Plein Air, portrait study, live model drawings on Tomb Sweeping Day
April 5 happened to be Tomb Sweeping Day on the Chinese Calendar. In our culture, people usually go to visit their ancestors' tomb with flowers and clean off the dust. No one can get visas to travel home, and our visas were no longer valid in China because of COVID 19. I haven't visited my in family almost three years. I decided to paint at Hakone Gardens Japanese Garden in Saratoga. There were many cars already parked at the entry to the place next to the Big Basin Way. Quickly I parked my car at the last available space, because there was limited parking near by the entrance. My instinct was right, but I had to roll my painting stuff up the hill to the entrance. My legs felt sore and I felt short of breath for walking up there with all my painting stuff. There were so many people, more than 95% of them were Asian, I guessed that it was free day, and many people could not go to sweep their ancestors' tombs. Not sure how my ancestors thought about me and rest of overse