It's been over 40 years since I first saw Hiroshige's woodblock print of people crossing a bridge in the rain, which is illustrated below. I've always wanted to paint the falling rain after I saw this magnificent print and this year I finally got to do it.
To picture the activity of raining is different to a wet landscape because a wet environment can be seen after the rain has stopped falling. The landscape was painted at the sight and the rain added in the studio. Also, the landscape was simplified so it would not compete too much with the raindrops.
Sun Shower, 2020, oil on panel, 41 x 35 cm
Sudden Shower over Shin-Ohashi bridge and Atake, 1857,
woodblock print, 34 x 24 cm
