No pain no gain

While I was in Japan I thought it would be really nice to take some pictures with my paintings in quintessential Japanese settings and what’s more quintessential than cherry blossoms in full bloom? So I made a plan, picked out some of my favorite pieces, closely followed the national ‘Sakura’ tracker and waited for that magical moment to arrive in Nagoya.

When the time finally arrived I shoved my paintings into their carry bags and drove to my favorite Sakura spot, a beautiful river with huge overhanging trees on both sides. It was a gorgeous day, blue skies, no wind, absolutely perfect. I had walked the path by the river before but I hadn’t quite anticipated how much more intense it would be to navigate the narrow streets and crowds of people lugging two heavy and unwieldy art bags, a field easel and a camera around.  

I spent a good three hours walking up and down the river bank, looking for the perfect places to take those glamour shots, I was sweating and my shoulders were so sore from carrying all that stuff but the results were absolutely stunning.

These are by far my favorite artwork shots I have ever done and I am looking forward to expanding this idea and finding some local Canadian beauty for my next glamour shot series. 

One of my favorite shots from this trip is this picture of ‘Sakura’.
 

What is your number ONE favorite spring spot?

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Wishing you a wonderful day!
Denise

Bringing Spring into your home

While the world outside my studio is still covered in snow I am letting my mind drift back to those early spring days in Japan. In the spring the Ume (plum blossoms) are the first to bloom in Japan, they are less flamboyant then the Sakura (cherry blossoms) and the trees are usually not as tall but they are my absolute favorite! I fondly remember walking through gorgeous Japanese gardens surrounded by hundreds of weeping ume trees in full bloom, the smell is intoxicating! Oh how I miss those days! I know that right now, in Japan, people are walking these same pathways, smelling those smells and every time I think of this I feel a pang of longing. 

But spring is around the corner here in Canada as well and it will come with it’s own beauty and it’s own set of wonderful smells! I already brought some Hyacinths to get a little sneak peek of spring into the house and I have been including plum blossoms in my paintings as a way to bring the memories of spring into my studio.

What is ONE way you like to bring Spring into your home?

Take part in the conversation and post your answer in the comments on Facebook or Instagram.