Mindful Landscape Sketching
by Hiroshi Shimazaki

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“Visit the old and learn anew without preconceived ideas”—the meaning of the seal on many of Hiroshi Shimazaki’s paintings encapsulates his creative and contemplative approach to landscape sketching. In Mindful Landscape Sketching, with language as poetic as it is informative, he emphasizes the importance of the artist’s underlying thought processes and encourages readers to expand their imaginations, world views, and historical perspectives. Mindful Landscape Sketching is also, however, an invaluable hands-on resource for artists and would-be artists. Brushes, papers, perspective, focus—all these and more are discussed in detail. He guides the reader through sketching everything from sacred structures to cities, from mist to water to wind, and discusses painting live versus painting from memory or photographs. Over a hundred full-colour examples of the artist’s work from all over the globe illustrate his approach. Practical and inspirational, Mindful Landscape Sketching will appeal to anyone interested in watercolour landscape sketching and painting. It is also a work of art in its own right. First published in Japanese in 2020 by TokyoTosho Shuppan as FukeiShasei no Kokoro, Mindful Landscape Sketching is the first in a three-part series.

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"Hiroshi Shimazaki’s watercolors are sublime. As someone who has travelled extensively, I am in awe of the range of his journeys, which have often taken him to the most remote and exquisite places on the planet. His eye does not only dwell on a majestic mountain or monument, because his paintings might capture the churning power of water, the swirling flight of birds, or silhouetted people on a rainy and foggy night. He often juxtaposes the bleeding unpredictability of his watercolors against some precise linework, making his architectural representations and landscape profiles unmistakable yet evocative. In his work, I see not just a traveler or a geographer, or even an artist, all of which he is, but a pilgrim. Yet, his pilgrimage is not about the many wonderful destinations at which he has arrived over a lifetime. The collection reveals a spirit of yearning curiosity. It points repeatedly to some essence underlying the breathtaking beauty in our world. He invites us to join him in an appreciation of the mysterious flow of life." —Hillary Rodrigues, Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, University of Lethbridge, Canada

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Born in Tokyo and educated in political science, economics, and cultural geography in Japan and Canada, Hiroshi Shimazaki, during his nearly sixty years in academia, found watercolour sketching and painting an effective tool for geographical research and for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. Professor Emeritus, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, he has been a visiting professor/researcher at various academic institutions in Canada, Ecuador, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Mexico. Shimazaki has exhibited his art in twelve countries, given painting workshops at home and abroad, published nine art books, and given presentations at academic conferences worldwide on the interface of research and painting. He lives in Halfmoon Bay, BC with his wife Beverly. www.hiroshishimazaki.com

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Contributors

Author

Hiroshi Shimazaki

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