Inspiration behind this painting was, first and foremost, the light filtered through autumn leaves.  The wooden gate with a thatched roof was another.  Or, more precisely, I was inspired by what a gate signifies.  An open gate is a visual metaphor for the beginning of a new phase of life.  It reminds us that we will have new opportunities, new dreams, new challenges. 

This gate is an entrance to a small Jodo-sect temple called Honen-in.  It sits quietly at the foot of a hill in the northeastern part of Kyoto, Japan.  To get here, we walked past a bamboo forest after stepping into a lonely alley from a more crowded trail called Philosopher's Path.  The sound of silence filled the air, and it was almost surreal to share the moment with dozens of other visitors that day.

Inside the gate is quite worth seeing, too.  Before visiting the temple and its garden, visitors walk on a path between two mounds of white sand, which are meticulously shaped and raked with a different design.  The path represents water and it is to purify our mind and body before entering the sacred ground.


Autumn in Kyoto, Japan II

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 21 x 14 in.
Mat/Frame: Yes/No
Mat Size: 28 x 20 in.
Purchase: Sold