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.