I have several books of Japanese patterns found mostly on everyday items such as screens, kimonos, and decorative prints.

This particular image is of pine trees at sunset.

I traced the pattern on heavy paper and colored it with alcohol markers. It was a joy to create and a joy to look at.

Like much Japanese art, the image is flat and highly stylized. It probably began as a woodcut for creating multiple prints on paper or fabric. The simple lines capture the grace of the pine branches perhaps swaying in a gentle breeze.

Recently I went hiking in the Rocky Mountains near the Continental Divide and, looking at the pine trees, was stuck by how much the clusters of pine needles resembled the stylized version.