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

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IOne of Yasaka Shrine's guardian statues (komainu) stands watch over the Gion District as the sun fades. Swipe to see this same view from an 1877 photo, with a stone komainu now located within the shrine gates.

Wanna try watercolor? A $5 donation to @japanesegiantsalamanders gets you my complete 1-hour step-by-step class for beginners, with minimal supplies and no experience needed. We'll paint 3 kinds of hydrangeas in a fun and relaxing way. Check out the link in my bio, and thank you for helping support our amphibious friends!

Yoshiminedera is a beautiful mountaintop temple on the southwestern side of Kyoto. In additon to its beautiful grounds, it also boasts sweeping views of the Kyoto Basin. The hydrangeas here looked perkier than others this year, perhaps the cooler mountain air helps.

Hydrangeas are at their best during the rainy season, but on the day I painted this scene at Fujinomori Shrine's famous hydrangea garden, the sun was shining brightly. Some nearby homes were taking advantage of this opportunity to hang-dry some laundry, which waved almost cheerfully in the breeze.

Heian Shrine's irises are in full bloom at last, with a 八ツ橋 (zig-zag bridge) winding through the flowers. This combination of imagery is a seasonal classic: the motif can be found on kimono, hanafuda playing cards, and so on.

This aqueduct may look Roman, but it's within the precincts of Nanzen-ji (temple). It connects the city of Kyoto with Lake Biwa, Japan's largest and a precious source of water for the city. The water is still used to fill some of Kyoto's canals, once essential to commerce and now an irreplaceable part of the city landscape.

The Philosopher's Path might be Kyoto's most famous cherry blossom spot, and for good reason. It really does live up to the hype. The name comes from Kyoto University professors/philosophers who walked it often.

Cherry blossoms along the Kamo River are some of the city's best, and are free for all to see and enjoy. The mountains in the background are one of my favorite things to paint, always shifting colors in the light and season to season.

Thanks to my friend (and excellent photographer/Kyoto guide) @kazumiy527, I was able to visit the beautiful @hakuryuen, a garden in the mountains north of Kyoto city. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, nearly glowing in the bright sunlight. In addition to enjoying the scenery, I had the privilege of meeting some very kind, friendly, and interesting people today, whom you can see chatting together under the umbrella in my sketch. Thanks to all of you for making my day such a wonderful one ☀️ おかげで今日一日幸せです！

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