A Memory of Spring - LARGE Limited Edition Print Ed. 4 of 50

This is a LARGE, unframed, limited edition print. The colours of the print are almost identical to the original. For this print I have used a higher quality, textured paper. The paper colour is slightly off white and more in keeping with the paper used for the original. You can see the texture of the paper in the photos. The dimensions are for the size of the image. There is a white border around the image for framing.

I will not be writing any information nor putting my signature directly on the prints, instead I will provide a certificate of authenticity which will be numbered and signed by me. This certificate can be taped to the back of the framed work. I am doing it this way from now on as I will be travelling overseas a lot in 2019. My signature on the original artworks will be visible on the prints. This will also give you the option of framing so only the artwork is visible.

The original artwork was the 11th piece for my "Year in Japan" series of 12. It was created using Copic markers and pencil on watercolour paper. The work depicts a scene of a famous laneway in Tokyo which is now called "Memory Lane". There are many Yakitori restaurants there. They hang fake flowers and leaves in the laneway, depending on the time of year. Because it is spring, there are fake cherry blossoms. I love the intensity of the colours in this piece.

My "Year in Japan" series captures everyday scenes in Japan in an attempt to convey the Japanese phrase 物の哀れ 'mono no aware' - the gentle sadness of things. This refers to the ephemeral, transitory nature of the world, which in turn evokes a greater appreciation for things which are quick to disappear, such as cherry blossoms. The scenes I portray are fleeting moments in time, where the figures, objects and light will only be in that exact state for a moment, never to be repeated. Furthering this concept, each piece also represents a different month of the year, highlighting the passage of time through the seasons. The works all feature a lone man with his back to the viewer, giving a glimpse into the life of a faceless stranger. The style I used was inspired by Studio Ghibli animation and traditional Japanese woodblock prints.

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Erin Nicholls has always been artistic, leading her to study a number of creative subjects such as ceramics‚ metalsmithing & fine arts. She has done a lot of travelling since her childhood in country Victoria, living in a number of different cities and countries. In 2003, Nicholls lived in Florence, Italy, where she had private lessons in Old Masters' oil painting techniques from a master art restorer. In 2016, she completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Griffith University, majoring in Art History. Nicholls' style of art evolved from oil paintings to marker and pencil illustrations, which she has been developing exclusively since 2015. Her works are mostly realistic scenes, created in her unique style which is reminiscent of Studio Ghibli animation, as well as traditional Japanese woodblock prints.

Nicholls has produced two series of works featuring Japanese streetscapes - "A Year in Japan" and "A Night in Japan". In 2018, Nicholls won Best on Paper for the Bluethumb Art Prize for her work "Smoke", from her Night in Japan series. In 2019 Nicholls was a finalist in the Copic Award, with her piece "Red Light" being exhibited in Tokyo. In 2024 she won the Australia and Pacific Regional award in the Copic Art Prize for her artwork "The Blank Page".

While Nicholls loves creating street scenes of Japan, she has also created a number of still life photorealism drawings using Copic markers, as well as portraits. In 2021 she was commissioned to create a large landscape drawing of a mountain summit. Currently she is still creating some drawings from photographs she took in Japan, as well as more portrait and still life works. She is available for marker drawing commissions.