For the past thirty-five years, Paulette Nejko has been working on the Japanese methods taught by Toshi Yoshida. This approach to printmaking looks more painterly and holds greater possiblilities for experimentation. Nejko creates her prints by first carving into one inch cherry blocks of wood. She carefully selects blocks that are center cut and free of knots, as to prevent warping. Her design is then drawn onto these blocks, after which she carves away the negative space with Japanese tools. She designates two colors for each side of the block of wood and uses between two and six blocks for each design. The print is created by pressing dampened handmade Japanese paper onto the carved cherry blocks, which have been hand-painted with watercolors and water based inks. The resulting print displays soft, luminescent images that showcase a sensitivity to color and form. Printed in editions fo 150 or less, each of Nejko's prints are a unique piece of art and reflect the subtleties of a hand pulled print.
Special Honors
2012 Library of Congress Permanant Print Collection Washington DC 2012
2010 Univerisity of Conneticut Babbidge Libary: Solo Exhibition
2006 Mentioned in "The Imprint of Place: Maine Printmaking 1800-2005" by David P. Becker
Juried Shows
2009-2010 Maryland Federation of Art
2006 L.C. Bates Museum, Hinkley, ME
2006 Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, ME
2006 Redbrick Art Center, Beverly, MA
2003 Kyoto International Woodprint Association Japan
2001 Portland Museum of Art Biennial
2001 Governor's Mansion, Augusta, ME
1996-2001 Craftsman Farms-Roycroft Association, Gustav Stickley House, Morris Plains, NJ
1992-2000 Audubon Artists Inc. National Arts Club, New York, NY
1995, 1998 Parkside National Small Print Exhibition (Honorable Mention) University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI
1994 National Exhibition fo Women's Art Work, Shoestring Gallery, Rochester, NY
1994 National Women's Hall of Fame (Honorable Mention), Seneca Falls, NY
1983 Summit Art Center, VI Johnson Graphic Prize, Summit, NJ
Education
1966 Pratt Institute, Bachelor of Graphic Arts, Brooklyn NY