Why “Smell of Color”?

The inspiration came from the first line of the ancient Japanese alphabet and a poem “いろはにほへと“. The equivalent of “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” in Japanese. The poem contains each character of the Japanese Hiragana alphabet.

いろはにほへと　ちりぬるを
わかよたれそ　　つねならむ
うゐのおくやま　けふこえて
あさきゆめみし　ゑひもせす

The blossoms though colorful, still fall.
(translated by a Japanese woman)

Beauty is an attractive thing but it will fade someday
(translated by an American man)

Though color smells it falls.
(my more literal translation)

Can you smell colors?

Smell of Colors – いろはにほへと, 2003, acrylic on canvas
44″ x 50″, 112cm x 127cm
Doyle Collection, Santa Rosa Junior College