$400

Sallie Bowen

Exhibition: Waterworks Exhibition 2024 Entry Form

Painting Width: 10.5

Painting Height: 7.25

Medium: Watercolor

My friend that I had known since grade school, Katie and I were reconnected with one another after many years. She had been an exchange student to Japan while we were in high school. She went on to become a college Japanese professor. Although I had always been intrigued by Japan, I did not visit there until we went together on a very loosely organized itinerary. I learned much about the culture with her nearby to explain interesting aspects, signs or conversation. One evening, we were walking through the grounds of a Buddhist garden. It was fall and the maple leaves are as much a draw for the Japanese as our northeastern states in the U.S. On this particular evening, I watched the monks raking the brightly crimson maple leaves. Instead of piling all of them up and discarding them, a select few leaves were carefully placed on top of emerald green bushes, giving an absolutely eye-popping color display.