CROW ON A SNOWY BRANCH
ACRYLICS ON CEDAR W/RED OAK FRAME
WINTER 2022-23

     The hushed silence of a fresh snow in the forest is all-encompassing.  It’s as if the snowfall absorbs all sound, and the lasting effect is one of deep peace and tranquility.  Then, that peace is broken by the call of a crow.  Instead of disrupting the quiet, the crow sound just adds another depth to the scene, one that deepens and enriches the experience.  Lasting memories are created by such evocative moments, and such a memory inspired me to paint this winter scene.  An additional source of inspiration is a woodblock print of the same title by Japanese artist Ohara Koson.  The design for my crow was influenced by both Northwest Coast Native and Celtic art traditions.  In homage to the Japanese Rinpa School, I used tarashikomi, the “dripping in” effect, for the trees by allowing wet paint to diffuse over the design.  I made the frame for this painting out of red oak using pegged, hand-joined, mortise-and-tenon construction methods.   I used the Japanese technique (shou-sugi-ban) of charring and oiling the oak to finish the frame.
 
DIMENSIONS:          HEIGHT:  15 1/8 inches
                                    WIDTH:  17 1/8 inches

                                                          PRICE $450

OHARA KOSON--Crow on a Snowy Branch

Gary Giovane
La Conner, WA
gioart13@yahoo.com