Mist and Laughter

Misty Wisps of Laughter

This is a quick watercolor sketch of children playing at a water jet feature outside Oita train station in Japan.

I really love this water jet feature. And this is the second time I’ve painted it. The first time I probably did about 10 or more paintings and 5 of them were good.

I guess I came back to it because the combination of sunlight, reflections and children running through the mist is amazing and almost surreal. I like it when solid objects such as buildings appear to dissolve into the light and the mist and I have exaggerated that effect in this sketch.

Below are some more watercolor sketches. I love to do sketches because they seem to have a vitality that the final finished painting never has. But I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Misty Wisps of Laughter

All that is Solid Melts into Mist and Laughter

Reflections in Golden Light

Below is the final finished painting. It is quite large. But I hope in the future to do an even larger version. The one thing I’m not happy about is the figures. They need more of a dynamic feeling so at some point I will have another go.

I also know that you may think the buildings are too dark but I like that. It creates a really powerful contrast with the white mist and the golden sunlight.

Wisps of Mist and Laughter

A final reflection. Perhaps what I wish to do in this painting is an act of liberation from the here and now into a momentary dream-like state. I remember my daughter as well as other children running through the mist and laughing – these running figures half formed, half lost in the mist and laughing so joyously affected me greatly. It was also late evening and the light transformed the whole scene into a magical, joyful moment. I’ll probably keep coming back and painting this scene in an attempt to express more fully that magical moment.

Happy painting,

Gareth.

Wisps of Mist and Laughter

Buy a Giclee print of this painting on Canson Aquarelle Rag (watercolor paper), 8 x 10″ (20.3 x 25.4 cms), $60 (includes shipping). Full refund if damaged during delivery. Please include the title of the painting “Wisps of Mist and Laughter”.

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