Bear with me

[dick benbow]

Here is Hiroko's latest. She did several but only two took my eye. This one shown and another of a bear at the top of the falls looking into space with no salmon shown. I really like it better but could only afford one. I could see a tenpai of a leaping salmon in the tokonoma along with a nice tree. But I chose this one as so many of my visitors need a more obvious illustration of what is going on. What do you think? Like it?

 

[dick benbow]

next commission will be an onsen ( japanese hot springs) during winter with monkeys up to their necks in water to keep warm.

 

[goosetown]

Gorgeous. I know little to nothing about this particular kind of art - how much do works like this generally run? How much can this artist command? Love the softness of it. As someone who almost majored in graphite/charcoal studio art in college, I have to really appreciate that fact because I could never do "soft" that well.

 

[dick benbow]

Always afraid the better half will monitor my posts averages for the last three put me just under $100. ea

As an art major i took courses in sumi-e but gave up because of the learning curve on how to load the brushes and learn how each different brush responds.
kinda overwhelming with so much else on my plate. glad you liked it and were willing to comment

 

[goosetown]

I dunno, that seems entirely reasonable to me for such an artwork. Then again, our significant others don't necessarily share the logic in our obsessions (I know this well by the looks I get at the 12 trees I've obtained this year that have taken over my porch)

Do you collect these as general pieces of art, or do you display them with your bonsai, or both?

 

[goosetown]

BTW, any manner of art having to do with brushes completely and totally befuddled me. My attempts at oil paintings looked like kindergarten art...by a kindergartner without arms. Thus, I stuck to drawing. So I know where you're coming from.

 

[dick benbow]

I'm really into display so the art is used in a formal tokonoma display. my japanese friends always say that inside this caucasian body is the trapped soul of a japanese...

 

[tmmason10]

I really like this one Dick. It may be a bit too obvious, but it is nice and soft like you said. Keep posting these I'd love to see them all so I know what to look for when I a, to start displaying trees.

 

[dick benbow]

My brother ended up getting the bear without the leaping fish because of seeing the one I got and falling in love with it. He's off this weekend to shoot pictures of the event in alaska at brooks falls. looking fowrard to seeing his photo prowess.

In september my next commissioned work comes to fruition. I sent hiroko pictures of red faced monkeys in the onsen covered with snow yesterday.....

 

[Smoke]

Could you show us some of these mounted in the Shikishi?

Pm me your addy I have something for you!

 

[dick benbow]

Hi Smoke,
here is the bear with some friends on the tokonoma. Also a pic of the bear my brother got that I have struggled with as to which one to get for myself.
PM sent!

 

[tmmason10]

That looks really cool Dick! Man I hope to have a tokonoma in my house one day, looks so peaceful.

Al- I'll pm you my addy if you send me one of your trees. (assuming addy=address)