Fishing boats 1900 - 1945

Ohara Koson made this print of fishing boats with ink and colours, and I imagine it must have been a slow process. Look at the soft surface of the water. He's made tiny little marks, like dashes, to create the effect of ripples. I wonder if he laboured over them or if the water seemed to come alive on its own, almost without him having to try. There's this fantastic glow about the piece. See how the light bounces off the water and the boats. It's almost as if the artist is painting the absence of light, creating a shimmering haze. Koson's work reminds me of Whistler's Nocturnes, which similarly captured atmospheric effects. I think all of us artists are kind of in an ongoing conversation, trading ideas across time. It reminds us that we are all connected. We keep each other going!