Kraaien in sneeuw 1900 - 1936

Ohara Koson made this woodblock print, ‘Crows in Snow,’ with ink on paper. The scene is stark. Two crows stand in the snow, looking up, maybe longing to be with the other crows flying above. You feel the chill, the quiet of winter. I think about Koson, carving the woodblocks, pressing the paper. It must have taken so much patience, so much love for nature. The black ink is so solid, so absolute, but the light in their eyes, the subtle gradations of the snow, that's where the magic is. It reminds me of other Japanese prints, like Hokusai's ‘Great Wave,’ but quieter, more intimate. There’s a conversation happening, a question being asked. What does it mean to be grounded when others soar? I think that’s something all artists think about. We are always talking to each other, answering each other across time. And maybe that’s what it's all about, being part of a big conversation, a way of seeing and feeling together.