"Taiko Elation," Daily Painting #11

"Taiko Elation," Available (Click Here) 6" by 6," oils on panel

Taiko Drumming

This is the taiko group associated with the
 Vista Buddahist Temple where I attended
this year's Obon Festival.

One of the impressive things about the Taiko players is their radiant smiles as they perform quite physical music pieces with precision. Though I know they are consciously making an effort to smile throughout I can imagine that the drumming itself, the physical sensation, may give them a sense of well being that would bring a smile to their faces. I love feeling the sound emanate off the drums and vibrate my ribcage, it is soothing like the vibrations made when humming or singing with the whole of a choir.

I have been going to this small Obon festival for years and now, although I have never spoken with many of the performers of the Taiko group, I do recognize their faces.  This man's face has always intrigued me and I decided I couldn't go without doing a quick painting featuring him.

Process

I wouldn't recommend painting while feeling nauseous! :P The oil paint smelled horrid to me and usually I quite like it's rounded warm smell. (My studio is well ventilated, so I wasn't dying of fume intoxication. :P) I made a nice simple value drawing in one color of oils and then began painting directly, pushing the color more than I usually do when I use oils for a "portrait." Because this was a quick painting I felt freer in my portrayal a person's countenance.

Next

I think I'll take a nice fuzzy break from Obon in my next painting. (I do think I will get back to more Obon paintings.) I'm thinking a confident capybara proudly situated on panel will be a nice change.

"Obon Choochin," Daily Painting #10

"Obon Choochin," Available (Click Here) 

5" by 7" Oils on Panel

Lanterns

These lanterns hang every year around the outdoor platform that centers this small Obon festival. At the end of the festival day as the sky dims and the second half of dancing concludes these lanterns glow as a warm goodbye. It always makes the end of a very happy day a little less like the end of the celebration. Lanterns are a traditional part of Obon festivals. They are usually lit at the end of the festival and float down a river to send the ancestor spirits away after celebrating and remembering them.

Process

While I love the effect of the lanterns glowing through a tree in the photograph I do find that I missed showing off a full lantern unobstructed, so I may have to do another painting showing off the lanterns more directly. For this painting I enjoyed scumbling in the initial "painted drawing" of the tree's needles and playing with capturing the quality of a bushy needled tree in low light.

Next

More Obon to come!

"Bon Odori no Mae," Daily Painting #9

"Bon Odori no Mae," Available (Click Here) 6" by 6," Oils on Panel

 

 

Inspiration

These little girls were a couple of the many children dressed in versions of traditional Japanese clothes at the Obon festival I visited this past weekend. The title of this piece means "before the dance" (according to my aspiring linguist husband :)). These girls participated in the traditional dances just like most of the people from the buddhist temple and many of the visitors (including me!). I was caught by their brightness on the surprisingly cloudy day (they were like little flowers) and how adult they seemed clustered talking privately even as they were so much tinier than those around them.

Process

I started this painting yesterday incredibly tired! I was working so slowly, but I was determined to finish it and I almost did. I went through my normal process and despite temptation to take shortcuts I didn't and I decided to take time to work on a larger plein air painting (I will share it with you all eventually.), so I didn't finish the painting yesterday. It was an interesting challenge to simplify this subject matter into such a small panel. I played with simplifying values and shapes, muting the background colors, limiting their contrast, making shapes simple, mostly to force our attention on the little girls.

Tomorrow

There was so much color an interest at the Obon festival that I can't stop with just this painting. I know at least tomorrow will be another Obon painting! 

"All Light and Exuberance," Daily Painting #8

"All Light and Exuberance," Available (Click Here),

 6" by 6" Oils on Panel

Inspiration

I had a great desire to paint color. Glorious color! It is another gray day in the summer which is quite odd in my experience so the outdoors was not going to provide that for me. Off the trellis these came happily up to sit in the bright diffused light from my large window and many studio lights.

Process

I was so happy about the color I spent some time
prepping my palette, so that only pure fresh pigment would be mixed for the most vibrancy. I mixed a good amount of color ahead of time just for the joy of it.  I enjoyed playing with the patterning in the small thick glass container that I rested the roses in and set them atop an art book to broaden the color palette.

I am happier for painting this today.

An Outing and Painting Prep

Tomorrow I go to a local Obon Festival. There will be taiko drumming (Taiko drums are large drums arranged theatrically so that those beating them can perform a sort of dance as they create music. The drums are large and their sound pleasantly reverberates in the listeners ribcage.) There will be traditional Japanese folk dancing, which anyone can participate in, and every year I dance, so I look like less of a fool every year as pick up bits of the movements. Oh and the food is scrummy! I recommend the pancakes filled with sweet beans. Hopefully I can get some reference photos to use for my next couple of paintings!