Black shows white...

Dong Jiansheng used these words to guide Renee Covalucci as she studied woodcut technique under his guidance. You can read the full story as I did last week in her article cited below.

I am currently working on a number of large woodcuts. To improve my view of the carved marks, I had blacked the entire surface of the block before cutting anything and as I worked Dong's mnemonic danced in my brain. I realized that the mountain was described simply by the cutting the snow lying on it. For some unexplained reason, I found this a very enjoyable thought. This massive looming lump of stone was only visible because of a ephemeral tracery of snow lying on it.

Covalucci, Renee, Realized in Wood: Printing Techniques (and Stories) from China, the Boston Printmakers Newsletter, Spring 2005