A site to share my drawings, paintings, photographs and thoughts.
Monthly Archives: October 2023
Candid Kyoto
On Sunday evening I departed Perth, Australia. In the late morning I arrived in Kyoto, Japan. For four days I walked and photographed.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
And on Friday I flew back home.
Candid – 1. truthful and straight-forward; frank. 2. (of a photograph of a person) taken informally, especially without the subject’s knowledge.
Gion Kouta
“Gion kouta” is the name of a hauntingly beautiful dance performed by maiko and geiko. The kouta (song) lyrics wistfully describe timeless Kyoto; its romantic changing seasons, fleeting beauty and ephemeral geisha.
I give this drawing the title “Gion Kouta” as, to me, it has all the romance of the song. Maiko (with accompanying shikomi) hurry through drizzle under their paper wagasa (umbrellas). Ichiriki-tei (the most famous tea-house in all of Japan) is on the left; lanterns and street lamps glow and reflect, and in the distance loom the eastern hills – Higashiyama.
Even the hotel where I stay is in this drawing. APA Gion Hotel is the pinkish multi-level building behind on the left. I’ll be there again in a couple of weeks’ time.
I took the source photo for this drawing in June 2016. It took me seven years to figure out how to bring about the drawing I had in mind! Once I began, the drawing drew itself quite effortlessly – and came to a resolution ‘just like that’ without angst.
Click on the link below to hear the beautiful and somewhat melancholy tune of “Gion Kouta”.