Of Bags and Brilliance

There is an uncommon, almost cleansing silence, like the emptiness in the middle of a vast forest, that permeates certain images. The art of naoko’s stoop, a lovely gallery of prints made from original paintings on wood and brown paper bags (more on that in a moment), includes many such compositions. Whether it is the soothing rust-yellow tones and serene countenance of the watchful bird in Nest, a beautifully textured piece made with archival inks, or the sanguine innocence of a child set against a gentle backdrop of fading greens in Monday Parade, balance and tranquility seem to characterize each piece in the collection. Like the aforementioned forest, however, the silence is an illusion, as an attentive ear will soon pick up a number of sounds swelling just above the quiet.

In this case, it might be the optimistic undertones of a print such as Hope Bird, in which the feathered friend clutched within a child’s mittens may represent a kind of sacrifice for the sake of hope, and the flying white counterpart to that bird the embodiment of all our dreams for the future. It might be the symbolic multiplications of an offbeat original like Love. Or it might be the process points that surprises us: How many other artists have mastered the art of painting detailed, vibrant images on used brown paper bags? Whatever the case, there is more to the art of naoko’s stoop than meets the eye. We must always start, however, with what does meet the eye, and to make that introduction the artist is offering a generous giveaway. The winner of this drawing will receive a print of choice from the naoko's stoop collection. To qualify, visit naoko's stoop, then come back here to tell us about your favorite print. Tell us in a second post if you subscribe to Wishing Willow, since our subscribers receive an extra entry in the contest. To post without a Google account, just click “anonymous.” Be sure to also leave your email address. The winner will be chosen randomly. Contest ends 2/4/09.

We have a winner! Congrats Nape :)