Lots of light, a gentle breeze, flickering shadows, autumn colors on magnificent trees, sparkles on the river, hazy mountains in the background and two people walking through a temple gate...  It was a beautiful sight, almost picture-perfect.  I liked it when I saw it and I wanted to paint it.  Soon I realized, however, finding an inspirational subject was an easy part.  Next came a tough question: how am I going to paint it the way it inspired me?

As I stopped and observed the scene, I began to see more things beyond natural beauty that really attracted me in it.  For one thing, I was intrigued by a juxtaposition of chaos and orderliness.  When I looked only at things happening in nature, it was a huge jumbled mess.  Man-made objects such as a gate and a riverside path introduced a sense of orderliness to the scene.  So, for this piece, I focused on this contrast to paint the scene.


Autumn Leaves, Kyoto, Japan IV

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Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold