Oh My Guanyin Painting

My Japan trip painting series continues. This new painting was inspired by our traveling experience in Kyoto. I remember very clearly how this ancient city left me with an incredible first impression. It was a full moon night, and we decided to go for a walk at the Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社) after dinner in our inn. Literally within one minute, I fell in love with the view I saw at the entrance of the shrine. Standing there at the door was one cherry blossom tree in full bloom, and it was so stunningly beautiful to see the flowers shining in the night sky under the moon light. Of course I took some photos right away, and made up my mind I would capture the beautiful moment in a painting. I noticed that most Japanese buddhist temples worship Guanyin, already for a long time my beloved goddess. I always thought that one day I might paint Guanyin, so I thought: now is the time, and I will combine Guayin with a cherry blossom tree. You might think that a cherry blossom tree at night should have a dark background. I used red as a background because Japanese buddhist temples are decorated with a lot of red. Using red created a connection with how I experienced it there. This painting is a little different from what I usually do. Guanyin is a goddess, so I have to paint with all my heart. I didn't want to screw it up, so I put extra effort into it, and I feel like my painting skills reached a new level.