Skip to content

Travel Bug Art

Travel sketchbook art classes in Kyoto, Japan and home kits/courses

Home
About
- Blog
- Press
Home kits and courses
Kyoto Classes
Sketchbook Gallery

Follow on instagram

大, the character meaning "large/great", is visible year-round on the side of Mt. Daimonji (named for the character). It's a long-standing symbol of Kyoto. Other characters and designs (including a boat and a torii gate) can be seen on other mountains surrounding the city. On one night in August, these characters are lit on fire to guide the spirits of the deceased back to their world after visiting for the festival of Obon. This tradition dates back hundreds of years. Swipe to see pictures and video from last year.

It's easy to see why Arashiyama's Togetsukyo Bridge can be found in many works of art over the centuries (and in fact, this wasn't my first time painting it). Cycling along the Katsuura River to the bridge was a long but rewarding ride. In my opinion, May is one of the best months in Kyoto because the beautiful mountains surrounding the city are covered in fresh leaves (not to mention the flowers blooming.) The green slopes and turquoise water in the late afternoon sun made an irresistible backdrop for the bridge. As of midnight last night, Kyoto and its neighboring prefectures eased requests for people's self-restraint. Although we should still avoid travel between prefectures and continue to take precautions, we can slowly start to enjoy more of the late spring weather and Kyoto's outdoor scenery.

A long bicycle ride through some streets I'd never been down led me to this shrine and its garden, where irises were blooming. It was just me, the flowers, and the mosquitos. The unusual bridge caught my eye, along with the traditional thatched roof teahouse behind it.

It's been a rainy weekend, but a few days ago I grabbed my sketchbook and took a bicycle ride, with a couple of sketch stops in mind. This scene was not one of them, actually. Sometimes inspiration finds you and not the other way around.

Last week, I took walk on a path through a bamboo grove not far from my place. Takenoko (bamboo shoots) were sprouting up. Only a few bamboo species produce edible shoots, and require old and established bamboo groves to do so. I was inspired not only to paint but also to purchase some bamboo shoots on my way home. The sign at the vegetable seller said they were from this area and just harvested this morning... Could it have been from this patch? 🤔🎍🌿 When I got home, I had my first experience cooking the raw shoots: they were pretty tasty!

An interesting and uniquely ornate torii gate from a walk around my local area last week. The gate was apparently designed/donated by a Kyoto artist.

No traveling for most of us in Japan this Golden Week, but I'm rediscovering my local area on my exercise walks, including today's to Fushimi Castle. Like most castles in Japan, this is a reconstruction (only 12 original keeps remain in the whole nation.) Formerly a tourist attraction, it's now part of an athletic park. It was truly a perfect day: the sun was shining with a fresh breeze blowing. Thanks to people keeping proper distance, everyone at the park could enjoy the blooming pink and white azaleas without worry.

A couple weeks ago, when the cherry blossoms were falling, I painted this scene on the walk back home from the grocery store. It was a tough day and making this was an uplifting experience. I've been thinking a lot about art (both creating and consuming it) recently and its importance, especially in trying times. Art has a history as old as humanity itself. Art can show beauty, criticize, share emotion and experience, tell stories, depict reality, the possible, the impossible, and everything in between. Right now, for me, art is a way to remind myself that not every truth is an ugly one, and not every future possibility is a bleak one. I hope that lately you're making some art of your own, and/or enjoying art by others in its many, many forms.

Another from yesterday's solo walk through the vast Imperial Palace park grounds. I do have a couple more sakura sketches that I did earlier this season to share, but I figured you could use a splash of green in your feed first. The longer I painted, the more hues and shades I saw.

Social

View travelbugart’s profile on Facebook
View travelbugart’s profile on Instagram
View travelbugart’s profile on Pinterest

Search for:

Categories

Classes
General Art Advice
Travels
Uncategorized

Recent Posts

Instagram Giveaway 3/20 Rules
Painting Produce at NYC’s Union Square Greenmarket
Painting in Paradise: Roatan, Honduras
Overcoming the blank page

Post to

Cancel