Melissa Schulenberg - Printmaker : A Beautiful Jump

Producers of mokuhanga prints who also teach art at the academic level have always intrigued me. The balance between the solitary work of a printmaker and the responsibilities of teaching a wide range of artistic disciplines must be both complex and, at times, challenging. It raises questions such as: How much of my own creative journey can I pursue while also dedicating myself to students who look to me for guidance as both an artist and a teacher?

On this episode of The Unfinished Print: A Mokuhanga Podcast, I speak with Melissa Schulenburg—an independent printmaker, member of the Mokuhanga Sisters collective, and Charles A. Dana Professor of Art & Art History at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Our interview explores Melissa's work as both an educator and a practicing mokuhanga printmaker. We discuss the role of tradition in her practice, how her visits to Japan, participation in MI-LAB, and involvement with the Mokuhanga Sisters have shaped her artistic development. We also take a look inside her printmaking toolbox, discussing the papers, pigments, and tools she relies on, as well as her deep connection to nature and the influence it has on her work.

Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me [email protected]

Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase.

Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known.

Melissa Schulenberg - Instagram note* Melissa's website is under construction at the time of publishing.

harimaze-e (貼交絵) is a format of mokuhanga that was particularly popular during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). It consists of a single sheet of paper onto which multiple separate images were designed and printed. These compositions could include individual scenes arranged together on one sheet, sometimes functioning as diptychs or triptychs. Harimaze-e were commonly produced in a chūban format, measuring approximately 24.8 × 36.3 cm.

Cutout Pictures of The Tōkaidō Road (1848-49), Published by Ibaya Senzaburō (Dansendō), 26.5 cm x 39cm. 

The Adachi Institute of Woodblock Prints - is a print studio located in Tōkyō. Established in 1994 in order to promote and preserve the colour woodblock print of Japan. More information, in English and in Japanese.    MI Lab - is a mokuhanga artists residency located in Awatabe Town, Echizen City, Fukui, Japan. More info can be found, here.    floating kentō - is like the traditional kentō registration technique but is carved on an "L" shaped piece of wood, and not onto the wood block.    Shōichi Kitamura - is a woodblock carver and printmaker based in Kyoto, Japan. Shoichi has been involved in MI Lab through his demonstrations on carving. More info can be found, here.    Bravery Matched With The Twelve (Zodiac) Signs by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-