Medium: Woodcut
Dimensions: 19 1/2 x 26 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1966
Date finished: 2008
Edition: of 9

Recommended by Paige: 
(Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator)

Chris Papa's work is explosive and emotive. It's full of symbols and references that we can almost decipher, but they're stuck on the tip of our tongues. Maybe a tree? Maybe a cloud? Every color looks so unique, but we can't say why. I connect so much to 'Tokyo Tokyo' because this is also how I feel about describing a new place. We describe something new by referencing something we know, but all of our references don't relate, don't capture it right. How do we explain something that comes from somewhere that we don't know?

Medium: Color etching
Dimensions: 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1969
Edition: of 25

Recommended by Nikki: 
(Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist) 

We humans consume, use, and abuse the power we feel entitled to with nature. ‘In the Deep Dark Woods’ we are reminded that there is more to this world than our ease and comfort. Trees, plants, the land, and creatures all bear witness to what we are doing. The woods are wild, but so are we. Sometimes it takes a healthy dose of fear and discomfort to reconnect to the larger web of life we often ignore behind our screens.

Medium: Mezzotint
Dimensions: 5 x 7 1/2 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1954
Date finished: 2010
Edition: of 90
Reference: 298

Recommended by Sunny: 
(Collections Assistant)

Mikio Watanabe's work is extremely delicate and intriguing. The themes are simple, but his execution of form and technique are quite complex. Fossile catches my eye and reminds me of an Italian marble sculpture. The lighting is beautifully balanced between cool and warm tones and the figure's pose is expressive. Both filled with emotion and purpose.

Medium: Etching
Dimensions: 5 1/4 x 6 3/8 inches (plate) 9 1/4 x 11 3/8 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: British, 1906 - 1989
Date finished: 1934
Reference: Beetles 36

Recommended by Rebecca: 
(Gallery Associate)

This etching has a lovely perspective, a snapshot of everyday life in a simpler time. The artist pairs beautiful technique with a charming scene. It can seem mundane, but the simplicity is familiar and comforting. A child stands at the gate, a dog barks at a pedestrian, and a man leans against his bike while he talks with a neighbor. Though it comes from a different time, many of the activities pictured are pleasant parts of our routines today.

Medium: Mezzotint, drypoint
Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 14 inches (image)
Artist details: American, 1950
Date finished: 2010
Edition: of 45

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

The volatility and energy behind Farrell’s sepia-inked piece is palpable. The figure’s neck, jugular veins, the collarbones, and jawline read as both vulnerable and strong, simultaneously. The chaos of the branches that cut across her neck break up three-quarters of the image, carrying the intense feelings across the entire scene with its visual movement.

Medium: Marbled monoprint
Dimensions: 15 x 11 1/4 inches (image/sheet)
Signature: Signed verso
Artist details: Pacific Northwest, American, 1976
Date finished: 2022
Edition: 1/1

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate):

When things fall apart, it's easy to point fingers, dive into analysis, and urgently piece together the reasons why events unfolded the way they did. Ben Beres' marbled monoprint 'There Is No Why' is a beautifully straightforward reminder to give ourselves a moment to let go of our need to find answers and explanations, and allow our minds to rest so our broken hearts can heal. Only with clear minds and strong hearts can we take action together and accomplish the necessary work of repair and growth.

Series: 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
Medium: Oil based woodblock print on cream paper
Dimensions: 15 x 15 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1935 - 2022
Date finished: 2018
Date of plate: 1986
Edition: of 10
Printer: Sidereal Fine Art Press
Condition: SFAP Chop in the lower right hand corner.

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

This series, '13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird' by Michael Spafford, is the artist's interpretation of a poem by Wallace Stevens. For this piece, the poem reads: "I was of three minds / Like a tree / In which there are three blackbirds." Spafford was a beloved Northwest artist and a teacher at the University of Washington for more than 30 years. His work focused on abstracting mythology into compressed, black and white forms. 'I Was of Three Minds' showcases Spafford's powerful simplicity, where the blackbirds intersect in the figure's mind at the point of a triangle, visible only because of the white grid crossing the black face. It is clear yet complex, perfectly echoing the poem.

