Japonisme Lizard

Watercolour & Sumi Ink 19cm x 14cm sketchbook

Just in case you think all I've been doing lately is copying art, here is something that is all my own work.

I've finally applied the Japanese influence I've been absorbing to my own work. Now that spring is here the little lizards are appearing in our garden again. They are very quick but this year I have a better camera, so I'm able to sit very still and wait for one to appear. I still haven't got a good reference shot of the totally iridescent green ones but when I do, I'm hoping to do a whole series of paintings of them.

I was pleased with how this little fellow turned out but I'm not sure if he can be called Japonisme. There are so many elements to consider, but I'm going to keep chipping away at the subject because it really inspires me. Katherine Tyrrell - Making a Mark - keeps adding more wonderful links to her posts about Japanese Art and has generously tied them all together in her Squidoo lens here.

Ayu (Trout) After Ando Hiroshige - Grand Series of Fishes

Watercolour, watercolour pencil & Pigma pen

Actually, I couldn't resist one final copy from these wonderful old Ando Hiroshige woodblock prints!

I couldn't work out what the marks were in the background at first but on studying the fantastic website of Japan based woodblock printer, David Bull, I've learned they are brush marks made by the printmaker as he applies the pigment to the block. I used coloured pencil to try to achieve the same effect.

Next stop, I think, will be to start looking at some traditional Japanese landscapes.

Two Fish After Ando Hiroshige

Watercolour detail after Hiroshige print

This is the second detail from the same Ando Hiroshige woodblock print. The prawns in my previous post were at the top of the print. My handmade watercolour sketchbook is too small for the whole composition of most of Hiroshige's prints. I tried to work a bit faster with this one so it is much more obviously my work, not Hiroshige's. There is one more of his famous fish prints I must do and then I'm thinking I might try a bit of Japonisme of my own - inspired by Hiroshige, of course.

Speaking of Japonisme, through a comment on my previous post, I discovered a blog called Japonisme by Lotusgreen. If you are into beautiful things - paintings or objects, treat yourself by paying Lotusgreen a visit. And don't forget, if you want to know more about this journey into Japanese Art, you'll find it all on Making a Mark.

Prawns After Ando Hiroshige

Watercolour after Ando Hiroshige woodblock print - 18.5 x 14.5 cm

Way too many distractions in my life at present, so art suffers. I've managed to move on to the second page of my folded sketchbook (see previous post). This is just a detail from a larger print by Hiroshige.

Anyone who is inspired to see what a study of Japanese art and artists can do for their own work will be greatly assisted by visiting Katherine Tyrrell's blog Making a Mark. I certainly would enjoy some company on this project. Katherine has conveniently gathered all her posts about Japanese Art in one place here. Thank you Katherine!