About this blog

This blog will be used to only show my work in a gallery-type setting. Therefore, it is not an interactive blog.

My interactive blog is:

bettenorcrosswappner.blogspot.com.

Thank you and enjoy my haiku and woodblock gallery.

Sorry its a little outdated, but I will try to upload my newer works.

Bette.

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"chi"



a small and quick "experimental" woodblock print just for fun. spontaneous carving.

Title: "chi".
Size: 1.5" x 4".
Block: pine.
Water-based ink.
Paper: Strathmore Bristol vellum 100 lb.
Semi-wet technique.
Hand-burnished with bone burnisher.
Carved with Micro Dockyard 1.5 v-gouge

Printed September 2009.
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MONARCH



This is a photo of the first proof.

I like the simplicity of this print design.

--In memory of my brother Larry who passed away June 27th, 2009.

Paper size: 5" x 7"
Image area: 3" x 4.5"
Paper: Strathmore Bristol vellum 100 lb.
Ink: acid-free pigment inks
Technique: soft-block printed images and hand-lettered haiku.
Blind embossing outlining images.
Created: July 2009

My first print with my newly carved chop!

View the photo log for this print:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bette_norcross_wappner/sets/72157621810477524/
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BIRCH SPIRIT



Moku hanga Japanese method.
Print title: "Birch Spirit".
Paper size: 6.5" x 15"
Blocks: Birch plywood.
Paper: Japanese handmade Washi- Masa Dosa.
Inks: Black - neri zumi
and Guerra pigment dispersion.
Fine mica powder mixed into inks.
Hand-rubbed with Murasaki baren.
Created: March 2009.

Tanka poem handwritten on print:

Lady of the woods
a beacon to the stream
this white birch tree--
her parchment bark poems
float into opal twilight.

Bette Norcross Wappner (b'oki)
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2009 NEW YEAR'S PRINT



You can see the mica sparkling from both the silver and the black inks.

--Blocks: Poplar plank.
--Print paper size: 4" x 6"
--Paper: Japanese shin-torinoko.
--2 color ink: black neri-zumi (concentrated sumi-e) and silver metallic water-based ink.
--Fine mica powder mixed into both inks.
--Non-edition: 53 prints

Haiku:

Venus and Luna
press into the ink-black woods
first poem print

Bette Norcross Wappner (b'oki)
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"Lutetium 71 Element"


I produced this print for the Printmakers Element Print Project:
http://azuregrackle.com/periodictable/table/

The print image definitely looks toxic :) -- Lutetium element is used in catalyst cracking in petroleum refineries. The smoke coming from the stack is a molecular model of a catalyst. I used silver metallic ink and fine mica powder to simulate the color and appearance of Lutetium and to emphasize the toxic environmental pollution caused by refineries.

Title: Lutetium
One Block: All Shina printers plywood
Paper: Japanese made white Shin-Torinoko
Two Waterbased Inks: -Black: Neri-Zumi Sumi Concentrate Paste
-Silver Metallic
Fine Mica Powder mixed into the silver ink.
Edition: 4 prints.

Although this print isn't my usual poem-print, it still incorporates lettering. I enjoyed researching and producing it and being a part of this great project.
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"RITE OF PASSAGE"



Title: "Rite of Passage"
Paper size: Chuban 7.5" wide x 10" high.
Image size: 4.5" x 6"
Four Blocks: All-Shina plywood.
Ink: Guerra pigment suspension watercolor based. Moku-Hanga process.
Paper: White Shin-Torinoko.
Printed with a Baren - Murasaki, soft.
1st printing: 40 prints.
(32 prints for BarenForum Exchange #37A).
Open edition.

On my 50th birthday, I celebrated by rowing across our pond in my new kayak on her maiden voyage. I considered it a Rite of Passage Ceremony, crossing into my Crone years. This print was also created to be in honor and memory of Wanda Robertson, a BarenForum.com Printmaking member, who has passed into a new dimension of her life's journey.

Haiku in the print:

maiden voyage
she rows the new kayak
into her crone years

Bette Norcross Wappner (b'oki)

This print is my first 4-color print. So many things I can do to improve this. The ink colors, illustration, and paper aren't what I originally envisioned, but I learned a lot. And because this print exchange is dedicated to my printmaker friend, Wanda -- that is what inspired me to sign up for this exchange and to create this print.
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'YEAR OF THE DOG 2006 NEW YEARS CARD"


Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: Cherry plank.
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko White
Ink: Water-based.
Special Effects: Fine Mica Powder suspended in methyl cellulose added to dog and star, brushed on by hand.
Hand Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2008.

Carved haiku:

first star
a wish whispered
to the light

b'oki.
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"YEAR OF THE ROOSTER 2005 NEW YEARS CARD"

Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: All Shina Plywood (specifically made for printmakers).
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko White
Ink: Water-based.
Size: 4" wide x 6" high.
Hand Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2007.

Ink gradation technique (bokashi): a beginner's poor attempt at trying to blend two colors together simultaneously on the block, printing with one or two passes.

I enjoyed this piece even though its a simple design.

Carved haiku:

first sun
rising with each beat
of my heart

b'oki.
--haiku won 1st place in the World Haiku Club's New Year's Kukai 2003(?)
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"YEAR OF THE MONKEY 2004 NEW YEAR'S CARD"

Moku-hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: cherry
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko White.
Ink: water-based
Size: 4" wide x 6" high.
Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2007

Carved haiku:

A new year-
full of nights to dream
with the moon.

b'oki.
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"MERMAID'S ARIA"

Moku Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: All shina plywood.
Ink: aqua water-based with fine mica powder.
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko white.
Size: 8" x 8".
Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2006.
Created for BarenForum.org print exchange #27 - theme: Mythical Beasts.

