I use a variety of tools, techniques and materials but most are Japanese, including carving knives and gouges, hand presses, papers and inks. I mainly use cherry wood for my blocks, and it is a supremely satisfying timber to carve into. Cherry works very well for printing with water-based inks, and used in combination with the softness of Japanese papers, it gives a subtle surface texture and grain pattern to the prints. The close grain and high density of the cherry wood also make it hard enough to stand up to the challenge (so far!) of being able to hold fine lines and achieve a great amount of detail in my designs.