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Workshops
Integrating Mind, Body, and Art, a Color Woodblock Printmaking Retreat
June 20 - 22, 2025, at the Rowe Center, Rowe, MA.
Workshop Leaders
Join Matt Brown and co-leaders Todd Binzen and Matthew Daniell for a camp-style workshop at a beautiful location in western MA, a sweet 100 year-old retreat center below Adams Mtn. near the VT border. Structured around a group art-making project, the retreat explores spiritual implications of making art as part of a team. We'll investigate relationships of color and form, mind and body, Taoism and Buddhism, craft and art. Then, on Saturday evening, we'll make music with Maureen Burford, executive director of Creative Lives, a VT-based organization bringing a chakra energy visualization system and music-making to schools in VT and beyond.
To find out costs, schedule, and other details.
Before I read the info page link above, can you explain a bit more about this new idea?
For 2025, this retreat replaces the 3-day color woodblock printmaking workshops I have taught each Spring for the past 25 years (see description bottom of this page).
Reasons for the new approach?
This Rowe retreat seeks to focus on collaborative potentials of the hanga art form.
Originally inspired to learn the art and craft of making woodblock prints by an exhibit of Hiroshige prints from the 1830's, realizing these prints were made collaboratively by a team, this retreat seeks to explore aspects of working together, in relationship. In my teaching I have sought to make the challenging art form of hanga printmaking accessible. Innovative approaches in my own print-making stem from classes I have taught (to teach is to learn). In this workshop, I hope to explore more deeply the art part: the meaning and communicative potential of art-making and being part of a group.
The idea, put another way?
Simplify the steps of carving, image development, and printing to be able to focus on the relationships of the parts. The parts are not only the blocks and the colors, they include our relationships to mind, body, music, art, nature, and each other.
Built into the weekend are some happy relationships:
- an aspiration to work with painter Todd Binzen in his exploration of mind/body/art connection. Todd is a long-time T'ai-Chi teacher (I have been a student of his) studying Taoism. On Saturday, the art-making day of the workshop, Todd will play the role of the artist.
- an aspiration to learn from Buddhist monk and teacher, Matthew Daniell, whose approach to working with our minds is, well, Matthew has made a career of his spiritual practice and teaching. He has spent years living and studying in Zen monasteries in Japan, India and elsewhere; he worked for years alongside Larry Rosenberg (founder of Cambridge Center for Insight Meditation and author of Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation). Matt D. has taught at Omega Institute, the Kripalu Institute, and numerous Buddhist centers. Matt is the founder of the Newburyport, MA Insight Meditation Center; he seems onto something excellent, he and I share an odd connection and knkew each other, just a wee bit, back when we were kids, and I want to learn more!
- an aspiration to explore the spirit, physical set-up, spirit, and potential of the Rowe Center, to be part of a story that dates back to 1924, the year visionary Unitarian minister Anita Trueman Pickett first set up a summer camp at this location.
view looking up King's Highway to the entrance of the Rowe Center:
Classes the Way I used to Teach Them?
Feel free to email with inquiries about color woodblock printmaking workshops in the future. I hope to be back offering my habitual 3-day color woodblock printmaking workshops in 2026 and beyond.
Meanwhile, know the above offering will include many of the basics.
Its promise? Higher reward with less work!
Talks
"Gatherings at the Gallery"
at Matt Brown Fine Art, 1 Main St., Lyme, NH.
For each of these gatherings we'll have snacks and refreshments.
Their objective? Opportunities for face-to-face connection and conversation.
March 15 - Art Connects Us,
Saturday, 1 - 3 pm
a Talk with Todd Binzen, Jennifer Brown, Maureen Burford, and Matt Brown.
This talk is over, it was a lovely time.
April 12 - Energy, Cooking, and Color,
Saturday, 1 - 3 pm
a Talk by Karen Menge and Matt Brown
Saturday, 1 - 3 pm
May 10 - The Nature of Nature,
Saturday, 1 - 3 pm
a Talk with Dana Williams, Matt Stevens, Matt Brown, and others.
* * * * * * *
Class description of the workshops I have taught in the past:
Introduction to Japanese Color Woodblock Printmaking
The Japanese developed a woodblock printing method using water as a medium, brushes to apply colors to the blocks, and use of a hand-held baren instead of a press to transfer colors from multiple carved blocks to printing papers. This is a low carbon-footprint, non-toxic printing method.
Workshops are organized to offer a comprehensive introduction to the tools, techniques, and materials of this printing method. In each class everyone completes a multi-color print and engages with aspects of design, carving, and printing. The workshop includes sharings of tricks and techniques adaptable to other art-making approaches (watercolor painting, western-style printmaking). All experience levels are welcome.
Each 3-day workshop is taught in six three-hour sessions. To find out more, and to see prints made by past class participants, visit the Studio, or send me a note.
Matt
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