Author: Chris Wells

Here is the final practice run – before I tackle the real thing. The scrap of  wood is Huon Pine.
Still a bit rough, but getting less rough…so I tell myself.

This project fulfills Dad’s philosophy of ‘bit by bit’. I devote a maximum of  fifteen minutes each day to the sawing of  Pink Gum, the toughest wood around.
It also illustrates the associated observation: ‘less is more’.
I envisage three boat sculptures (assuming the wood is sound) –  and on the way, get plenty of time to think about what might be….

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)
Uraga in Sagami Province

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)
Fan Print
Raft and Full Moon

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)
Autumn Moon at Seto

Utagawa Hiroshige  (1797 – 1858)
The Ishiyakushi Temple at Ishiyakushi (from The 53 Stations of the Tokaido)

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – 1858)
The Satta Pass at Yui  (from The 53 Stations of the Tokaido)

My little fleet of spoons embarked on an exploratory voyage – and after a month or so, returned intact. I have to admit, I was relieved to get them back: they look at home in the Boatshed….

It was quite a storm. The coastal wattles (Acacia sophorae) stood firm. Our Shack and Boatshed did not budge. High seas, high winds and high tides made things interesting.

I submitted a humble bid, just for the fun of it – and somehow it slipped under the radar.
Maisaka: View of Imagiri, designed in the 1830’s by Utagawa Hiroshige, is number forty of a famous series  – 53 Stations of the Tokaido. The Tokaido was the more popular of two roads connecting Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto (the other being the Kisokaido).
A hundred or so years later,  a Japanese firm began making high-quality recut prints of Hiroshige and Hokusai originals. The beautiful print below is one of those.
I got lucky….