Lyn Bishop : Sharing Secrets

At the beginning of 2008 I realized that this was a milestone year for my art career. Not only am I celebrating 10 years as a practicing, professional artist, I realized that in the early months of the New Year, I would add my 100th collector to my community of supporters.

Wow! This was cause for celebration and I wanted to find a way to say Thank You to each of them.

So, I got to work in the print studio, cutting paper, mixing ink and burning screens for an edition of 100 prints as a special gift for my 100 collectors. The image is from my travels, from the town of Uji, Japan — a town seeped in the smell of roasting tea . (more…)

This month I delivered a special commission to new patrons. The work, Tides of Life, is a collaboration between collector and artist, with the collector providing basic materials and initial inspiration for the direction of the work. Together with original photographs from both the collector and my own collection, I created an image that speaks to the meaning of the Meoto-iwa, or Wedded Rocks of Futamigaura, and celebrates long-lasting love.

The two rocks of Meoto-iwa are considered male and female, and are named Izanagi and Izanami and represent the primal couple in Japanese traditional history. According to legend, it is from this couple that all the Japanese islands were formed.

The rocks are also deemed husband and wife, and are joined in matrimony by sacred ropes called shimenawa, made from braided rice stalks. The ropes weigh almost a tonne alone, and are replaced yearly in a special ceremony.

Below are photographs documenting the creative process. The work is 23”x43” and printed on hand prepared luminescent paper. This was my first large print using the new Golden Digital Grounds (Clear Gloss).
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