Series: The Alchemy of Love
Medium: Drypoint
Dimensions: 7 1/4 x 6 inches (Image/Sheet)
Signature: Signed on reverse
Artist details: American / Pacific Northwest, 1968
Date finished: 2023
Edition: of 7 E.V.

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

The 'Alchemy of Love' series is captivating, and this piece in particular can lock me in an endless loop. There's a little contradiction – using text and words to tell us 'There are no words here'. My mind can go over that detail again and again. In the end, I love it because this simple contradiction reveals how hard it is to express ourselves or our experiences. We have only words to describe the indescribable. Landsaat also offers twisted vines, knotted branches, and eccentric demons to help us visualize our predicament, but the rest is left to us.

Medium: Linocut
Dimensions: 6 1/2 x 5 inches (image)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Mexican, 1972
Date finished: 2002
Edition: of 60

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

Rodriguez’s graphic depictions of difficult-to-swallow topics feel tangible. The bold lines of the background draw attention to the small figures above the scene. One figure is shouting from a helicopter and pointing a gun, while the other also shouts and gestures frantically from a high-rise building. Both frame the central two figures who bare horns and tails to mark them as evil. Interestingly, the largest figure, assumed to be the artist dressed as a businessman, is hunched over with his hand in his pocket, tired. Even his pointed ears and large wings droop. The artist reminds us there’s no peace for those who choose evil from their positions of power.

Medium: Intaglio
Dimensions: 4 1/2 x 3 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Slovak, 1964
Edition: of 100

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

This piece is a quiet favorite of mine. Originally, I was drawn to the amazing textures: the flowing hillside, fabrics, and barely visible hair adornments. But I think the true value is in how Vavrova captures traditional Japanese style through an Eastern European lens, embracing another culture through her own practices. You can see the care she takes as a woman portraying other women. Through her travel experiences, Vavrova understands and shares a culture that is not her own, and in particular women, without distancing herself, without acting as an outsider or an intruder.

Medium: Hand-colored etching with chine-collé
Dimensions: 4 x 4 inches (image)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1969
Date of impression: 2019
Edition: of 20

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate):

The symbolism within Mariko Ando's illustrative etchings reveals deeply unifying and poignant narratives, told through her animal subjects. Surrounded by thorny roses, the rabbit is attentively watching a gently floating feather, ready to catch it with their nimble fingers before it falls into the thorns. I see this as a reminder to seek softness and tenderness in my life, even when faced with the threat of pain, while the blood red roses call to my mind the often beautiful and life-affirming nature of painful experiences.

Medium: Mezzotint
Dimensions: 15 5/8 x 15 5/8 inches (Image) 20 3/4 x 20 3/8 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1967
Date finished: 2020
Edition: of 40

Recommended by Paige:

(Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator)

This piece expresses how I often feel when I am out of place in a new place. Traveling far from home or starting over somewhere new can be a surreal experience; sometimes you pause and wonder, how did I get here? Or why am I here? Leaving can feel like stepping off a cliff into the unknown, represented here by total black. But she hasn't fallen, she might even be floating, elevating to something greater: ascending.

Medium: Color woodcut
Dimensions: 30 x 38 inches (image/sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1925 - 2016
Date finished: 1997
Edition: of 50
Reference: Summers, 223

Recommended by Rebecca:

(Gallery Associate):

This sublime example shows Carol's inventive woodblock printing technique that achieved a wonderful watercolor effect. To ensure that there were no hard edges, he loosely carved out shapes and used a rasp (file) to soften any sharp lines. He would then lay Japanese paper on the blocks and roll on the color following the relief area on the block. In conventional printing, the artist reverses the image on the blocks so that the resulting image is facing the correct direction. By using his special technique, Carol printed the blocks directly and did not have to reverse the image, so it was clear to him how the end product would look. After rolling on the inks, Carol blew solvent over the paper to further soften the edges and encourage the ink to stain or dye the paper. Sometimes he would print on the back of the paper first to lessen the absorbency of the paper and to give the solid color fields more variation. This is illustrated in the comet and the waterfalls in the hills.Davidson Galleries has been showing Carol’s work since the early eighties. We miss him.

