Can someone identify the artist?
 

I have been given a few paintings and a silk tapestry from a wealthy friend who got them as he traveled in Japan. He had no idea who the artist was but suggested I find out and insure them because he said they were pretty valuable.

Can anyone who reads Japanese help?

Can you show some of the entire piece of art?

I will upload some full pics tonight when I get home. Thanks for you help!!!

Impossibility;)

Why is it impossible? Too blurry?

I had someone over at another forum claim the first pic was someone with the surname Ishikawa if that helps.

The first red seal reads 石川之印 (ishikawa no in, meaning: the Seal of Ishikawa).
I doubt this is a pen name.

The last seal and sig reads 佑岩, and in Chinese 佑 means blessed, which would give "blessed rock". I think that is 雅号 (pen name), and his real name is (possibly) Ishikawa.

Reason is simple: 朱印　(seal in intaglio) is usually used for surname (姓名印), while the 白印 (seal in relief) is used for 雅号印 (pen name seal). Together they represent balance of forces Yin and Yang.　Another thing is that the sig. on the work reads 佑岩, which further proves that this is pen name (no calligrapher signs his work with his last name).

Second (middle ) pic. is a print (imho) so forget about it.

Lastly, 佑岩 would suggest a guy. The handwriting would also lead me to a conclusion that this is a man's writing.

The top seal on the last picture is too blury, you need to make a better picture.
It is possible it has his full name on it, which means that two kanji on the right hand side are his first name, still, the pic is bit too blury to read it.　

It is also highly possible that 石川 and 佑岩 are two different people, especially that btheir sigs do not match and there is no consistancy in seals (but that is not an absolute rule). Another thing is that I am looking at the name seal on the last pic and i cannot see any kanji that would even remotely resemble 石川 (right hand side bottom is i think 印, and top left might be 清, but i am not sure). Are you sure there is no other seal under the 石川之印 on the first picture?

Wow thanks for the info. I have looked all over the web trying to find who exactly painted this but there are many artists with that surname. Like Koji Ishikawa, Kinichiro Ishikawa, Tadashi Ishikawa, Toraji, etc. I was wondering if anyone can get more specific.

By the way thanks to any who are trying to help, I appreciate it immensely.

sorry i added some more info to my post.

you sure there is no other seal under the 石川 one on the first picture?
you won't be able to determine an artist without his pen name, and that should be revealed by the seal below the first one. His sig reads 石川 and some flip flop that could be 書　(written by), which is usually used on calligraphy under the sig, but it does not look like 書 in cursive or any other script to me.

I am going to take better pictures this evening and then post them. Full shots of the paintings. The 2nd pic is actually a painted silk tapestry, very very pretty one at that.

ryuuri, I cannot say how much I appreciate your help. May god bless you.