Hometown Shrine in the Quiet Breeze (2014) Original Watercolour by Masato Watanabe

This watercolor painting depicts a peaceful landscape centered around a small Shinto shrine, a scenery that brings back fond memories of a Japanese hometown.
My primary goal for this piece was to embrace the beauty of empty space (Yohaku). I gently washed the background with soft greens to represent the sacred forest enclosing the shrine, while leaving the foreground open and light to invite the viewer’s eye down the path toward the torii gate. I stood there wanting to capture not just the physical structures like the old wooden utility pole and the rustic house, but the absolute tranquility and spiritual stillness that has protected this village for generations.

Materials used:

Watercolor on Paper

Details:

• Watercolour on Paper
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 40 x 30 x 0.01cm (unframed) / 40 x 30cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Impressionistic
• Subject: Landscapes, sea and sky