Medium: Linocut
Dimensions: 3 x 2 inches (Image), 7 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Mexican, 1972
Date finished: 2017
Edition: of 20

Recommended by Catherine:

(Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate)

With mid-September's Harvest Moon and partial lunar eclipse, I've been thinking about the moon a lot lately. This linocut by Artemio Rodriguez simply and beautifully captures the whimsical serenity of admiring the moon in the deep night sky. The crescent's lovely face makes her feel like a dear friend, enjoying a quiet rest above Earth's rocky terrain.

Medium: Wood engraving
Dimensions: 4 3/4 x 3 3/4 inches (Image) 9 x 7 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1949
Edition: of 25

Recommended by Nikki:

(Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist)

Rorer gave extra care and attention to this portrait of Toni Morrison - highlighting this literary giantess’s importance. Toni Morrison’s words carried great weight and power. This small relief engraving of her face immortalizes a heavy reminder that resistance to what is unjust in our history and our present is the most sincere form of love and hope.

Medium: Etching and aquatint
Dimensions: 18 1/4 x 6 5/8 inches
Artist details: British, 1970
Edition: of 100

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

As summer winds down, I am reminded of all the house chores I’ve left piled up, including washing the duvet. I love Langford’s humor around this chore. I sympathize laughingly with the person in the etching struggling in each scene to make the duvet fit inside the cover. This piece gives me a welcome lighthearted feeling as I look forward to the fall season.

Medium: Color relief print
Dimensions: 4 x 4 inches (block) 6 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1924 - 2000
Date: 1972
Edition: 151
Reference: HM  #399

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

Haku Maki was an incredibly innovative printmaker, adding cement to the foundation of the printing matrix after cutting his woodblocks. This unique craft puts his work in conversation with contemporary printmakers such as Carol Summers (American, 1925 - 2016), or in tandem with Hiroyuki Tajima (Japanese, 1911 - 1984) who also used cement, or Glen Alps (American, 1914 - 1996) who used household paint additives such as ground walnut shells and Durham's Rock Hard Putty. Haku Maki's small prints from around 1960, like this one, were abstractions of Kanji characters. Using a thicker paper in 1963, helped captured the deeper embossing and accentuated the sculptural and textural qualities. His small prints are gems with dashes of color.

Medium: Mezzotint with hand coloring
Dimensions: 5 7/8 x 7 3/4 inches (image) 11 1/8 x 15 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1983
Date finished: 2009/2019
Edition: of 12, Second state

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate):

Driven by a nuanced play between light and dark, Julie Niskanen's 'Refuge' portrays depths of meaning within this simple image of two eggs in a nest. Niskanen's use of the mezzotint technique softly tempers the contrast between the abyssal black background and the gently glowing nest, inviting us to consider a close relationship between foreboding mystery and peaceful clarity. The dangers residing in the blackness below this nest are completely unknown, yet the coupled eggs are safe and serenely cradled side by side.

Medium: Moku hanga woodcut
Dimensions: 9 1/2 x 26 1/2 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: German, 1966
Date finished: 2019
Date of plate: 2011
Edition: of 30

Noted "In memory of Beth Cullom" verso

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate

'The heat and frenetic energy of summertime always spark a desire in me to escape to scenic and remote areas, where shady forests and bodies of water are plentiful. Viewing Eva Pietzcker's moku hanga woodcut 'Cape Flattery' transports me to such a place, inspiring a feeling of cool tranquility second only to the actual experience of visiting the country's northwesternmost cape. Pietzcker's use of perspective and depth, created by the contrast of dark cliffsides against an uninked sky, pulls me into the sparkling azure and cerulean water.'

Medium: Woodcut
Dimensions: 8 x 8 inches (Image) 11 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1940
Edition: of 30

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

Aoki is so good at showcasing the human experience.To me, this piece encapsulates so much of the dynamic between anyone in relation to another. It could be between two coworkers, two friends, two lovers, two family members, or two strangers. The focus is on two fingers pointing at one another, accusingly, but the space between their curved bodies and their defensive opposite hands tell more of the story. It’s what isn’t said and how our bodies react to another’s accusations that tend to fill up negative space in a relationship.

