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Tag: July
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A wonderful day at the beach
I was running like a maniac at the sea and falling into the high waves and it was wonderful. I did it again and again.
Then I ran into the sea and dived into the waves.
And then I floated in the sea. I discovered that I float very well. And the feeling of the waves lifting me up was wonderful. I closed my eyes to fully enjoy the sensation.
It was therapeutic, more importantly it was a chance to be silly and play.
I couldn’t remember when I last did this. Has it been so long?
This was at Sumiyoshihama beach and the second part of my story about a family trip to Kitsuki. The first part of my story was about painting Kitsuki estuary and encountering a water rat.
While at the beach, I managed to do a painting. In fact, I normally always manage to do a painting.
But at first it wasn’t easy to find a scene to paint. I walked about 2 kilometers in hot weather with all my gear looking for a scene to paint. I ended up returning to my original starting point and finding a scene there.
There were some young men on the beach. They were bare-chested. And I liked the contrast between their pale bodies and the dark green background of the trees. Also the skin color and beach color were almost the same which made for a wonderful composition. Furthermore, they made a great focal point.
The family also had a really good time. They went shopping while I was walking around looking for a scene to paint.
Women just love to shop and they always seem to find a chance to do so.
But I have to add that my daughter looked so cute in her new bikini. In fact, they all looked rather nice in their new bathing costumes.
I’m quite happy with the painting above that I did of the beach. I think the beach, with the lovely gradation and texture, is the best part of the painting.
And the figures are pretty good too. Sometimes my figures look too similar. Whereas here there is some variety with some figures being a little stocky and some being a little thin.
Sadly, the trees are merely passable and perhaps the best I could do on such a hot day when the paint dries quickly in the sunlight.
Below are three more paintings I did of this beach. There are some beautiful beaches around this area.
“Figures on a beautiful sandy beach” In the painting above, I love the contrast between the white house and the dark green trees behind. I also liked this viewpoint of looking from the sea towards the beach.
“Beach stroll” “Taking a dip” In these paintings, it was really fun to paint the figures and have them doing all kinds of different things.
You can read the first part of this trip here.
That’s all for now, Gareth.
Postscript
This story was originally written in July of 2014. I am editing it in 2022. This story needed very little editing.
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Meeting a water rat while painting Kitsuki estuary
“Estuary by Kitsuki castle” Today was “Marine Day”. It’s called “umi-no-hi” in Japanese and it’s a national holiday.
And we, the family, even went to the beach and it was wonderful.
But before we came to the beach we stopped the car on route and the family had a sleeping break. While they slept I got out of the car and did a painting.
We had parked next to an estuary in a small Japanese town called Kitsuki. I have painted this estuary a few times. To get a view of the estuary I had to climb over a fairly high sea wall. But when I did I found a very nice scene to paint.
When the tide is low you can see a lot of sandbanks and fishing boats which makes for a more interesting scene. But the tide was high and there was only one sandbank. It was an enormous sandbank. And there was only one fishing boat so it was a bit of an empty looking scene.
It was while I was painting this picture, and enduring the smell of rotting fish or worse, that a rat (in Japanese they might say “dobunezumi” which I think means water or gutter rat) suddenly appeared and it was running directly towards me.
It was ridiculous, but I was suddenly gripped by fears of being bitten and catching the Bubonic plague as this seemingly mad rat looked like it was charging at me with the intention to bite me. I am a city person and have no idea about the nature of rats.
I was also thinking that I might be the first person to ever get the Bubonic plague in Japan, who knows?
But my sudden movement as I rose, startled it and it did a ninety degree turn and went towards the sea. It came to the 2 meter high edge of the sea wall and did a bold leap off, went far through the air and ended the feat with a clean dive into the water. Then it swam (I think about as fast as I can) under the water. Then it came up to the surface near some rocks and started exploring around there.
Later it came back and ran past me without much fear. I think it realized that I wasn’t anything to worry about.
Despite an aversion to rats it moved with such beauty and speed that it was a mesmerizing delight to watch and it could even swim wonderfully well. In fact, it was kind of cute.
However, to return to the point, which is the painting.
I was lucky that there was a fishing boat present as this became the focal point for the whole painting.
I am, though, a little disappointed with the sea. It was a hot day and when I painted the sea it dried quicker than I expected. Luckily, I managed to salvage it with some dry brush strokes.
I should add that the building in the middle of the picture and on top of the hill is a Kitsuki castle. The position of this castle within the landscape is perfect and I’m sure that even John Ruskin would have enjoyed the sight of it.
