Waiting for Spring

The title points to a late-winter or early-spring transition — a moment when snow still lies on the ground but the first signs of thaw, bud, or returning light have begun. Ohtsu's prints in this register typically depict a farmhouse, garden, or village edge where bare plum branches, an early flowering shrub, or remnant patches of snow against dark earth carry the seasonal narrative. The palette would shift from the pure cool whites of his deep-winter scenes toward warmer ochres and muted greens, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) used along the horizon to suggest a softening sky. Compositionally, such transitional prints often use a low fence, a bent branch, or a path turning out of frame to imply waiting and anticipation rather than arrival. The work fits within Ohtsu's seasonal cycle as a hinge image, registering the emotional weight a rural year places on the end of winter — a sensitivity rooted in his upbringing in farming country.