Author: koalie

Hiroshige’s ‘Cherry trees at Goten-Yama’

This is Cherry Trees at Goten Hill, from the series Twelve Views of Edo, done around 1835 by Hiroshige:
Reference illustration: Various people in grassy meadows slopping down toward the sea with sailboats. There are a few pink blossom trees.

After sketching in pencil, I used a 0.05 mm and 0.2 mm (for the closest sailboats) Uni-ball pin pen to create the outline:
Rough pencil sketch on watercolour paper
Outline in black ink. My pencil, a tiny rubber and the black pen I used are visible on the table.

Then I used watercolor. Light grey for the sky, green for the grassy hill:
Light grey watercolour applied loosely in the sky, pale green in the meadows.
I added the roofs of wooden shacks right behind the hill, as I decided I wanted them. Then I continued painting, adding burnt sienna to my grey mix for the roofs, and using a wash of Prussian blue for the sea:
Blue gradient, still wet, for the water.
I darkened the sienna and grey mix to add contrast to the roofs, started to paint the figures in grey and light ochre. For the cherry blossom, I used alizarin crimson:
Wet pink watercolour in the trees.
I ended up applying too much dark sienna to the roofs, that I couldn’t fix and darkened the figures as well. More alizarin crimson for contrast in the blossoms, and I was done:
People painted in some shades of grey, more pink added to the trees for contrast.
Finally I cut it and taped it to a metallic blue card, and was ready to write the birthday card for a friend:
Finished piece now neatly cut in the shape and size of a metallic grey blue card and matching envelope.

Gizmo, new member of the family

I met Gizmo early February when we visited a friend of mine, who had had the 4 year-old labrador for a month or so. His previous owner had had to move from a house with garden to a flat, and could only keep the chihuahua. Tethered to the dog house, his tail would wag his entire body every time we came to pet him. I had an instant crush!
My friend said he was a sweet dog but he may not stay with them much longer as he had the annoying tendency to run away every time the kids would untie him. I was ready to take him with me in the trunk of my car the next day when we would go back home, but my offer rekindled interest from the household and that very evening, Gizmo was promoted from the garage to the living room, where he got to sleep next to the fireplace!
When we left the next day, having heard that they would think about my offer in the next four weeks or so, I was quite sad and had very little hope.
BUT, one late Saturday morning at the end of March, I heard from them! Gizmo, whom they had decided to keep, had run away one time too many and had been impounded. They were not going to get him back, but I could if I still wanted him.
You bet I did! The craziest day in months, possibly years, was about to begin.
I had to take my son to a birthday party after lunch, go grocery shopping, get my son back three hours after, drive a couple hours to get Gizmo, and drive a couple hours back. And my friend, who was stuck in work meetings, had to transfer paperwork to the animal shelter where Gizmo was, and ask them if they were willing to wait for me after hours.
I put my kid and my dad in my car, drove to the birthday party place so my dad would know where to go to fetch his grandson, drove my dad back home, rushed to the store where I got rudimentary dog-owner equipment, as well as dog food, and quickly finished the weekly shopping by the time I received confirmation that the paperwork had been emailed successfully to the shelter, and they would wait for me until 6pm. I got gas, and phoned my dad to confirm he was to pick up the little one, and tell him I was getting us a dog!
I drove as fast as I could and arrived at 5:58pm! Woohoo! Paperwork was in order, I paid the impounding fine, signed the release paper, and left with Gizmo. I was ecstatic. Here he is in the trunk, as we were about to leave the animal shelter in L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue:
Yellow labrador's head between the side of the car and the back seat

I called my dad to tell him all was going according to the plan, asked him to make dinner and not wait for me, drove another half hour, and met with my friend for drinks since her meetings were over. It was lovely to catch up again, exchange a few dog-owner tips (I had none), hang out, just the two of us, and the dog.
Yellow labrador sitting and looking up at me

Around 1am we were back home. My dad was up and met Gizmo as I unload the groceries from the car.

The next day (and weeks), he spent all his time next to me. Either at my feet, or *on* my feet :), or not far, curled up between the sofa and the coffee table.
Yellow labrador sitting in front of me. My knees are visible. The dog looks with curiosity at the side of me.
Yellow labrador curled up on the side between the coffee table and the sofa, his head propped up against the sofa.

Here are a few pictures of Gizmo and the family his first day at home:
My dad, an elderly man, bent forward and petting the dog which is snuggly curled at the foot of the sofa
In a large green meadow lined with big oak trees are a young smiling boy who threw a red ball in the air and a yellow labrador running to grab it
Me, a middle-aged white woman, on an armchair looking at a yellow labrador leaning against me thigh and looking up

Art: Two cranes on a pine tree branch

A quick go at two cranes on a pine tree, based on a mural I photographed in China in April 2016:
Reference photo of a painted wall showing two Japanese cranes on a pine tree branch
I chose a sheet of beige Canson paper, used a Pentel black brushpen for the outline and the black feathers of the cranes, and watercolor for the rest. I added white watercolor for highlights on the branch, and a white Posca pen for the cranes’ neck line and beak:

Here is the resulting painting, framed (30×20 cm) and ready to give to Isabelle as a present:
Finished piece framed in white

I made a simpler version in 2019 using ink and gold on a postcard.

Reproduction of Hokusai’s ‘Sparrow & Magnolia’

On the second board I had, I set to reproduce Hokusai’s ‘Sparrow & Magnolia’.

I sketched it rather precisely, a somewhat tedious endeavour given the texture of the layer of white paint:
Side by side are the open book with reference image and the white board on which I drew a precise pencil outline. My pencil and rubber are visible above the book on the table.

Then I started to paint with gouache. Here, the sky and the wood of the magnolia branch:
Board on a wooden table next to a gouache paint tube and brush, an open book. I painted with gouache the sky and the wood of the magnolia branch.

Then, the sparrow in shades of orange and light milky orange:
Wet paint on the sparrow in shades of orange and light milky orange

Purple and red for the dark petals of the magnolia blossoms:
Purple and red gouache paint for the dark petals of the magnolia blossoms. Next to the board is the palette with the paint and the brush I'm using is resting on it.

I added white to my burgundy mix and enhanced the magnolia blossoms. Then used dark and light green for the leaves:
I added white to my burgundy mix to enhanced the magnolia blossoms. Then used dark and light green for the leaves. Paint tubes are visible on the table next to the wooden board I'm painting on.

Then I focused on the sparrow, using blue and white, and black:
The sparrow is now almost fully painted using blue and white, and black

With a Pentel black brushpen, I outlined everything and creating details on the tail of the sparrow, the branch and leaves.
Detail of the painting showing the bird and flowers around it. With a Pentel black brushpen, I outlined everything and created details on the tail of the sparrow, the branch and leaves.

Here is the resulting 20×50 cm framed painting:
Final piece signed and framed