Gareth Naylor

Atmospheric paintings of Japan

Tag: shrine

  • Painting of a steep flight of steps going up to a Japanese shrine

    Painting of a steep flight of steps going up to a Japanese shrine

    Watercolor painting of a steep flight of steps going up to a Japanese shrine
    “Visiting the shrine with grandfather”

    I think this place is in or near Wasada.

    Wasada is a region on the outskirts of Oita city.

    In this region, the urban landscape starts to disappear and farmhouses and fields begin to appear.

    I found this place by chance during one of my cycling adventures.

    This steep flight of steps was a good subject for a painting as it is not too high and it has that interesting bend in the middle. 

    This is not always the case.

    On several occasions in the Japanese countryside I have seen similar steep flights of steps going up a hill side. 

    But the ones I can remember were often completely straight and furthermore they were very long as they went up very high hills. 

    Although they were interesting to look at I don’t think they would have made for a good painting because of the sheer scale.

    And I couldn’t help thinking that it would have been exhausting to climb up them.

    I read that in Kumamoto, the prefecture next to Oita, which is where I live, there is one shrine that has a flight of 3333 stone steps and the distance is just over 2 kilometers. 

    It is the longest flight of steps to a shrine in Japan. 

    It takes about 90 minutes to climb to the top.

    Anyway, at the beginning of the flights of steps there is a distinctive stone gate, called Torii in Japanese, that tells you this is the entrance to a Shinto shrine.

    This gate also marks the passage from the mundane world to the sacred.

    I added the figures from my imagination. 

    I thought it would be a nice image to show a boy and his grandfather visiting the shrine together. 

    I’m quite happy with how I painted these figures.

    I am not so happy though with the trees in the background at the top of the hill.

    They are a bit faint and need to be a bit stronger. 

    And perhaps the foliage could be simplified a little more because it looks a little scrappy.

    But overall I think this is an interesting and good painting.

    That’s all,

    Gareth.

  • Watercolor painting of the beach at Miyajima

    Watercolor painting of the beach at Miyajima

    Miyajima is one of my favorite places in Japan.

    And I have been there several times.

    It is an island with a shrine built on the beach.

    It is called Itsukushima shrine.

    The buildings of the shrine are on stilts.

    And when the tide comes in the sea comes right up to the buildings.

    It’s very beautiful.

    This painting shows the beach at low tide.

    At low tide it also looks very beautiful because of the puddles on the surface of the beach.

    These puddles slowly get bigger as the tide comes in.

    And one of the things I like about this painting are the puddles.

    They make the painting much more interesting.

    I also like the slightly hazy mountain in the background.

    I achieved that effect through repeated washes.

    This is one of my old paintings.

    I don’t think it is a great painting.

    But I think it conveys a little of the beauty and the magical atmosphere of this place.

    It is also my first painting of Miyajima.

    So this painting has sentimental value for me.

    And it is interesting to compare this old painting with my later paintings of Miyajima.

    I think this painting was done after my second trip to Miyajima.

    But it could have been painted after my first trip.

    I wish that I had dated my old paintings!

    That’s all,

    Gareth.

  • Painting of a Japanese shrine from my long ago bicycle adventures

    Painting of a Japanese shrine from my long ago bicycle adventures

    I know the place in this painting very well.

    But I don’t know when I painted this picture.

    It is a very old painting.

    I could have painted this picture as far back as 2010.

    At that time I was getting on my bicycle and cycling deep into the Japanese countryside.

    I was looking for scenes to paint.

    I had many adventures.

    And at that time of my life I could cycle all day.

    And sometimes I would cycle all day and find nothing to paint.

    I’ll always remember the route that I would take.

    It led from Oita river path to a big road.

    This road went through a very long tunnel that slanted downwards.

    That tunnel was like an echo chamber.

    And the engines of the vehicles reverberated loudly throughout the length of the tunnel.

    And this road led to a very long and wide river called Ono river.

    It was a great river to cycle along.

    And following this river, I could go deep into the Japanese countryside.

    I call this period of bicycle painting adventures my wilderness years.

    It was a period of exploring the Japanese countryside for beautiful scenes to paint.

    And it was a period of improving my watercolor painting skills.

    I experienced a lot of frustration in those years but it was also exciting.

    Anyway, it was on one of these trips that I discovered this shrine.

    I was so delighted because I thought this shrine was very beautiful.

    And the painting above was done on the spot.

    I used to take all my painting equipment with me in those days, even my easel.

    I was so serious!

    At that time, I was pleased with this painting.

    But nowadays I don’t think it is such a good painting.

    And you are lucky to see this painting.

    Because I would like to throw away this painting.

    I only keep it because it is one of my few remaining paintings from my bicycle painting adventures.

    That said, I think there are some good points about this painting.

    The composition is quite interesting.

    And the buildings look good. 

    I like the combination of warm orange and cool blue on the roof.

    That is particularly good.

    But the trees and bushes don’t look good.

    They look messy and overcomplicated. 

    If the trees and bushes were simplified then this might be a very good painting.

    However, I feel no strong desire to improve this painting.

    At one time I would have forced myself to paint the picture again.

    But nowadays, I think that it’s important to paint something only if I feel a desire to paint.

    This is because desire contains energy, excitement and interest. 

    And in my opinion when you have energy, excitement and interest then there is much more chance of painting a beautiful work of art.

    That’s all,

    Gareth.