Sunday through Friday August 9 ~ 14, 2026
John's Studio
Covelo, CA
After a six-year hiatus, I'm finally welcoming students back into my studio for in-person classes. I'm starting out slow, with a limit of six students at a time, for starters. The break has given me room to finish up construction projects to allow me to house everyone here. This will contribute to a more relaxed atmosphere and a chance to get to know one another better - while still allowing for plenty of private time.
Kyoukechi Complex Clamp Resist Dyeing is clamping at its finest – allowing for a broad range of complex designs and full range of colors.
We’ll start out on the first day using a range of carved designs John has prepared as we simultaneously design and carve our own pierced blocks to clamp our repeating images. Plenty of fabric and other supplies will be provided for you to dye to your heart’s content.
We’ll be making our own natural dyes, including a visit to John’s indigo patch to harvest fresh leaves for use in preparing our own vats.
There’ll be plenty or reference examples and opportunities to explore how skills gained in this class may be combined with other techniques to fully realize your creative imaginings.
Seven nights of lodging and six full days of instruction, supplies, use of equipment, and most meals, for the all-inclusive price $2200. Enrollment is limited to six students to ensure that each of you receive personalized instruction and time to develop your skills. You'll be welcome to explore John’s extensive library and textile collection, as well as access to a broad range of tools and supplies.
The studio and property are set up in such a way to allow for plenty of private workspace both indoors and out.
Lodging options consist of one apartment to house two students with a full bath and full kitchen, one apartment to house three students with a full bath, kitchen, and loft spaces, and one single room with a full bath. I won’t be able to accommodate spouses this go around unless they are signed up for the program.
In this six-day course we'll be covering all aspects of complex clamping– kyoukechi. To get you started, I've prepared a variety of wooden clamp sets, both large and small, we'll combine with natural dyes to produce colorful compound images on silk and cotton. As you become familiar with how the clamps work to achieve gradations, you'll be encouraged to sketch your own designs or pull from a myriad of traditional Japanese patterns to carve your own blocks. We'll be using both hand and power tools.
My goal is to give you a thorough understanding of the process so that you may charge off in your own imaginative direction. No secrets withheld, just as much information as we can fit into our time together.
