The Great Wave off Brightwell

My green treescape version of Japanese woodcut artist Katsushika Hokusai’s most famous art work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. I call it The Great Wave off Brightwell.

From the top of Castle Hill, the Iron Age fort at the Wittenham Clumps , you can see Dorchester Abbey nestled among trees and houses near the River Thame. Heading north towards it, you will clamber down the fort’s ramparts, soon skirting the wood to follow a narrow path alongside a crop of wheat.

I’ve been this way many times before, and there is something about the view near the bottom of the field which has always caught my eye.  Until recently I thought it was simply the attractive flow of curves and contrasting textures, looking east towards Brightwell Barrow.

Then in a sudden tingling rush I saw it for what it was . . . The Great Wave off Brightwell.

Perhaps the artistic spirit of Paul Nash, who so loved painting the Wittenham Clumps, had got under my skin. I don’t know about that, but I could clearly see that the view before me was a green treescape version of Japanese woodcut artist Katsushika Hokusai’s most famous print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

I took the image with my iPhone, carefully framing it to match the famous woodcut. Using the Prisma app  I applied the artistic effect which captures some of the textures of Hokusai’s 18th century work of art.

I hope you enjoy The Great Wave off Brightwell.