The genesis of the painting "Zenitude"

My travels have often been an inexhaustible source of inspiration and Japan was of course no exception to the rule.

The contemplation of the Ryoan-Ji zen garden in Kyoto brought me an unexpected well-being and zenitude, knowing that I am more usually attracted by lush gardens.

This dry garden dates from the Muromachi period (1333-1582),

Two hundred and fifty square meters of gravel. Fifteen stones surrounded by moss. And centuries of exegesis on its meaning and its mysteries.

Its arrangement is based on the principle of mitate: literally, "to suggest something with everything else", and gives free rein, like an abstract painting, to the interpretation

Looking lost in this abstract painting, it was obvious that it inspired me and that I was going to make a future canvas of it.

The sand would be an important part of the painting

The idea was not at all to recreate this zen garden on a canvas but rather to represent the emotions felt in my own way in order to find the same zenitude while looking at it.

A few weeks after my return from Japan, I transcribed this feeling of Zenitude on a canvas

The fund is a mixture of sand and oil paint.

Some zoom on the canvas to show the granularity of the sand and the different added materials.

With of course, gold leaf symbol for me of Asia.

There you go, now you know how this painting was created and what inspired me