Red Flowers

Red Flowers is a still-life print built around a saturated chromatic event — most likely camellia, peony, or a similar full-bodied bloom — set against a quieter ground. In mokuhanga, strong reds are achieved through pigments such as beni or contemporary equivalents, often laid in two or three passes to build depth without losing the matte washi surface; bokashi gradations within the petals describe the turn from light to shadow at each flower's edge. Stewart's still-life work, which extends across watercolour and mixed-media as well as woodblock, treats individual blossoms with the close, frontal attention more often associated with kacho-e than with Western floral painting, while retaining a draughtsman's interest in structure. The print connects to his Chabana Series in subject matter but reads as an independent study rather than a tea-room arrangement: the flowers are presented for their own visual fact. Within Stewart's Kyoto-based practice, Red Flowers offers a counterpoint of intensity to the muted greys of his architectural and seasonal-light prints.