What if Franz Marc Painted Deer in Nara?
Franz Marc’s deer paintings remind me of Nara, Japan. In his original piece, Deer in the Snow II (1911), Marc experimented with Japanese style; later, he broke into the wild and colorful abstracts for which he is best known. By converging his image with Japanese elements, I build on the softness of his work, as if the artist was inspired by the peaceful sika deer of Nara Park, including the nearby red and white shrines, and the rare but beautiful snow.
With five raised and angled layers, this piece is one of my most complicated. I raise up the handmade Japanese lattice paper to cast shadows as the light changes. Spots of color under that lattice pop through from certain angles. Textured circles of Marc’s deer float over the snowy lattice layer. The blue/gold Chiyogami paper flows like snow drifts. I recommend lighting this piece with angled spotlights to cast the shadows of the layers.
Franz Marc : Nara Deer Convergence
By Kate Heyhoe, 2025
8-1/2 x 9 inches
