Portfolio - Original Oil Paintings by Modern Impressionist Erin Hanson

There are two seasons during which Kyoto, Japan, is irresistible to landscape artists: during the cherry blossom festival and during the fall color explosion. The entire city is covered in pink and white when the cherry blossoms spring into being. Petals and blossoms float through the air and blanket the ground in scented abundance. This remarkable sight is fleeting but spectacular. The same can be said of autumn in Kyoto. The city and surrounding countryside are filled with maple, metasequoia, Ginko, and gum trees. Every tree is a kaleidoscope of color, adding its particular beauty to a patchwork landscape. Because of the mild autumn weather that turns gently and gradually colder until winter arrives, the maple trees retain their leaves much longer than we're used to seeing in the U.S., and therefore the maple colors are more widely variated and more richly colored. Often you will see a Japanese maple tree with leaves that range all the way from deep purple, through brilliant red, cadmium orange, sunshine yellow, and all the way to apple green. Many artists throughout the centuries have depicted these natural displays, and each year brings a fresh perspective. Erin Hanson visited Kyoto and has since painted dozens of landscapes capturing the natural beauty of these trees.