Work by Bill Ritchie in the
Izumi Kuroiwa & Mark Leonard Collection
Cyanotype 1981 Poster
Six-color offset lithograph. Tones of blue, overprinted with transparent gloss yellow process PMS inks on white 165 lb Warren Patina pH Neutral paper. 40 X 24 3/4
in.
Though this poster was printed by offset litho, we made the plates from hand drawn masters. To create the blended colors
I worked with the plate maker and printer plus I mixed the inks. Three sources make the image: A map of the Colorado River, a leaf-like diagram
I used for computer animation and the famous woodblock print by Hokusai titled
The Great Wave . . . I was influenced by cartography, computer technology and Japanese culture and also names of
my family and studio mates.
I met Izumi and Mark in school. She was working on an MFA in printmaking at
the University of Washington,
and Mark, who already had a BFA in painting was also getting his BFA in
printmaking. After they graduated we all kept in touch, and then Izumi and Mark got married.
While she was still a graduate student, Izumi helped create several videotapes on woodcut for the UW
students, and then she went on--with Mark's video skills--to create a woodcut
printmaking workshop video. Together they've managed a successful business and
continue to balance their work in the media arts. Their video is available
from McClains Printmaking
Supplies.