Chasin' the Wind (2020)

watercolor illustration, inspired by the wind and the cloudy sky^^

Character painting, concept art of the Wind, running through the summer sky.

I was always fascinated by the landscape of the cloudy sky and the mountains of Nagano, and in order to depict the essence of this landscape, I created the character of the Wind. She slides down the mountain into the valley, dancing on the electric poles, like it was a tight rope, her fluffy cloud-hair is bouncing around her, as she brings us the refreshing shades, a little break from the burning summer sun.

My first painting of the clouds was a big oil painting of the winter sky. A calmer scenario, where the wind is cozy in her cloud hair, also using the mountains like a scarf, waiting for the winter to be over:D

I named that painting "Searching for the Sun". After I finished the painting I looked at her face and noticed, she is looking up... like she was waiting for the sun to shine into the valley. But what she doesn't notice, is the colorful world under her... I think when the clouds are cleared out and the sun is shining into our eyes, we can not see all these colors because of the blinding lights... So we should stop waiting for the sun to shine, and appreciate the colors that are only visible in the shades... That was the first thing my Windy friend taught me^^

Searching for the Sun (2020) oil on canvas, (727x909mm)

Here are some watercolor studies I made of the clouds. The first two-piece series is a special panorama sketch, that I drew standing on the same bridge in summer and in winter. "The Bridge between the seasons" 2019-2020

And last but not least, the "electric pole-tight rope" is an important element of the picture as well...The electric pole is an essential part of a Japanese landscape, because they are everywhere:DD and I love how they interfere with the natural scenery. I painted my first electric pole in 2016, with poster color.  It was right in front of my apartment:)