Komorebi Paintings 18  - Spring Gold
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Komorebi Paintings 18 - Spring Gold
Unique Original
Painting / Landscape
Description

The Japanese Language has a single word, Komorebi, which describes sunlight that passes through the leaves of trees. I have become a bit obsessed with the idea of portraying this visual effect using diamond shaped brushstrokes. 

The transition of the seasons always brings new qualities of light and colors to the trees, from the subtle changes of color to dramatic transformations. My hope in making these images of dappled light on leaves is to bring back a simple sense of peace in this changing world.

Spring Gold was quite a departure from other densely previously painted images. Branches of early spring sycamore trees outside of my studio was my inspiration. I chose metallic acrylic paint because of the flickering light that bounces off of these first leaves of spring. After painting the sky, I painted all of the diamond shaped leaves with opaque white and added 6 to 8 layers of transparent metallic acrylics to complete the effect. This painting shimmers in direct sunlight. This 36 by 48 inch piece is framed in a silver painted 1 inch floating frame.

Year Created
2020
Location
Massachusetts, USA
Colors
Pale YellowBlue
Materials & Tools
Metallic AcrylicsacrylicsAcrylic
Search Terms
landscapetreetechnologypointillismshimmerspringNatureSeasons
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Jim Kociuba
Beverly, MA, USA
Making art and teaching have been two constant passions in my life. I have been obsessed with the idea of trying to capture bits of the visual energy presented by the natural world in my paintings. My style of painting varies dramatically based on what I perceive as the best way to emphasize the essence of trees and waterways. One technique that I am painting is a series inspired by the Japanese word Komorebi which describes the way sunlight filters through the leaves of trees. The underpainting is a loose gestural sketch to represent the branches of the trees. Short diagonal brushstrokes mimicking pixels overlaying most of the underpainting in a process that takes months to complete. I find the painting process to be a sort of meditative process while building up the surfaces of the image. My hope is to bring the viewer closer to nature and to feel the slowed pulse of the natural world. I have been privileged to have been juried into a variety of exhibitions. My work is in personal and public collections in New England and New York including a permanent installation at Massachusetts Institue of Technology. A complete list of recent exhibitions, awards, and memberships can be viewed on my website under the past exhibitions / biography tab.