Tuesday, June 4, 2013

the gentle-hearted loquat

Yesterday I received a rare and precious visit from a friend who is originally from Hokkaido but now lives in distant Yokohama. Among the many gifts she brought me from Yokohama was a pack of loquats (biwa), that small, oval, downy-skinned fruit with huge seeds and a very mild flavor with subtle hints of apricots or peaches. My friend made me solemnly promise not to eat the loquats until I had painted them. So I had to wait till today, but I've done my duty, and the loquats are no more.

The Japanese writing is the first line of a children's song titled "Biwa."  Biwa are a gentle-hearted fruit/ that's why they hug one another in clusters as they ripen/ in the shade of rainbow-tinted leaves that are like donkey's ears.

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4 comments:

  1. BlorgieJune 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM

    After seeing this lovely etegami I am more kindly disposed to loquats. We have a tree but I have never really harvested it because the fruit seems all pip. The roundness and colour in your painting makes me want to try them though.

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  2. RobinJune 4, 2013 at 6:39 PM

    Your drawing, the words of the Children's Song and the gift from your friend of the *Biwa* made me smile and brought tears too....it is all so beautiful...

    Thank you for another exquisite post!

    BIG Hugs from San Francisco,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  3. UnknownJune 5, 2013 at 4:17 AM

    All beautiful: art, description, sentiment... thank you!

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  4. Carol BonomoJune 5, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    The paints came out luscious. Wonderfuo - from someone who also doesn't warm up naturally to the messy fruits.

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