Work Description

The starting point for this print was an initial fabric study made by Josephine using hand-cut stencils and multiple layers of indigo dye. The resulting image depicts four hellebore flowers—often called the Winter Rose or Christmas Rose—a plant steeped in mystery, legend, and ancient folklore. Blooming in the coldest months, when most plants retreat, hellebore has long been associated with dualities of healing and poison, purity and darkness. This layered symbolism resonates with Josephine’s ongoing exploration of symbolism, transformation, and material process.

In creating this print, the goal was not to replicate the fabric study itself, but to use it as a jumping-off point for developing a new image that could fully capitalize on the specific aesthetic properties of mokuhanga, Japanese water-based woodblock printing. The initial blocks were cut using Josephine’s original stencils as a reference. Through many rounds of proofing, a combination of experimental and traditional printing approaches emerged, guiding subsequent edits to the image, blocks, and composition, and determining printing order, line quality, and saturation levels.

For the final edition, high-quality handmade kozo paper produced at the Udatsu paper mill in Echizen, Japan, was selected, along with a range of blue pigments that echo the indigo hues of Josephine’s most recent body of work. The first two layers were printed on oversaturated, unsized paper to encourage pigment bleed, creating delicate, diffuse edges that mirror the behavior of Josephine’s indigo dyeing process. Once these layers were complete, the paper was sized with dosa eki and the remaining layers were printed, creating a subtle contrast between hard and soft edges that balances crisp detail with a diffuse, atmospheric quality.

OR

This print is based on an initial fabric study made by Josephine using hand-cut stencils and multiple layers of indigo dye. The image depicts four hellebore flowers—often called the Winter Rose or Christmas Rose—a plant associated with dualities of healing and poison, purity and darkness. Blooming in the coldest months, hellebore’s layered symbolism reflects Josephine’s ongoing exploration of contrast and transformation.

Rather than replicating the original study, the print uses it as a point of departure, translating its visual language into mokuhanga, Japanese water-based woodblock printing. The blocks were developed through multiple rounds of proofing, combining experimental and traditional approaches to refine composition, printing order, line quality, and saturation. Printed on handmade kozo paper from the Udatsu paper mill in Echizen, Japan, the first layers were pulled on oversaturated, unsized paper to encourage pigment bleed, followed by sizing with dosa eki and additional layers, creating a balance between soft diffusion and crisp detail.