End of Spring

End of Spring

11 x 9 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Several years ago, I visited Nishiwaki, Japan. Nishiwaki is a small city located about an hour inland from Kobe. There was a park near the home where I stayed that boasted that it was the exact geographical center of Japan. Everywhere we visited in the city and the surrounding mountains was so beautiful. It was nearing the end of spring and cherry blossom time. One Saturday morning, my host drove us up into the mountains to a very old Buddhist temple. Once parked, we grabbed bamboo walking sticks thoughtfully provided by the monks. We climbed steadily up a steep winding path. Around one bend, we were greeted by a grove of very large greenish blue bamboo. Around another, there was a complex of buildings that housed the monks and some worship areas. Further up the path, we came to a very ancient temple. I did not take enough photos of it, but I did get one or two I liked. This painting is from one of those photos. The temple felt ancient, but was in excellent condition. This building is no longer used, but I got the feeling it was very lovingly cared for.