Strolling Bird 1935

Unichi Hiratsuka made this print, Strolling Bird, using woodblock printing. The lines and colors feel so direct, like a quick, confident drawing but one that's been carved. You know, the process really shines through! I love how the texture of the wood comes alive in the bird’s feathers, that dark blue is amazing. The color isn’t just applied; it's pressed and imbued with the grain. The horizontal lines in the ground and sky are so graphic but also give a sense of space. And check out the tree: it’s so stylized, almost like an abstract symbol. It reminds me of the way children draw trees – simple, direct, full of life. Thinking about woodblock, it shares a certain handmade quality with someone like, say, Elizabeth Catlett who was also working with printmaking. Both artists really embrace the process as part of the art. It's like they're showing us not just what they see, but also how they see. Art as a journey, not a destination, right?