In my former career, there was a small bar I used to drop by in a port town in Monbetsu, in the Okhotsk region of Hokkaido. It was a cozy place that reflected the warm personality of its owner. Only one thing had always stayed with me: there was nothing hanging on its walls. Before I retired, I told her of my resolve to live as an artist from then on, and she said, "In that case," and commissioned a painting. That is how "Flamingo Heart" was born.
From a pink wall, a flamingo descended
As I looked around the bar, wondering what to paint, my eyes stopped on its soft pink wall. Gazing at that color, the image of a flamingo suddenly rose in my heart. Looking back, the word she cherishes above all, "love," quietly resonated with what the flamingo has long symbolized: happiness, harmony, and emotional balance. It felt as though intuition, not reason, had pointed me straight to this motif.
The shape of love within a heart
From her word "love," the shape of a heart came naturally to mind. Perhaps it is a familiar choice. Yet as I painted, I became deeply convinced that there could be no better shape to bind together that bar and her feelings. I placed it at the center of the painting as a simple, honest sign of love.
Turquoise roses and the harmony of hexagons
In the background, a heart of turquoise roses, which came to me through intuition, adds an accent. Beneath it lies a honeycomb pattern of linked hexagons. The hexagon is a symbol of harmony and stability. From here, gentle vibrations spread outward, carrying my quiet wish that the bar will prosper for years to come.
Leaning at the back of the bar
After I delivered it, I heard that the painting now leans quietly at the back of the bar, adding gentle color and a warm atmosphere to the space. I was told that she was delighted with it, and as the one who painted it, I could not be happier.
A place for the heart to rest
Running a bar is not only fun; at times it can be hard. Amid those days, if this painting can be a place for the heart to rest, where one can relax and take a breath, nothing would make me happier. If you are ever near Monbetsu, Hokkaido, please stop by to meet the warm owner and this painting.
Painter KOHIKO (光日子)