FROGS I
ACRYLICS ON CEDAR W/RED OAK FRAME
SPRING 2024

     Japanese textiles, particularly kimono (and their Edo Period predecessor the kosode) have always been inspirational to me.  They are at the intersection of art and fashion, and several textiles from the Edo period influenced my design for this painting.  The primary influence was found in a wonderful stylized frog pattern that would have fit nicely within Northwest Coast indigenous art tradition.  The second motif, the stylized water pattern, came from a textile pattern but was also often used by Rinpa School painters.  Finally, and also a product of the Rinpa School, the leaves at the top employ a tarashikomi, or “dripping in”, effect by allowing wet paint to diffuse over the design.  Tsujigahana textiles from the Momoyama Period show a similar effect but instead used tie-dying techniques rather than paint or ink.  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:  14 ¼ inches
                                    WIDTH:  17 inches


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Gary Giovane
La Conner, WA
[email protected]