A caldera is a basin surrounded by a ring of mountains.
Aso mountain itself is an active volcano and around the time of painting these pictures (2014) it erupted.
Luckily, it was just a minor eruption and spewed out only a few small stones. These small stones smashed the windows of a nearby school.
There was also a lot of dust. And for miles around Aso volcano everything was covered in a thin layer of dust.
The painting above is quite large.
I think it was done in February 2014.
I know this because that was the date given on the image file of this painting.
It could possibly have been painted at an earlier date and then photographed at a later date. This often happened in the past as I used to be extremely unorganized.
I’m happy to say I sold this painting.
“Horses grazing on a mountain side”
And this next painting of Aso was a surprise even to me.
I painted this picture around 2013 or 2014.
I originally intended to throw away this painting because I remember that I wasn’t very happy with it.
But I kept it because there is another painting on the other side that I was quite happy with.
Ironically, my opinion of this painting has now changed. When I looked at it this year, 2021, I actually thought it was quite good and I’m quite happy about showing it on my website.
This painting brings back happy memories of a family trip to Aso.
I think my dad from England came so it was also a happy reunion.
And I remember looking at the horses with my daughter. We really enjoyed looking at them.
It was especially fun because you don’t see a lot of animals in the Japanese countryside. And animals in the landscape can really make the scene come to life.
The soft, warm yellowy-orange evening sky and the similarly soft but cool, light gray sweeping clouds give a feeling of beautiful mellowness.
And I feel carried away to a better place.
I like how the figures partially dissolve into the shadows.
This painting is not only beautiful for me but also mysterious.
Because I’m not sure where this place is.
Indeed, is it even an actual place?
It may be a scene made up by my imagination and the recollections of many countryside scenes that I had visited and painted over the years.
I think it might be a real place.
For I vaguely remember a place similar to the one in the painting.
I visited this place during a trip into the countryside with my family.
And I think the path led to a distant temple.
And I think that place was somewhere between Oita city and Fukuoka city.
But that is about all I can remember.
And this is only a hunch.
And I’m even less certain if when I went there it was evening time or not. I think it wasn’t.
So the sky and the mood of this painting was likely from my own imagination.
And by imagination I normally mean something like a visionary flash that is part idea, part image and part feeling all in one.
Or something like that.
And when I get these visionary flashes it’s normally a good sign of a great painting.
And so it proved to be in this case, as this visionary flash led to this great painting which expresses so well a magical moment of evening time softness, calmness and beauty.
And I think this painting inspired the one below.
Or vice versa.
For I have no idea which of these two paintings came first.
But I am pretty sure that both were done around the same time as they are so similar.
“A walk beneath a mellow yellow evening sky”
If you look at the painting above and compare it to the previous one, you see a similar mellow yellow-orange sky and cool blue clouds.
And there are similar elements such as the background mountain, the clusters of trees, yellow fields and partially dissolved figures walking along a path.
There are a few variations.
The most noticeable one is the utility poles and power lines.
I think it’s a very interesting variation.
And I think the painting below has been inspired by these first two paintings.
“A walk at the end of a beautiful day”
It has many similar elements to the other two.
Firstly, there is that worm’s eye view which gives a huge expanse of sky.
Next, it is once again a warm late evening sky. Although this time with a touch of red and no sweeping clouds.
And there is a countryside path. Although this time it doesn’t meander and lead into the painting.
And finally there are figures on the countryside path who are partially dissolved into the scene.
But there are some noticeable differences.
For me, the most important one is that the figures and the ground are much darker. The result is almost like a silhouette.
I’m very happy with this painting.
“Last glow of light on a hazy evening”
And here is another painting which I think is inspired by those first two paintings.
I think that this painting was just meant to be a sketch but it ended up being a beautiful painting full of atmosphere.
So in this painting, I did a portrait format.
I think that the dominant vertical format was chosen to emphasize the dominant vertical shape of the utility pole.
And although I have a warm evening sky it is quite different from the previous paintings.
In this painting, I decided to have a heavy blue-gray cloud and below it the sun gleaming out.
