About the Artwork

A stylized Great White Heron or egret by the shallow waters of a lake. Enjoy the turquoise, violet and pink tones of this bird portrait with glittery bronze accents. Acrylic, watercolor and gouache on paper.

白鷺のアクリル絵画です。青色・紫色を基調に、白色とピンク色を使って描いてみました。仕上げにキラキラのブロンズ絵具を付けました。

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I love the all-white plumage of these freshwater and coastal birds. During breeding season, delicate ornamental feathers are borne on the back, thus my inspiration for the colorful wing portion of the painting.

I also painted it with its long neck retracted, as seen in traditional Chinese and Japanese paintings. Herons are often portrayed in graceful flight, but I wanted to paint one standing on water, looking regal and majestic.

Inspiration: White Heron

Above are two paintings by Japanese artists. On the left is an egret woodblock print by Shibata Sejin (1807-1891). To the right is a woodblock print (1917-1923) by Kason, currently exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum. I don’t know why they are both facing to the left, but it seems to be the most common pose so I went with it.

I’d like to paint more birds in the future and I’m happy to start with the egret! Below I recount an old folk tale in Ancient Kyoto about a Fuji flower (Japanese wisteria) that turned into a white heron.

Japanese Folk Tale: White Wisteria and White Heron

Once upon a time, a shrine called Fuji-no-miya had a beautiful wisteria plant that bloomed white flowers in the New Year. Since wisteria is usually violet or pink in color, the plant was deemed to be a rarity and become a popular attraction in the village.

One day, the Shinto priest from the shrine came up with an idea. “How wonderful it would be if the Mikado (imperial crown) could see these flowers up close.” So he decided to cut off some flowers and present them to the Mikado, who was charmed and delighted.

Thus, it became a tradition to offer white wisteria flowers to the Mikado at the beginning of each year. But one New Year’s Eve, the official flower messenger fell ill. He sent a boy apprentice in his stead. “Don’t open the box, don’t delay, deliver it as fast as you can”, the priest instructed the boy, handing him the flower box. Along the way, however, curiosity got the best of the boy and he stopped and took a peek inside the box. Out flew a white heron.

The boy thought, “It must have flown on its own to the Mikado’s castle”. So he lied to the priest telling him the box was duly delivered. The next year, the wisteria plant did not bloom a single white flower in the New Year. It stopped blooming for good. The End.

Kind of a sad story, don’t you think? But I narrated it here because the story inspired me to come up with the color palette of my heron painting. Fuji or Japanese wisteria is usually violet and sometimes pink, thus my use of these hues along with blue green 🙂

Pinterest-Ready: Great White Heron by the Lake Shore Acrylic Painting

Here’s a framing idea:

I think a gold or bronze frame would bring out the bronze accents on the crown, wing and feet of the bird.

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OR
Buy an Art Print Now

Stationery Set: Great White Heron by the Lake Shore Acrylic Painting

Customizable postcards are also available. Make this painting a custom greeting card by adding your own text and message. This card has artwork in both front and back. Pair with a matching envelope and postage stamp for a coordinated stationery set.

Click here to view all the available gift items.

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