Rakshasa (3)

Done.

I'm happy with the outcome. But if I showed this picture to little children, they would definitely cry.

Rakshasa (2) - Work in Progress

Rakshasa (1) - Work in Progress

Visit the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia, and you'll see statues and carvings of Hindu mythological creatures here and there.

Rakshasa is one of such creatures. It is believed to ward off evil spirits and misfortunes with its wide-open eyes, big teeth, and a club in the right hand. 

Bali's International airport, temples, and even restaurants and cafes have Rakshasa statues at the entrance as their guards.

I met this beautiful one in the Ubud district, a serene oasis in the heart of Bali. Look at the powerful facial expression!

Sake Barrels (5) - The Final Version

It's done.

Click to enlarge





When I was painting the tiny, tiny kanji characters with a thin brush loaded with red paint, my nervous right hand suddenly shook and dropped it, ended up making unwanted red dots.

I hid them with my white correction tape.

Materials Used: STAEDTLER pencil & pigment liner from Germany, WINSOR & NEWTON Artists' Water Colour from the UK

Sake Barrels (4) - Work in Progress

Click for a larger image

Sake Barrels (3) - Work in Progress

The pencil drawing is  finally done and I'm about to get down to the fun part - painting it!



Click to Enlarge

Sake Barrels (2) - Work in Progress

I'm making slow, slow progress.

  Three more barrels coming up.

Sake Barrels (1) - Work in Progress

Part of a picture I'm working on.

They are sake barrels donated to Tokyo's Meiji Shrine by breweries across Japan.

During my short holiday back in Japan last summer (I'm currently living in East Timor), I visited the shrine and took lots of photos of those beautiful barrels.

The labels are colorful, and the designs and sake-brand names are all auspicious. Please look forward to the final outcome.