Medium: Lithograph
Dimensions: 23 1/2 x 33 1/2 inches (image)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1961
Date finished: 2000
Edition: of 15

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

In the 'Light Time Silence’ series, Yamamoto creates mysterious spaces that are both blank and full of meaning. A story with one too many details missing. Chairs placed (or abandoned?) in front of windows. Spaces empty of signifiers. ‘Light Time Silence #17’ is slightly different because there are more objects that whisper about this type of place and its type of person. We don’t know where they’ve gone, but their dishes are drying next to the sink. We don’t know where this room is but it seems to be in an old building. As we enter a space that we believe to be a home, we turn our focus to who owns this chair, who belongs in this chair. We think about what is needed to make a space into a home because we can see that this blank space has the proper foundation, but an uncanny neutrality, an absence. A home without a heart. A place without its people.

Medium: Etching and aquatint
Dimensions: 19 1/2 x 22 1/8 inches (Image) 26 1/8 x 28 1/4 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Welsh, 1943
Edition: of 90

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

There are so many of Phil Greenwood's images that I am drawn to, it is hard to pick just one. His luscious colors sing and merge into a cohesive landscape. He does the impossible and prints just two or three color plates wet, so that the colors unfold with creative, complex relationships. Subtle tonal variations are accomplished by his expert handling of aquatint and etching. Taking inspiration from his surrounding English landscapes, Greenwood makes scenes look new and exciting yet familiar all at once, like the nightly moon shining fresh patterns onto the meadow below.

Medium: Woodblock
Dimensions: 16 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches (image) 24 1/2 x 30 1/4 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1946
Date finished: 2019
Edition: of 30

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

During a visit to Machu Picchu in 2017, Arnoldi was inspired by the ancient, drystone walls where the irregular shapes of organic stones fit together perfectly. Arnoldi then made a series of paintings that became this series of woodblocks. In 2019, his publisher, Harvey Bayer, facilitated a relationship with master printers at Thumbprint Editions. Together, Arnoldi was able to freely enjoy the printing process with abandon and utilize the knowledge of the master printers who create consistent, beautiful impressions. It involved a unique way of printing, using the separate, cut blocks with overlaid inks in different viscosities, so that the blocks could be printed together simultaneously. The results are beautiful renditions of those ancient Inca walls. The series is also more accessible than the preceding paintings and in a more accessible size compared to Arnoldi's monumental-scale works.

Medium: Collage
Dimensions: 11 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches (Image / Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American / Pacific Northwest, 1954
Date finished: 2021

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate):

Martha Pfanschmidt's monoprint collages are delightful worlds of abstract form and color. I am drawn to the physicality conveyed in her work, especially this collage titled Just So. The way each piece of the collage precariously sits upon the other creates a felt sense of wobbliness, while an intentional balance steadies everything just enough. It reminds me of our varying efforts to maintain our own internal sense of center throughout the wobbliness of being human.

Medium: Woodcut and drypoint
Dimensions:14 x 9 inches (image) 22 x 15 inches (sheet)

Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1983
Date Finished: 2014
Edition: AP

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

Heck’s ability to meld drypoint and woodcut together with perfect registration is incredible. The little girl is focused on tying her heart wing strings, while we watch her busy at work. Children are immensely talented at dreaming and imagining. This piece reminds me that it takes careful consideration and softness to dream, but it is just as important to do as an adult, as it is for a child. 

Medium: Color relief print with embossing
Dimensions: 5 3/8 x 3 5/8 inches (block) 6 x 4 1/4 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1924 - 2000
Date finished: 1970s

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

A humble, small piece, this work by Haku Maki is magical to me. It shows an amazing knowledge of the simple things. The embossing is subtle but complex and reminds us how much can be done just within the paper even before adding anything on top of it. The graphics are clear and uncomplicated but looking at the passages where the color opens to the white paper, or the richness of the indigo ink and shimmer of silver, there is so much to enjoy. A complex little poem in itself.

Medium: Intaglio
Dimensions: 5 1/4 inches x 5 1/2 inches (Image) 8 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed 
Artist details: American, 1984
Edition: of xxv

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate):

Carrie Lingscheit’s intaglio prints explore the symbolism and subtleties of human behavior and relationships. This enchanting and somewhat absurd etching, depicting a masked woman with an armful of beloved ferrets (or some other musteline creature), inspires some curious narratives in my mind. I interpret her ferret disguise as a way of creating safety, but I wonder for whom that safety is intended. Does she wear this mask simply to help the ferrets feel safe and secure in her arms, or does her personal sense of safety also require the ferrets to stay close to her? Or, perhaps she truly sees herself as one of them. The viewer can bring their own relational narratives to their interpretation, which is one thing I love about this piece. It is a delightful invitation to explore questions around human attachment and the transformations we experience, whether forced or natural, to stay close to those we love.

