More Moku Hanga and 'The Natural Eye'

Yellow-belled Sapsuckers at Houston Meadow moku hanga. Copyright 2024 by Ken Januski.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, White-throated Sparrow at Houston Meadow and new shorebirds moku hanga. Copyright 2024 by Ken Januski.

 

It's been so long since I finished my last moku hanga that I've already started a new one. That is only because, as I said in the last post, I didn't want to post anything more about moku hanga until I'd also posted about how important drawing from life and portraying birds especially, but really all of nature is to me. It is the other pole of my artistic interests.

At the top is my newest completed moku hanga, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at Houston Meadow. I am still trying to find my way in moku hanga but I think this is the most successful yet because I'm able to both be true to the birds but also be true to art. And it doesn't look like a photo. For whatever reason that has always been very important to me. Given the rich history of art why limit yourself to imitating photos. And of course why limit nature to looking like a photo  as well. Nature is far richer than that.

For somewhere near 15 years I have applied to 'The Natural Eye,' the annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists held at the Mall Galleries in London. My very first attempt was about 15 years ago and was done because many of my favorite bird artists showed in it. I had no hope of getting in, not the slightest. I really only applied because I admired the work of members of the SWLA so much. So imagine my surprise when I found out that I had gotten in. There was then a mad scramble to figure out how to package and ship it there. And then the deadline for delivery to Mall Galleries had come and gone and it was still in Customs, something I was absolutely unfamiliar with. Soon my elation changed to despair as I realized it would probably not make it out of Customs in time for the show. And then I was informed that it had and was even emailed photos by Mall Galleries on my work on the wall, to counter I guess my disbelief!!!

In any case I've applied almost every year since except when a VAT number was first required. That's why I can't remember exactly how long I've been applying. If I'm correct the two works in second photo will be entrants for the 11th time in the exhibition. It is a cliche because I say it each year, but I am thrilled once again to be in!

Why is that? It is the quality of the work of course but what is it that I see in it? I see artistic adventurousness and a love of nature as well as a familiarity with nature. On top of that I see artists that don't settle for cliched views of wildlife subjects, or cliched methods of representation. So much of the work seems to exhibit a real attempt to portray wildlife freshly, to get some sense of the life, beauty, vitality of the wildlife and its environment. This is not easy. It is hard enough to even attempt it, but even moreso to become successful at it. Most wildlife exhibitions I see don't really even attempt it, in my humble opinion. It is so refreshing to see an exhibition of many, many artists trying and succeeding. I say most of this based on viewing the exhibitions each year online but also on having attended the 2018 show on almost every day of the 5-6 days that we were there. It was thrilling.

Above the two entries that were accepted into the show is my newest moku hanga. It shows the very first proof of the very first block. So there is much that will change. But I am trying to keep this one a bit simpler and a bit more quickly done. We shall see if that happens.