Haiku carved into the design:

sapphire sea
an aria ascends
to the sun

b'oki.

First published online at: haigaonline.com.
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"THIS IS MY LETTER TO THE WORLD" - EMILY DICKINSON

A tribute to Emily Dickinson to whom I may be related. Emily's mother's maiden name is the same as my maiden name - Norcross.

Moku Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: Cherry
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko White
Ink: Neri-zumi concentrate sumi paste - made in Japan.
Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Dimensional element added to print: Red thread hand-sewn into Emily's fascicle.
Print Size: 9" wide x 12" high.
Year produced: 2005.

Created for BarenForum.org print exchange #25. Theme: Dreams and Visions.
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"WHITE LILY"

Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print .
Block: All-Shina plywood.
Ink: white water-based.
Paper: Black
Hand-tinted with chalk dust.
Size: 8" x 8".
Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2005

Haiku carved into the design:

a long dream
the white lily awakens
to spring moon

b'oki.

Created for online publication "Full Moon" (no longer published).
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"PERSEVERANCE"

Tribute to David Bull, Moku-Hanga Printmaker. http://www.woodblock.com.
Founder of: http://www.barenforum.org

Moku Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: cherry
Ink: metallic gold water-based
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko white.
Image: 4" x 6"
Paper: 10" wide x 15" high.
Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2005.

Created for BarenForum.org print exchange #23 - Theme: Influential Printmaker. Japanese paper size: oban.
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"SEPIA WORLD"

Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print .
A collaboration.
Print by: b'oki. (Bette Wappner)
Haiku by: an'ya

Block: All shina plywood.
Ink: brown water-based.
Size: 8" wide x 8" high.
Printed with Murasaki soft baren.
Year produced: 2003.

Haiku carved into design:

autumn woods
but for the silver squirrel
its a sepia world

an'ya

First published online at: haigaonline.com.
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"Surimono Cicada"

Moku Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Blocks(2): cherry
Blind Embossing Block: All shina plywood.
Ink: red and black water-based.
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko White
On the cicada's wings: Hand-brushed fine glitter suspended in methyl cellulose.
Year produced: 2004.

Haiku carved into design:

Ancient love song
echos from tree to tree
seventeenth May

b'oki.

Artist's statement: A cicada sitting on a branch of hemlock, inside an "enso" (a Zen symbol) - "A circle like vast space, lacking nothing, and nothing in excess." The cicada is singing its song, into the cosmos, the Great Universe, the enlightened mind.

I was the coordinator for BarenForum.org exchange #21 with the theme of "Surimono". Suri is the Japanese word for printed and mono means thing - surimono, the printed thing. Surimono were often produced as real deluxe Japanese prints - with an abundant use of lavish gold and silver pigments, elaborate embossing and more such luxury features. And only the best papers were used.
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"Bamboo Wind"

Moku Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Blocks(2): cherry
Ink: red and black water-based.
Paper: Japanese Shin-Torinoko white.
Size: 3" wide x 5" high.
Year produced: 2003.

I was a coordinator in a playing card deck exchange.
My card was the 7 of Diamonds (7 bamboo leaves).
www.monoprints.com/exchanges/cards.html

Haiku carved into design:

Bamboo wind
recites poetry
by moonlight

b'oki.
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"AQUA MOSAIC"

Moku-Hanga Japanese Water-Based Technique woodblock print.
Block: All Shina plywood
Ink: Speedball water-based and Graham gouache
Paper: Japanese Washi - Shin Torinoko White
Size: 7.5" wide x 10" high.
Year produced: 2004.

Created for BarenForum.org print exchange #19 with the theme of: Shunga. Translated literally, the Japanese word shunga means picture of spring; "spring" is a common euphemism for sex.

Image is also interpreted as "my artistic muse".
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"ANT"

Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: All shina
Ink: black water-based.
Paper: washi
Image size: 8" wide x 1" high
Paper size: 10" wide x 8" high
Produced: November 2003.

The haiku is hand-lettered in pencil on the print:

a day of yardwork
an ant takes its shadow
into the clover

b'oki.

Created for BarenForum.org prints exchange #18 - Theme: mini-sized image 8 square inches.

First published at online publication "haigaonline.com" - Japanese forms of art and poetry.
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"COOL BLUE"

Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: All shina plywood.
Ink: blue water-based.
Paper size: 6" wide x 4" high.
Produced: June 2003.

The haiku is hand-lettered in pencil on the print:

cool blue stream
fish rise to warm
with the sun

b'oki.

Created at the first BarenForum.org conference "Summit I", in Kansas City, MO.
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"SIESTA STARS"

Moku Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: Birch plywood
Ink: blue (water-based)
Size: 7.5" wide x 10" high.
Produced: April 2003.

This print is dedicated to my husband, my love.
The haiku is hand-lettered in pencil:

aloft summer's moon
swirls of incense caress
our siesta stars

b'oki.

Created for BarenForum.org print exchange #16. Theme: none. Size: Japanese size: chu-ban.
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"YEAR OF THE GOAT 2003 NEW YEAR'S CARD"

Moku-Hanga Japanese water-based technique woodblock print.
Block: cherry
Ink: white
Background: blue watercolor wash
Paper: Strathford Watercolor
Size: 4" wide x 6" high
Year produced: 2003.

Accompanying haiku on back of print:

atop this mountain
crisp breezes encompass
a cloudless view

b'oki.

My first woodblock print, created before my first woodblock workshop.
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