Dragon Pond

The inspiration for this painting was a brass dragon sculpture that sat next to a small pond near the entrance of a temple in Usuki, Japan. The temple itself is in a very rural area, and is relatively unkown even in the area, and sits behind some rice fields in a small group of houses. I parked my scooter there on a number of occasions and sketched the temple and surrounding area, and never once did I meet anyone at the temple. It was always empty.

Here's what the temple looks like as you approach it on a fall day: