Some Autumn Paintings

I'm going share a few paintings which don't get much exposure because of their process-oriented nature and I am going to talk about Autumn a little bit.  I've been practicing ink and wash painting for more than twenty years now. When I first saw a piece by Liu Qing He in Seoul I knew this media was something I needed to learn about.  There were some teachers, a lot of reading and visiting exhibitions; and even more practice.

The chrysanthemum is the flower most associated with Autumn because it blooms in those months.  In addition to painting them I keep some of these flowers as best every year.  It is one quarter of the four gentlemen in the traditional cannon and it's really a fun subject matter to paint.  The petals require delicacy and the leaves energy.

While not a traditional subject, I've always associated persimmons with Autumn as well.  I can pinpoint the moment when I was at a party on a rooftop in Beijing.  The leaves had mostly fallen off the trees but these bright orange fruits were hanging on.  it made such a sharp contrast with the gray of the buildings and the overcast sky.

Bamboo is usually associated with Winter and about the time I am writing this (November 2024) bamboo start showing up as well.  I was feeling a very Qi Baishi vibe at the time I painted this one.

There are a lot of contexts you can put them into as well.  It wasn't until after painting them that I started raising them and also snapping photos of them whenever one crossed my path and I had my camera on me.

Above:  I had this big sheet of paper and some Japanese markers I was itching to try out.  This must of been about October so I let the season guide me.  I also got into snails about this time so they start turning up in my imagery.

Left:  Incidentally I made the pot that these flowers radiate from.

So I hope you are getting out your sweaters and enjoying this Autumn.  Thanks for visiting!