Lotus Bridge

oil on prepared paper, 18 x 24cm (approx 7 x 9.5")

This was done over two sessions on location. I was painting with a friend and was struck by the sweet composition with the bridge in there. Usually I'm so besotted with the flowers and leaves I tend to hone in up close, so it's a nice change to do something with distance in there. It sold to a passer-by before I was able to take it off the easel. It might be fun to try a larger version at some point, though I'd probably want to do another small location study first.

Here's a shot of the actual scene, with my improvised wet canvas holder on the easel...

Lost in Lotus Land

oil on linen, 21.5 x 27cm (approx 8.5 x 10.5")

The past few weeks I've been on a summer lotus-painting marathon at Shinobazu-ike, in Ueno Park. This painting is probably my favourite so far. It's what I'd call a kinda sumie style oil sketch. It was done pretty quickly (for me), and I'd just finished packing up my gear when a heavy downfall of rain decided to hit. Whew, well timed.
This photo was hard to get the colors and tonal values right, the background may (or may not) be a tad too much toward the yellow and/or a tad too dark on your monitor.

lotus season

Okay, okay, I know, it's not a painting, it's a photo that I took yesterday. But hey, it's the beginning of August and the lotus season is now in full swing. I've been too busy to get down there very much but this month I will be getting there to paint as much as possible.