“The Bathers”

30 x 40 cm.

Ink, marker and collage on paper.

Painting inspired by the Japanese illustrations of bathers and my experiences with spas and public baths during my last visit to Japan.

Although I have enjoyed excellent spas with natural hot springs in Shizuoka and Kamakura (the so-called “Onsen”) My best memory comes from a humble “Sento” in Tokyo. The “Sento” are small public baths where anyone can relax, buy a beer and take a bath for a few yen.
Nowadays it seems that they are almost extinct and out of fashion, but they continue to attract me strongly,

I usually paint with ink using refillable brushes, to achieve greater detail and speed, these are usually intended for calligraphy, but I find that they are also a good tool for drawing.