Here is another painting of this estuary. It has no story to go with it, so by putting it here it feels like giving a stray dog a home.
“Fishing boat in Kitsuki estuary” And here is one more painting that is around this area. I am very happy with this one but it also has no story to go with it.
“Beach in Kitsuki” I have so many stray paintings. I wish that I’d learned to write about my painting adventures more and to have not been completely obsessed with just the painting. But it is what it is and I’ll make the best of what it is.
You can read part two of this trip to Kitsuki here.
Gareth.
Postscript
This story was originally written in July of 2014. I’m editing it in 2022.
I probably shouldn’t have done it but I threw away the original painting that I talk about in this story.
That is why you are getting the rather poor image above that is a blown up copy from the small image I found on my computer.
Every artist has to throw away some paintings otherwise it becomes overwhelming. I threw away about half of my paintings.
And, to be honest, I wasn’t very happy with this painting.
But after reading this story I wish that I’d kept it for the sake of the story. Alas.
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When you paint outdoors you never paint alone
So today I went to paint by the river.
When you paint outdoors you never paint alone. There’s always something that happens. Often some kind of annoyance or discomfort.
It could be a freezing cold wind or it could be an insect such as a mosquito or little flies that want to explore your nostrils. And of course there are always people.
Most people are okay but some are strange.
Today I had a boy cycling around me while I was painting. He was making a circuit with me at the center.
I admit that I felt a little irritated by this. Well, I’m quite an irritable person to be honest. But I also know that you can never be sure about people and it is essential to suspend judgement.
In fact, no judgement is probably the best judgement of all as you never really understand other people. And this was perhaps the case here.
After circling around me about ten or more times, I lost count, he sat down on the steps behind me and started sketching. The pest had become a fellow artist.
It was great to see this young boy sketching. And he spent a long time sketching. He must have a passion for sketching just like myself.
I didn’t speak to him but when he left I did a little bow (I can be very Japanese on occasion). However, he didn’t even acknowledge me. Anyway, it was great to see someone so young with a passion for art and to even be drawing outside.
And I myself had a great time and managed to do three paintings.
The rain was constantly threatening to come down and there were a few drops. But luckily it held off until my last painting when it started to rain a little. It was, though, just a brief shower and by the time I had reached home it had finished.
That’s all.
Postscript
This story was originally written in July of 2014. I’m editing it in 2022.
There was no painting with this story so I added a painting without a story of its own to go with it but which was of the same river and which I painted during the same year this story was written.
It also shows a sky, like in the story, where there is the threat of rain. I have to admit, too, that I like this painting very much and am glad to be able to show it.
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Painting a hauntingly soft and beautiful seascape
Today it was very hot and humid.
When I think of Japan this is how I normally imagine the weather to be but there are actually 4 seasons.
Anyway, it was evening time and the sun was shining in a silvery grey sky. It was quite strange but beautiful and I regretted not having a camera with me.
I was determined, though, to paint that sky. So I rushed home, took a quick swig of juice, sorted out my art gear, and then I was off to the sea by bicycle in order to paint that sky.
Yet when I came out of the house that particular magic moment had gone and I was just looking at a dullish sky now as the sun had sunk behind the clouds.
But I was rolling so I decided to keep going and besides, I reflected, these sunsets can change if you hang around long enough.
In fact, quite amazing things can happen with an evening sky if you are patient.
So I got to my painting spot and I did the painting above. Although the sky was not quite so spectacular now I added some of that earlier magic that I had seen and produced a painting that I was very happy with.
Ironically, after I finished it the sky suddenly started becoming redder and redder until it lit up like an enormous flame.
It was glorious.
I took photo after photo intending to use them later in the studio.
I was so moved by this scene that I decided to do one more painting.
This was perhaps a bad idea as I had one very unhappy wife when I returned home. Well, there is the matter of my 2 year old daughter to consider!
I finished this second painting in the dark with a soft white moon above me. It was magical.
Postscript
This story was originally written in July of 2014. I am editing it in 2022.
I can’t quite recall this event now and I’m not sure if the painting shown here is the one that I first painted.
However, the reference to a beautiful silvery sky is what the painting here shows and I’m fairly sure that I painted it in 2014.
Moreover, it is such an amazing painting that I couldn’t help adding it.
I’m amazed that nobody ever bought this painting. I think it’s one of my best pieces.
Sadly, I couldn’t find the second painting of that glorious red evening sunset.
