The spring art show was held this past week. This is an especially nice opportunity because they invite a Japanese artist to come and demonstrate his or her work. On Tuesday evening, we took the whole family to see Hiroto Norikane, a maker of amazing etchings, at work. For her birthday, Katie had received one of his etchings of wild horses that live on the hatchet-shaped peninsula north of us. Tuesday night, she got to observe Norikane-san as he printed that same etching during his demonstration.
His etchings are very well-known in Japan, and John and I have enjoyed them at various art shows and bazaars. We planned to buy one sometime before leaving Japan, and we were looking for that one each time there was an opportunity. On Tuesday, we saw it.
It now graces the "art corner" of our living room. This is almost the only area in our home that had blank wall space, and we have hung several pieces there. It's a very eclectic collection, we have to admit--there is a Chinese paper cutting, a Turkish silk carpet sample, an Ottoman-style Turkish painting on the page of an old book, a copy of Renior's "Little G irl with a Watering Can" in an antique frame that belonged to my great grandmother, and now, a Norikane.
Even though the etching is already numbered and signed on the front, the artist most graciously signed and dated the back for us. Joseph and Matthew were excited to go up to the front of the room and get close to his work table and watch him sign the etching.
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