Meet Etsy Woodblock Artist: anniebissett

I was lucky enough to happen across a wonderful artist this morning, who opened her Etsy shop less than 24 hours ago...

Annie Bissett makes beautiful watercolor prints from her own hand-carved woodblocks in the traditional Japanese style known as Moku Hanga. While she has been a commercial illustrator for almost 20 years, she has been "furiously making woodblock prints in (her) spare time for the past 3 years." She explains that "the Japanese technique is distinguished from western techniques in its use of multiple blocks for multiple colors, water-based instead of oil-based pigments, and hand printing with a baren rather than printing on a press. The materials used are simple, organic and completely non-toxic -- ideal for working in a home studio." She has examples of a printing setup on her blog (http://on-my-desk.blogspot.com/2006/07/annie-bissett.html). Her subjects tend to be political and spiritual, while "celebrat(ing) this incredibly beautiful planet we all share." Her most recent project is a series of prints based on satellite images of locations that caught her eye through news stories -- "a sort of geopolitical art." Unfortunately the process is quite an undertaking, but a challenge she welcomes. "A single print can take up to two months to produce. It's the antithesis to my commercial illustration work, where I work digitally and turnaround times can be as short as three days. At first I found the contrast too extreme, but now I really value the time I spend making 'slow art.' When I'm working on a print of a place I'm not familiar with (for instance, I just completed a print of Mecca) I often listen to music or poetry from that area while I carve. The process has become a form of meditation and contemplation for me." Her brand new Etsy shop is currently a hobby but she hopes to eventually turn it into a career. Please check out her shop: http://anniebissett.etsy.com/

-Wendy Baylis

Dharma Designs

http://dharmadesigns.etsy.com/