PLUM TREE ON A SNOWY NIGHT
ACRYLICS ON CEDAR W/RED OAK FRAME
​WINTER 2020-21

     Our recent snow was something I had hoped would happen at least once this winter.  I saw so many beautiful snow pictures from Scotland and Japan that it was only natural that I would want some of our own.  I read a BBC article the other day entitled “The Snowy Countries Losing their Identity” about the lack of snow in northern countries due to climate change and the cultural effects of it, and it just increased the desire.  Well, we did get our snow; in fact, we got close to a foot of the white stuff.  By the week’s end it was all gone, washed away by the rain, but it was beautiful while it lasted.  Inspired by our late-winter snowfall and the fact that it is plum blossom season as well, I painted something to mark this special event.  Paintings by Rinpa artists Sakai Hoitsu and Ikeda Koson were very helpful in creating my design.  The tree trunk was painted using a tarashikomi effect.  I made the frame 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:  20 inches
                                  WIDTH:  9 ¾ inches

                                                            PRICE $280

Ikeda Koson

Sakai Hoitsu kosode w/plum tree design

Gary Giovane
La Conner, WA
gioart13@yahoo.com