Buttercups

Buttercups rendered in woodblock with watercolor on French paper, a combination of materials that reflects Daniel Kelly's position as an American artist deeply immersed in Japanese printmaking traditions. Created in 1983, the print captures the simple yellow flowers with a freshness that owes much to Kelly's technique of hand-coloring each impression individually, ensuring that no two prints are exactly alike. The choice of French paper rather than traditional Japanese washi adds a different surface texture and absorbency, giving the watercolor washes a quality distinct from what the same pigments would produce on mulberry fiber paper.