Medium: Mezzotint
Dimensions: 31 5/8 x 23 3/4 inches (image) 39 1/4 x 28 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Thai, 1990
Date finished: 2018
Edition: of 25

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

This large mezzotint was printed in 2018 - before covid shut the world down. Today, it feels equally, if not more relevant. I enjoy the perspective Thai artist, Chirachaisakul, has on America’s ‘Labyrinth of Liberty’. Liberty is bound, gagged, blinded, objectified, and wrapped in fragility - unable to help the small figures that climb her. Even if the figures in the print could make it through the maze at the bottom, there would be even more red tape at the top.

Medium: Oil painting on handmade Mitsumata paper
Dimensions: 13 x 18 inches (image / sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1950
Date finished: 2016

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

Lately, I have been reflecting on art's place in the face of tragedy, of war, and of suffering. This piece, 'For Fukushima - Hannya-shingyo II', has always struck me visually, but it has captured my mind especially in this context. Hiroshima beautifully understands art as remembrance, art as witness, art as prayer. The artist's hands are felt in the texture of the handmade paper, in each layer of color applied, in each stroke of calligraphy. The language speaks of wisdom and in deep red, it is powerful but not forceful. The mountains are dark but they touch a bright sky. This piece naturally inspires honest reflection.

Medium: Drypoint and watercolor on Gampi paper, seamed and backed with Sekishu
Dimensions: 49 x 77 1/2 inches (Image) 51 1/4 x 77 1/2 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: British / American, 1957
Date finished: 2021
Edition: 1/5 EV

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

Jenny Robinson's ethereal "Glasshouse" recalls the beautiful Victorian structures that housed exotic, botanical wonders for visitors to promenade amongst; talking, sharing gossip, glances and whispers. The scale of the piece is commanding, yet the Japanese paper and indigo color give it lightness and mystery. The palm fronds and flax reference the exotic hothouse specimens from that period. Robinson's mastery of combining drypoint and watercolor while printing at a monumental scale is unsurpassed. The lovely, delicate Japanese Gampi paper, expertly seamed and backed with Sekishu, provides the necessary strength to make such a large-scale piece while maintaining the imagery's otherworldly beauty.

Medium: Lithograph
Dimensions: 11 3/4 x 12 inches (Image) 16 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Welsh / English, 1864 - 1944
Date finished: 1911
Provenance: Collection: Bibliothèque Royal, Brussels
Condition: Good condition

Recommended by Rebecca (Gallery Associate):

While revisiting Albert de Belleroche's work before the Russell-Cotes Museum exhibition (opening this month) I was again struck by how free and expressive he was as a lithographer, using his stone as if it were a sheet of paper and not an expensive, precious, tool for the final stage of printmaking. He was a talented printer, editing and altering his drawing on the stone. But much of the character of his lithographs comes from the fact that he didn't have to worry about the financial challenges of being an artist. Each impression is its own, not preoccupied with being a perfect match for the edition but rather welcoming variation. In this piece, the hair and clothing are loose and sketch-like, rich in texture, while the eyes, nose, and mouth are carefully constructed. The chaos and contrast around her face draws us into her expression.

Medium: Mezzotint
Dimensions: 7 x 8 3/4 inches (image)
Artist details: American, 1953
Date finished: 1982
Edition: of 75

Recommended by Nikki (Art Photographer / Marketing and Exhibitions Specialist):

Carol Wax is an expert mezzotint printmaker (a time-consuming process that uses extreme lights and darks to build up an image on a copperplate). In this scene fire, twine, and darkness (with time as a witness) play an important role in Wax’s narrative. To feed the light, the twine must burn, but there is a finite amount of the consumable resource before the flame inevitably goes out and it becomes dark.

