The fan substrate for this piece was created by Darren, the craftsman I have been working with to help realise some of my outlandish visions. It’s crafted out of board with each fan face at a 6 degree angle from the previous, creating a light fan-like “crinkle”. I thought this was pretty neat. And the semi-frame at the bottom I felt gave just enough frame and finishing for the piece. So a big thanks to Darren, I hope the painting on top gives it justice. There were a number of challenges with painting on an uneven substrate as you can imagine there would be as a fluid acrylic user.

The momiji is the Japanese Maple, my spirit plant. It follows the similar methods and concepts to painting the Big Bonsai Series, and a new aspect of the piece, I think, is the repeating fan motifs… the leaves of the maple, the fan-like pattern at the top, and the fan itself. There’s something harmonious about the repetition there that I hadn’t worked with before.