“The Bathers”

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.