Series: Still Lifes
Medium: Moku hanga woodcut
Dimensions: 26 1/4 x 12 5/8 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: German, 1966
Date finished: 2016
Edition: Numbered

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

The tulips are in full bloom in my neighborhood park, and while I love the much missed color they bring in the spring, Eva Pietzcker's 'Tulips' emphasizes the beauty of the flowers' shape and interaction with light. I see the beauty of their leaves in a new way. I feel the curve of the vase echoed in the curve of the petals. The light, brushed texture of the ink draws me in to explore the composition. I find myself thinking about flowers as beautiful gifts, both for a friend in their home and for our community in a public park.

Medium: Hand-colored etching with chine-collé
Dimensions: 10 1/2 x 8 inches (image)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1929 - 2017
Date finished: 1987
Edition: of 100

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist / Gallery Associate):

Often considered a symbol of grief, poppies are one of my very favorite flowers and I appreciate the unique way Art Hansen portrays them with soft textures and muted tones. The symbolism of this flower is beautifully communicated by the subdued color palette and the way the poppies are drooping and wearily leaning into each other. They even appear to be experiencing grief themselves, curled around one another in a gentle embrace. The combination of fully bloomed poppies and new buds represents the timelessness of grief - whether new or old, it is ever-present and universal, and also deeply unifying.

Recommended by Nikki (Fine Print Photographer / Marketing and Digital Content Specialist):

Obata’s piece is delightfully charming. It’s as though I am looking through a window I wiped condensation off of to better see the snowfall outside. A pet dog is even reflected in one of the streaking, water droplets. The winter scene feels comforting and cozy, complete with a tiny bird flying around the dormant trees in the snow.

Medium: Woodcut
Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 12 inches (Image) 13 x 17 inches (Sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: American, 1937 - 2012
Date finished: 1986
Edition: of 33

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

The VW Bus is charming all on its own, but Lockwood Dennis’s version is even better. His woodcut style blends so well with the simple, graphic nature of the bus. This piece is not trying to be perfect, it's just trying to show its true character. It has plenty of nostalgia in the best way, showing a love for the bold graphics of the ad era when sleek and minimal had yet to reign. 

Medium: Linocut
Dimensions: 7 x 5 inches (image) 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches (sheet)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: British / Chinese, 1973
Date finished: 2013
Edition: of 25

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist):

Wuon-Gean Ho's colorful linocuts are full of charm and story-telling. This particularly charming piece depicts a fish moving to a new home, seemingly with the help of another fish friend. The bold palette of primary colors and cute expressions call to mind an illustration from a children's book, while the objects the fish has chosen to bring with them increase that feeling of innocence and whimsy. I especially love the potted plant, the toothbrush, and the bicycle (Who doesn't love the image of a fish riding a bicycle?). Looking at this piece reminds me to find the fun and delight in life's new chapters and adventures.

Series: Transmigration (Transferred Soul)
Medium: Wood engraving with chine-collé
Dimensions: 12 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches (image)
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Japanese, 1944
Date finished: 1988
Edition: of 40

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist):

Keisei Kobayashi's intricate wood engravings often explore themes around ecology and nature mysticism. His piece Roots B from the 'Transmigration' series is a beautiful depiction of the reciprocity between humans and nature within the process of death. At a quick glance, the image appears to be of a dead tree, its scraggly and bare branches inviting the company of crows. A closer look reveals a glowing figure, sitting within the roots of the tree and bringing new life through the trunk. A clear symbol of rebirth in light of death, it also conveys a feeling of peaceful renewal in the midst of grief.

Recommended by Nikki (Fine Print Photographer / Marketing and Digital Content Specialist):

Takeda’s depiction of the death card is filled with eyes wide open, including on the intense central figure with their hands gracefully crossed, staring straight back at the viewer. In tarot, drawing the death card isn’t always a bad thing. Death is a normal part of life and can mean a new beginning as well as an end to something. As the year winds closer to its own death, this etching is a reminder to be alert and conscious about what in our own lives needs to come to a close and what could use more of our energy. 

Recommended by Paige (Collections Manager / Marketing Coordinator):

Kouki Tsuritani’s ‘Pulcinella’ is a brilliant version of the cunning, rebel character I adore. The use of mezzotint accents the character perfectly with its darkness emphasizing his severity and the softness building mystery. This Pulcinella is composed and stoic with his prominent nose and just slits in the mask to reveal his eyes. There is so much to explore in Pulcinella’s gaze, the town on his hat and collar, and the moon’s reflection cradled in his arms.