This painting was done in Kyoto, Japan, in October 2006 after I attended a science conference in nearby Nagoya. A short walk from this location is the famous golden temple, which was too crowded by tourists to do paintings. What inspired me to do this scene was the contrast between the old and new Japan. The modern pop machines can be found on every corner it seemed, and they contain everything from pop to coffee and tea to cigarettes. To the right of the scene a shrine is depicted, where locals can drop off offerings. The shrines were also on every corner. The typical old-style architecture can be seen in the roof details.
The sky and trees were done first, wet in wet, leaving the space for the shrine and the building blank. The dark shadow under the pop machine anchors the composition, and the ground allows your eye to move up to the shrine and into the sky. It was a hot day so the paint dried quickly allowing for a lot of finishing detail in the buildings and foliage and machine.
Temple and Vending Machine, Kyoto Japan, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, 2006 (No. 1203-2)
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