fallen leaves spitzack woodblock woodcut Japanese mokuhanga print printmaking washi seattle art fine art

A study of fallen leaves treated as a flat compositional surface rather than as an element within a larger landscape. The subject lends itself to mokuhanga: individual leaf forms can be carved as discrete shapes across multiple blocks, with overlapping transparent color builds suggesting the layered accumulation that occurs on the forest floor. Water-based pigments allow the color to settle into the fibers of [washi](/glossary/washi) without the surface gloss of oil-based inks, producing the matte, paper-integrated color characteristic of historical Japanese prints. The motif connects to [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e), the bird-and-flower genre that includes botanical studies, while moving away from the conventional kacho-e framing of a defining branch or stem toward a flatter, scattered treatment. As part of Spitzack's practice, the print reflects a continued interest in seasonal observation drawn from his Pacific Northwest surroundings, where autumn ground cover is a defining visual feature.