Ginkgo Leaf Bird

The fourth in my series: Manhole Covers of Japan.

It took me three years to get to the ginkgo tree avenue of Showa Park at Tachikawa-Shi. I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. With a bright blue sky, the trees look all the more golden. Individually, they are pale yellow, but lit up in the sun, altogether they are bright gold. All these photos were taken at Showa Park. We rode our bikes from Yokota to Showa, had a picnic and strolled down the ginkgo Avenue. Along the bike path towards the Sayama entrance, there is another avenue of ginkgo trees.

The manhole cover design can found at the Obstacle Course Park by the Onsen in Musashimurayama-Shi on the way to Tama. We went there when it was wet and muddy, so I had to clean off the mud to get a clear photo of it.

I love the blue and yellow in this composition, so the blossoms are pieces together with blue sky. The ginkgo leaves and the bird stand out with an intentional yellow chosen to highlight them.

I love the way the texture of these manhole covers turn out. I thought about making them supremely neat and tight in their lines, but then it might as well be a blueprint of the manhole cover. It's important that it still looks like a manhole cover. I'll keep the rough edges.

I'll send you a link once I get this latest work up on my shop page.

Evelyn