"Grain Rain Day's Afternoon" 21x18 in. Oil

 　

"Winter Solstice" 18 x 21 in. Oil
A warm mid-April afternoon in Japan finds the camelias in full bloom. Japan's Grain Rain Day traditionally begins the plowing and planting season for many farmers, using the common bamboo basket. 　 As winter comes, Japanese limes appear in the markets. Traditionally, Japanese put these limes in the bathtub to enjoy their fragrance on winter solstice day. They say that it warms up the body and protects one from catching cold.
　 　 　

"Japanese Tree Peonies & Scissors"
21.3x28.3 in. Oil

 　

"Bag & Apples" 18 x 15 in. Oil
The Japanese Tree Peony is my favorite theme. It is a rather common garden plant in Japan. Their big, fragrant flowers are not a symbol of flamboyant beauty but rather vanity of life. When the flowers are gone, spring has also faded away. 　 I like traditional events connected with each season. These common American small apples remind me of the Halloween season. When I visited the U.S. for the first time, my mother-in-law used these to make caramel apples. Since then these apples, as well as their paper bag, have become nostalgic mementos.
Copyright (C) 2007 Akitomo Tsuchiya