Toko Shinoda, born in Manchuria in 1913, returned to Japan when very young and now feels that Gifu, the birthplace of her father, is her true home. She studied calligraphy from the age of six, gradually evolving her own style of avant-garde expression. In the mid-1950s she went to New York, where she was discovered by the famous gallery owner, Betty Parsons, who launched her career on an international scale.

During her extended stay in America, she was introduced to the abstract expressionist school, and enjoyed their company, and they, hers. After five major exhibitions at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York, her reputation was internationally established.

During Miss Shinoda's career, the chief recognition has been given to her sumi (Japanese ink) paintings. In this book, Mary and Norman Tolman, her dealers and friends, have revealed another side of this multifaceted woman's accomplishments. In addition to her original paintings and award-winning writing, Toko Shinoda is an accomplished printmaker, whose lithographs will surely delight those who may have been unaware of this aspect of her artistic life.

In this volume, the Tolmans share their experience and the many practical lessons of art and life they have learned from their long association with Toko Shinoda.