Japanese Woodblock

Yoshida Hiroshi was part of the Shin Hanga ("New Prints", c. 1910-1960) art movement, which sought to marry Western elements and trends with the traditional Japanese woodblock technique. Shin Hanga is sometimes called Neo Ukiyo-e because of the subject matter shared by both traditions, but Shin Hanga pieces tend to be naturalistic, displaying three-dimensionality using soft, airy color tones--characteristics at odds with the Ukiyo-e canon. Looking at Shin Hanga pieces, it's not difficult to see the influence of the European Impressionists.

I love this print; it's gorgeous and if you happen to be in the D.C. area, even for a short time, I recommend a visit to the Freer and Sackler galleries. They're part of the Smithsonian, i.e. they're FREE.

(detail of Kameido Bridge, from the series Twelve Scenes of Tokyo.: Yoshida Hiroshi. 1927. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art.)

I feel like I just took a dip in hot wax and now it's drying and pinching the hell out of my skin...I'm tight all over and insanely tired.  My face feels like it's falling off--yeah, I feel like Sylvester Stallone looks in Rambo IV. (Yet, he still manages to kick ass) Not feeling on par for work, but the fact that I kick off the day with an hour and a half of nap-time makes me feel a little better. And after that we make pinwheels. There are worse jobs.