Stupas at Wat Xieng Thong

Stupas are to be found in most countries in South East Asia. Many of these structures, like those in this painting, are near to Buddhist temples. I have heard varying explanations as to what these stupas are for, ranging from their being repositories for sacred relics through to just being simple memorial stones. In truth I suspect that there are a wide variety of types of stupas, and I have to confess that I do not know what these particular stupas are intended for. I painted them for the same reason that I originally pointed a camera at them – I think this scene looks nice and peaceful.

This picture is based on a photo I took in the grounds of Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Laos. The temple itself was very handsome, but quite crowded with tourists. However, this corner of the temple grounds was quiet – almost tranquil if one ignores the slightly ominous storm clouds that were building up in the background. I have been trying to get my watercolour washes a bit “looser” (in other words suggesting the colour of a space or object rather than applying the colour neatly up to the borders as we were taught to do in geography lessons!), but I think the looseness that I achieved here was rather variable across different elements of this painting. Nevertheless, I still like the scene, whatever I might think about the picture ..,