The composition is very interesting.
Essentially, there is a band of dark color above and a band of dark color below and then a band of light in the middle.
And the focal point, which is the figures, are in front of this band of light. Well, almost. They are a little below it.
But they are close to the light and make a strong contrast.
In this painting, I have done much bigger figures than in the previous paintings.
But once again, these figures are partially dissolved in the evening gloom.
And like the first two paintings there is a strong evening mellowness created by the haziness of the picture.
Indeed, this painting is very hazy.
I think that haziness is the most beautiful element of this painting and something I want to explore more in future paintings.
I am not sure, though, when I painted these last two paintings.
I think they were spontaneous creations done at very different times from one another but all motivated from those two original paintings and that vision of a mellow, hazy evening scene in the countryside with a vast expanse of sky.
Clearly the utility pole has become a major part, dare I say motif, of these new creations.
And I did one more version.
“Peaceful countryside stroll on a hazy evening”
What you see in these paintings is an artist hitting a creative seam and then following that seam.
I think that I still haven’t come to the end of that seam.
And I hope in the future to return to this creative seam and paint some new pictures.
It will also probably lead to new and interesting variations.
This is a painting of a country path in a region called Hiji.
I have visited this region quite a few times and have found some very picturesque scenes here such as the one above.
And as I look at this painting, I find myself thinking that this is a very good painting and I am surprised that I almost binned it.
All I can say is that I have over a 1000 paintings and it just becomes overwhelming so if I can bin a painting then I feel a little less like I’m drowning in my own creations.
So here is a short critique of this painting in which I talk about the many good points of this painting and a few of the bad points.
Firstly, I like the composition and in particular the curve of the path.
It is beautiful and interesting.
And it guides the viewer’s eye deeper into the painting.
Next, the shapes of objects, such as the trees, the figures and the house, are well done.
I especially like the figure of the man with the dog as it really looks like he is moving.
Along with good shapes there is also some very nice expressive brushwork in the trees.
And the colors are also very good, especially in the foliage and the sky.
As I look at the sky, I like how dramatic it is with the sun behind a big gray cloud and I can see beautiful subtle touches of gray, blue and a very light gray as well as yellow in the sky.
And I like how the distant mountain disappears into the clouds.
Finally, I like the flock of birds above the tree on the left which you sometimes get.
It is a nice extra detail.
This painting fails in a few places though.
The walls of the house are too blue.
I doubt it, but it could have been a blue house.
But even if it was a blue house I think the blue needs to be toned down a little.
This painting also fails with the smoke.
At the end of the path there is supposed to be smoke.
I think that’s what I saw when I went there.
But that smoke needs to be a lot whiter as it is difficult to see that it is smoke.
So I hope one day that I get the chance to paint this picture again as I’m sure I can improve upon the color of the house and the smoke.
However, I think that I will struggle to paint such an amazing sky.
All this painting needs now is a title.
I was thinking of calling it: “Man and dog taking a stroll along a country path”.
What do you think?
If you have any ideas for a good title then please let me know in the comments.
I’d really appreciate it and if I like it then I will definitely use it.
This is a momentous task as I have over 1000 paintings.
In the process, I found the painting above.
It is an old painting which was done around 2013.
And I still remember seeing the rather dilapidated but picturesque shed in the painting.
I was cycling along the main road through a small, Japanese town called Shonai that is deep in the countryside.
At some point, I turned off the main road and onto a very narrow side road.
And along this road I saw the shed.
I think that as soon as I saw this shed, I felt the urge to paint it.
And I’m happy with my painting of this building as I caught the slight lean of the structure as well as the irregularities of the structure.
Also, I think the light blue roof looks very good.
And I think the rice field looks beautiful.
The viewpoint of this shed is very good.
As the gutter by the side of the road, guides the viewer’s eye towards the shed which is the focal point of the painting.
However, I think the foliage is not so well painted or the other buildings.
And yet I’m happy I didn’t throw away this painting.
Because it is a precious reminder of where I’ve been, what I liked to paint and also what my artwork used to be like.
