Part of Spitzack's Seattle print series, depicting a 'for sale' sign with a tree bearing white flowers—possibly flowering dogwood, cherry, or plum, all common in Pacific Northwest urban landscapes. The juxtaposition of real estate signage with seasonal blossom carries a contemporary edge: in a city undergoing extensive housing market change, the 'for sale' sign has become a recurring local symbol. Compositionally, the print engages Japanese woodblock's long history of treating flowering trees—plum and cherry in particular have been recurrent subjects from the Edo period onward—but transposes them into an urban American context. Mokuhanga's flat color planes and crisp outline suit signage well, while [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations work for the petals and foliage. Cut by hand and printed by [baren](/glossary/baren) on [washi](/glossary/washi) with water-based pigments, the work belongs to a sustained body of Seattle-themed prints in which Spitzack treats his city through the same conventions of seasonal observation that [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e) applied to Edo and Kyoto.
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
seattle print series seattle for sale sign woodblock woodcut Japanese mokuhanga print printmaking washi seattle art fine printmaker nw printmaking relief prints tree white flowers color woodcut contemporary artist pnw seattle print arts was created by Charles Spitzack.
seattle print series seattle for sale sign woodblock woodcut Japanese mokuhanga print printmaking washi seattle art fine printmaker nw printmaking relief prints tree white flowers color woodcut contemporary artist pnw seattle print arts depicts trees.
