Description
Koto Maple celebrates the open, graceful character of a Kotonai Japanese maple bonsai. Its long, elegant leaves create a relaxed movement across the composition, while the restrained trunk and branch structure gives the tree room to breathe.
That openness became an important part of the artwork. Rather than surrounding the tree with a passive background, I wanted the pattern and color to remain visible through the spaces between the branches and foliage. The background becomes part of the tree’s visual structure, helping to define its silhouette while creating a lively interaction between positive and negative space.
The color relationships were influenced by combinations found in Sanzo Wada’s A Dictionary of Color Combinations. Purple, yellow, green, and the warm autumn reds of the maple create a complementary tension that gives the painting energy without overwhelming the quiet character of the bonsai.
The modest pot provides a stable foundation but deliberately avoids competing with the tree. Its subdued color and simple form allow the maple’s branching, foliage, and movement to remain the focus.
Koto Maple is part of my continuing exploration of bonsai as living sculpture—bringing together the aesthetics of bonsai with drawing, color, pattern, printmaking, and expressive mixed-media mark-making.
Other bonsai mixed media related artwork can be found at https://www.reekersart.com/product-category/paintings/mixed-media/
Social Media
You Tube – https://www.youtube.com/ronreekers ; Here you can see me in the process of making a Bonsai related artwork
Instagram @ronreekers; Here you will see my latest Artwork and Bonsai work
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/reekersart
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/ronreekers; Where as low as $3 month you can become a patron and get a free print on your yearly patronage.