It is so easy to forget these things and not even realize you’ve forgotten.
“Beautiful, old Japanese barn”
And here is one more painting of Shonai.
I think it was that old Japanese barn on the left that captured my interest and made me stop and paint this scene.
It is such a beautiful structure.
And I think I’ve done a good job of painting that barn.
The fields are well done.
I love the combination of yellows and browns and those soft brown dots in the foreground field.
I’m not sure how I did those dots but I’d definitely like to use that technique in future paintings.
Everything else, such as the other buildings, the foliage and the figures are just passable.
And sadly, the mountains are not very well painted.
In reality they look amazing.
I normally say that I’ll have another go at painting a picture that doesn’t quite work but for some reason with this particular picture I don’t feel the urge to have another go.
At least not yet!
I have painted this particular scene a few times since though because I found the view very beautiful.
It was near here that I did a painting of some Japanese haystacks in 2014 that I’m really happy with.
For a long time, I didn’t used to like painting countryside scenes.
And given the choice, I would prefer to paint an urban scene.
Urban scenes are easier to paint and usually more interesting.
Whereas countryside scenes are very difficult to paint well.
One of the biggest challenges with a countryside scene is painting trees, bushes and grass.
Trees in particular are the most difficult to paint as my watercolor students soon discover.
And I have to tell my students that it takes years to be able to paint a good tree.
And I add that: if you can paint a good tree in watercolor it means you are a good artist.
Another reason I don’t like to paint countryside scenes is that despite appearing beautiful they are often look monotonous as a painting.
This is especially true of paintings of the Japanese countryside where you often see an endless number of tree covered mountains.
It is very beautiful.
But normally everything is the same kind of green color and in a picture it will look monotonous.
Even in autumn, when those tree covered mountains have a variety of beautiful colors, it is still monotonous as a picture.
I have seen Japanese paintings of such scenes and I can’t say I like them.
They are not visually interesting.
After saying this about painting countryside scenes in Japan, you will understand the happiness I experienced when I started to paint good pictures of countryside scenes.
And the pictures here are my earliest paintings of countryside scenes that I think are good.
Both paintings are of a countryside area called Wasada.
It is on the outskirts of Oita city.
And I found this beautiful countryside area during one of my bicycle adventures.
Of the two, I think the painting above is my favorite.
In this painting the foliage looks very beautiful.
And the rice field has lovely colors and texture.
Even the rough grass by the side of the rice field is well done.
The houses are beautifully painted.
And the figure with the dog is fairly good too.
As for my signature, I’m just glad it isn’t so noticeable.
“Coming home”
You can see that the second painting is similar to the previous one.
I’m fairly sure that these two paintings are of the same village, or two small villages next to one another in Wasada.
And I’m fairly sure that they were painted around the same time.
Once again I am very happy with the foliage and the rice fields in this painting.
And the figures are fairly good.
The houses are okay but not as good as in the previous painting.
And once again, I’m glad that you can’t see my signature clearly because it’s too big and not very well done.
I remember visiting and painting this place but I can’t give the year exactly.
I think it was around 2013.
And I remember that my wife was visiting or taking our eldest daughter to Kitakyushu where she was studying at the university.
However, my wife stopped on route to drop me off and let me do some painting while she went the rest of the way.
And then the plan was that she would pick me up on the way back.
I remember that I had no initial idea where I was going to ask my wife to drop me off but that it ended up being the place in the painting above.
It was a small Japanese village that I thought looked quite idyllic – at least from the roadside.
At first I walked around the village looking for a good scene to paint and finally chose the scene above.
I’m guessing that I chose this scene because I liked the way the path curves around and leads towards the cluster of houses, such an arrangement would make for a nice composition.
And as I look at this picture, I find myself thinking that it isn’t so bad.
I can see that the colors work very well together and there is a nice touch of subtle colors, especially in the big trees, as well as a nice combination of warms and cools.
I also think that this scene would look very nice in the rainy season when they fill the rice fields with water and hopefully, one day I’ll paint this scene with watery rice fields.
