Glowing in Kyoto
Time stands still – are we in the twenty-first century? Katsutomo-san approaches her okiya, key-in-hand, on a Gion street, while the always-present lanterns bob and glow.
As I continue to have an emotional pull toward lanterns, wooden tea-houses and geisha, I am unearthing my twenty year cache of Kyoto photos in order to mine them for possible new drawings. “Glowing in Kyoto”, just completed, is drawn from a photo I took on a summer afternoon in 2014.
I made a drawing from this same image back in 2014. I called it “The Art of Elegance”. You can play “spot the difference” between the two drawings.
I find solace in subject matter such as this. The calm demeanor of elegant Katsutomo-san, the repetitive slats of wood and reassuring red lanterns are a meditation; a nostalgic world I can disappear into.
Julie Podstolski - Abstract Realism 
Another beauty. A moment of time glimpsed. The grace of Katsutomo-san’s hand epitomises the essence of the geisha, I keep coming back to that tiny hand.
Having the kind of archive that you now have for reference and inspiration is invaluable, I imagine you can go back through it, remembering the when and where very clearly. Your subsequent visits to Kyoto will have deepened your understanding of this arcane and timeless part of Japanese culture, adding an intrinsic depth to each artwork.
Hi Anna, first of all, sorry for two posts. It was only after I posted the first time that I knew for sure I needed to do more work on the neck as the colour had got kind of dirty. If ever two posts come like that, (hopefully never again) just know that I’m having an art crisis over here!
Because I have kept thorough written records of every day of every trip, yes, I can go back into details. Without the journal entries, I’d forget which was what.
I’d love to say I’m surging ahead with new certainty and direction, but that would be a lie. I like this subject so I have returned to it. Perhaps my days of breaking new frontiers are behind me. (I suspect they are.)