Ishibe 1906

This small woodblock print, Ishibe, was made by Utagawa Hiroshige probably sometime in the mid-19th century. It's so unassuming, but there's something deeply beautiful about its simplicity. I can imagine Hiroshige carefully carving each line into the woodblock, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. It’s a slow, deliberate process, filled with intention and care. The muted colors, mostly blues and browns, create a sense of calm and tranquility, like a foggy morning. I love how he captures the essence of the landscape with just a few strokes. The bare trees reaching up towards the sky, the travelers making their way along the path... Each element tells a story. It’s so different from the way I paint, but I still feel a kinship with Hiroshige. We’re both trying to capture a feeling, a moment in time, and to translate that into something tangible.