My 2015 Painting AdventuresBy Gareth Naylor - Watercolor Artist

JanuarySo the day after New year’s day I popped on my bicycle and visited Kasuga Shrine. The

new year is a big deal in Japan and there was a long line of people here just waiting to ring a

bell and pray for a good year.

JanuarySo, on a cold and windy day I went painting by Oita river - it’s very near my house. Probably not a good idea unless you want to catch a

cold. But what a great scene. I was delighted by the silvery reflective quality of the path.

JanuaryI developed an interest in wet roads. I started

walking by roads in the rain and taking photos.

FebruaryTook a trip to Kuju to see a cafe owner about doing an exhibition. Not only was the owner a

nice guy, not only did I get a free cup of delicious coffee but I also ended up selling 8

paintings. And on the way there I saw this beautiful scene. I just love the golden color of

the grass.

FebruaryCold evening, on my bicycle, looking for a scene to paint. And I saw this beautiful glowing building in the last

light of the day.

MarchMy love for Sasebo in Nagasaki, which I visited in the autumn of

2014, led to a very large series of paintings. I find this place so

inspiring. They also filmed this place in the movie “The Last Samurai”.

AprilWent to my exhibition in Kuju with my friend Mark who is a sculptor. We drove back along a very misty

road - it was so atmospheric.

MayVisited Kamae with my family. I was

enchanted by the beautiful reflections in the beach surface.

MayTried to capture a beautiful, hazy spring scene of Oita river in the

morning.

JuneFamily trip to Tsunoshima in

Yamaguchi. Saw a wonderful beach.

JuneVisited Kaguramekko in Beppu by myself. Saw a beautiful display of

irises.

AugustWeird. I can’t find any paintings from July. Must have been too hot. But in August I went to Kikuchi Keikoku in Kumamoto. It is a beautiful river with

many falls. This led to a series of paintings focusing on blasts of light

coming through the trees.

SeptemberI visited Innai to paint one of it’s

famous stone bridges. That didn’t work out so well. But on the way back home I found a wonderful

waterfall by chance called Higashi Shiiyanotaki.

OctoberWow. I was busy this month. So one of my favorite paintings of the year

was this one of a sunset by Oita castle. I just love the light and

simplistic, abstract feeling of the painting.

OctoberThen, I had a request for Christmas

cards. So I painted some snow scenes. This was quite an exercise

in imagination as I still haven’t actually painted a snow scene in the

flesh. It’s one of my big goals for 2016.

OctoberAnd then I went to Kuju, a national

park, at a buyer’s request and found a beautiful place to paint and

experienced a wonderful sunset. I also wandered around a field and saw some bulls - luckily they were

quite far away.

NovemberA wonderful family trip to

Yamaguchi. The first stop was Kintaikyo bridge. A beautiful,

traditional wooden bridge with an interesting history.

NovemberAnd then we went to Miyajima in

Hiroshima which is famous for the Japanese gate (torii) in the sea. A

truly beautiful place.

DecemberWe’ve had some wonderful sunny days this December and this was

painted on one of them in the morning. I cycle past this temple gate nearly every day taking my daughter to nursery school. I just

love those gnarly trees.

DecemberThe final one was done during my

holidays. I wandered around the city center on my bicycle looking for

something to paint and found this. I call it winter light.

?There’s always one right. Well, I have no idea when I painted this

picture but I’m showing it because I like it. It’s a crossing in a beautiful,

rural area called Shonai - famous for pears!

You can see more of my work at http://www.garethnaylor.net. Please

come and say hi - and I’d love to know what you think of my first

slideshare.