Mondo - 3 (Patreon)

A Day at the Park

Well, our peaceful retreat has become quite crowded, but you should expect no less during the cherry blossom season. When the Sakura trees are in bloom, crowds flock to the park to picnic in the beautiful atmosphere among the trees. They call this 'hanami,' which means cherry blossom viewing. Since it's legal to drink alcohol in public in Japan, booze plays a major part in the picnic experience. Drunk masses crammed in a public space sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the peaceful orderliness of the affair is almost surreal. Pink blossoms gently fall to the ground while soft spring sun filters through the branches. Not a face can be found without a smile. It's like everybody is united within the same intoxicating feeling of joy. When it's all over people actually clean up after themselves.

I wanted to include some of the spirit of hanami in this piece, but also incorporate the beauty of traditional Japanese structures and gardens. Shrines and temples make a beautiful pairing with nature. While I appreciate the artisanship, the appeal can wear off after a while. Japanese are very detail orientated and most places are so well-kept and groomed it feels a bit sterile. Whenever I went to major sites and attractions I would find myself gazing off into the mountains, longing to go somewhere truly wild and free of crowds.

The first year in the country my friend from the states came to visit me and we made a day trip to Kyoto. Once the old capital, Kyoto is famous for an abundance of temples and shrines. We spent the morning at a couple famous sites and were already getting fatigued by the experience. As we were half-heartily making our way to the next attraction, we happened across a park and decided to take a rest. There we discovered a magnificent weeping sakura in full bloom. We were transfixed, hands down the coolest thing either of us had seen all day. We saw people already setting up there vinyl sheets to partake in hanami. We both looked at each other and knew what to do. So we hit the nearest convenience store for some beers and found a spot to chill at the park. We ended up spending the entire day there soaking up the atmosphere. In other words we sacrificed the opportunity to see some of Japan's most famous historic sites so we could drink beer at the park, and we have no regrets. After we saw that tree, every thing man made paled in comparison. We both felt content we found the real marvel of the city.

It was refreshing to draw more nature elements this time. I had a lot of fun imagining the setting and filling the composition with dozens of little stories. Take your time and enjoy getting lost in the details. Next month we're going to Tokyo for the big finale!   

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