ECHIZEN CROWS
ACRYLICS ON ECHIZEN WASHI
SUMMER 2021

     Echizen in Japan is home to some of the finest handmade paper, and the washi made there is appreciated worldwide.  I was gifted some Echizen washi and immediately felt the desire to use it as a medium for a painting.  I felt a checkerboard pattern would work well with the 15 cm square sheets and also that it would reflect the many kosode styles which became popular during the Edo Period. The paper I chose to use was in two distinct patterns, both featuring the color red.  Consequently, I chose to paint using only black as those two colors complement each other so well.  Crows were the perfect subjects for a monochrome painting in black and thus are the only painted motifs, the washi being allowed to take center stage in the composition.  The designs for my crows honor and were influenced by the many Northwest Coast native prints that were done all in black.  I especially wanted the red checkerboard pattern to show through the black primary design.  I affixed the washi paper to birch plywood backing using wood glue before painting the crows with acrylics.  I attached a simple frame of hemlock, painted black, to finish the painting.
 
DIMENSIONS:          HEIGHT:  13 5/8 inches
                                    WIDTH:  27 5/8 inches

                                                             PRICE $375
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Edo Period checkerboard pattern kosode

Katsura Detached Palace Shokin-tei teahouse interior with checkerboard pstterns

Gary Giovane
La Conner, WA
gioart13@yahoo.com