These are both woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai. His prints have always been interesting to me because of the way he depicts nature. His use of color, detail, and composition create images of nature that are both classic and timeless.
Jean Baptiste Oudry was a French rococo painter. His subjects most often included animals of all kinds, especially hunting scenes. He is one of the few painters in the 18th century to focus only on animals within his most powerful pieces. I particularly enjoy the way he represents the predatorial animals, with graceful but powerful gesture, and intense expression.
Mary Louise Mclaughlin was a china painter and studio potter in Cincinatti, Ohio in the 1800’s. After seeing French Ceramics that were china painted, she perfected the technique for herself, and wrote several books about the china painting process. Only when she began throwing the pieces she painted on, like the one above, did she create the perfect balance between surface and form.
Ariel Bowman Ceramics 