And in looking at and talking about this painting and realizing it is quite good and that it even has some sentimental value for me now, I feel a little regret for folding it in half with the intention of binning it.
If you look carefully at the painting you can see a faint crease line down the middle.
But perhaps I decided to bin it because I have too many paintings and at times it can feel like I’m drowning in my own creations.
So from time to time, I cull my creations.
Luckily, after folding it, I unfolded it and decided to take this photo as a record.
However, I can’t remember now if after taking the photo I binned the actual painting or kept it.
I think it was around 2013 that I discovered this beautiful national park in Fukuoka prefecture.
We were visiting my oldest daughter who was studying at Kitakyushu university.
On the way home, we took a different route from normal and went through this national park.
I was delighted because this is a very strange place with small mountains that are littered with numerous rocks.
I later did two paintings of this place and I am very happy with them.
I like the way I have painted the rocks in these paintings, the soft colors and those textural lines.
And in the painting above, the postures of the figures are very good, especially the two on the left with the slight slants within their postures that give a feeling of motion.
And finally the grass and shrubbery is well done.
It is subtle but at the same time full of colorful variety, and as I look I can see yellow greens, minty greens and a darker more musty green.
“A beautiful day for trekking up a mountain”
In the second painting, I’m particularly happy with my rendering of the distant hills in this painting with those soft tree shapes and the thin dry brush lines and blobs suggesting trees on the top of the hills.
And as I look at this painting, it all looks so pleasant that I feel the urge to get on my climbing boots (if I had any) and go rambling up those hills.
I hope one day that I’ll go back to this park and do a few more paintings.
The next time I would take my drone.
I can already imagine the interesting aerial angles I could get of those trees and rocks in the midground with some figures on the path walking past them.
During my wilderness years of getting on my bicycle with my art gear and cycling off into the blue yonder of the Japanese countryside I found a picturesque village called Shonai.
And I think it was around 2011 that I painted these pictures of Shonai.
Looking at the painting above, I find that I like the colorfulness of the sky.
I can see touches of blue, a light orange and even a dash of red in that sky.
It’s very exciting.
And the shapes of the buildings are well painted.
I am disappointed, though, with the trees, bushes and grass.
That said, with trees, bushes and grass you need a combination of softness and contrast and that is difficult to achieve in watercolor.
And yet overall, I like this painting because when I look at it I feel very relaxed.
I don’t know how I managed to convey that feeling of relaxation.
So I have to study this painting and learn how I created that feeling of relaxation.
Then, hopefully, I can express that feeling of relaxation in my new paintings.
“Idyllic rural Japan”
This is another painting of Shonai.
I really like this particular scene and I have painted it several times.
I think what I like in particular is that meandering path.
It looks so interesting.
Also, it leads the eye of the viewer into the painting and makes them look towards the distant mountains.
And I’m very happy with my painting of the distant mountains.
There are some nice subtle effects in the distant mountains.
And the sky is bright and warm but also pleasantly softened and subdued.
I’m also quite happy with the trees in the background too.
I managed to paint the shape and edge of them right.
However, I’m a little disappointed with the houses.
They are a little too blue.
If I’d done the walls white or brown it would have been better.
And I think the utility poles need to be a bit thicker.
They look like they will snap at any minute.
But the overall feeling of the painting is very satisfying for me.
And when I look at this painting I experience the feelings of calmness, light and space.
“Countryside river”
This is a painting of the river that runs through Shonai.
I think this painting captures a little of the ruggedness of the natural Japanese landscape.
And this painting almost works.
The river is quite beautiful and the grass by the side of the river too.
I also quite like the sky and the distant mountain.
But the foliage is not well done.
The shadows need to be softer and a little simpler.
Also the trees in the top left hand corner and the tall trees in the middle don’t look very beautiful.
I think, though, that this scene has potential and if I did another painting of it it might look very beautiful.
Final word
Looking at these paintings I had the fancy that it would be interesting and fun to revisit these places in Shonai and to paint them again.
I’d love to see the difference.
I hope that happens but presently I have too many projects.
