Posted by Dave Bull at 6:37 AM, May 12, 2010 [Permalink]
Back when I first announced the Mystique of the Japanese Print series, I added a little bit of encouragement for people to subscribe, by making an 'early bird' offer - a free small print to be given to everybody who signed on to the new series early.
Just over 50 people 'qualified' for the print by getting their order in before the deadline, and since then, I've had the preparation of those gift prints on my 'to do' list. It's been a wonderful credit to the collectors that even though nearly two months has passed, not one of them has complained about these gifts being late, or even asked where they are ...
Well, here they are!
I cut and dampened paper late yesterday afternoon, and got this batch of 112 finished up just after lunch today. I made more than I needed for the gifts, and will be offering the rest of them as a 'special' at the Design Festa event this coming weekend.
So to the 'early bird' winners who have been waiting for these, they will be included in the package together with your second print in the series, scheduled for shipping in the middle of next week. Thank you for your patience!
Dave, I have a question about the first print. I've noticed the use of the pink colour you used for the panel on the left (the title?) and the combination of this pink and yellow, seem to be particularly Japanese. Is there any significance or meaning to this colour or the combination? Or a conventional use? Just wondered, as most other colours (in the west) have cultural baggage, and this seems a very oriental colour and combination.
No particular thought about that combination ... as you will see when you receive the next print. That one shares the same pink tint in the cartouche box, as they were printed together. It seems to have been a common colour for those cartouches back in the old days ...
The yellow sky was conceived separately, and is something that Hiroshige (or his printers, more likely) came up with, most notably in some of the scenes from the series Omi Hakkei.
The original that I used as a master for this print had no such sky, but I've always liked it, and took the opportunity to give it a try ...
Hi Dave,
What is that image? It looks very Hokusai-ish to me, but I can't place it.
Marc
I think maybe you have too many prints. You have this one already!
I see that now. I thought it looked familiar!
And yes, I probably do have too many prints.
