are extending kacho-e conventions into local botanical subjects rather than reproducing Edo-period motifs.