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Description
11x17 illustration. India ink and digitial collage + airbrush digital.

Double Page Spread, text not shown here.

Retelling of the Japanese folktale, The Bell of Dojoji/Kiyohime

There once lived a beautiful woman known as Kiyohime. She worked on the shores of the Hidaka River as a waitress in a small tea house. Her life there was quiet until one day a young man named Anchin entered the tea house. Love soon blossomed between them. Anchin, however was a priest, and therefore he knew their love could not be. Not wanting to hurt Kiyohime, he told her that he must go on a pilgrimage, and that he would come back for her.
Kiyohime waited as many seasons passed but Anchin never returned. Heartbroken she searched for Anchin until she came upon the Dojoji temple. What Anchin did not realise was that Kiyohime was not just a beautiful woman, but also an obake. Kiyohime could sense that that Anchin was hidden in the temple. Infuriated, she transformed into her true form, a menacing dragon.
She continued into the temple, crushing monks in her path. There, she found Anchin, shaking under the temple bell. “You, Anchin, have forsaken our love, and for that you shall pay!” Bellowed Kiyohime as her serpent body encircled the bell. With one short breath from her fiery lips, the bell melted, entombing Anchin and his cries of forgiveness within it. Kiyohime soon disappeared into the depths of the Hidaka, her heart forever broken by the one man that she loved.
It is said that if you listen closely to the temple bells, one can still hear the regretful cries of Anchin to his one true love, Kiyohime.

Description
11x17 illustration. India ink and digitial collage + airbrush digital.

Double Page Spread, text not shown here.

Retelling of the Japanese folktale, The Bell of Dojoji/Kiyohime

There once lived a beautiful woman known as Kiyohime. She worked on the shores of the Hidaka River as a waitress in a small tea house. Her life there was quiet until one day a young man named Anchin entered the tea house. Love soon blossomed between them. Anchin, however was a priest, and therefore he knew their love could not be. Not wanting to hurt Kiyohime, he told her that he must go on a pilgrimage, and that he would come back for her.
Kiyohime waited as many seasons passed but Anchin never returned. Heartbroken she searched for Anchin until she came upon the Dojoji temple. What Anchin did not realise was that Kiyohime was not just a beautiful woman, but also an obake. Kiyohime could sense that that Anchin was hidden in the temple. Infuriated, she transformed into her true form, a menacing dragon.
She continued into the temple, crushing monks in her path. There, she found Anchin, shaking under the temple bell. “You, Anchin, have forsaken our love, and for that you shall pay!” Bellowed Kiyohime as her serpent body encircled the bell. With one short breath from her fiery lips, the bell melted, entombing Anchin and his cries of forgiveness within it. Kiyohime soon disappeared into the depths of the Hidaka, her heart forever broken by the one man that she loved.
It is said that if you listen closely to the temple bells, one can still hear the regretful cries of Anchin to his one true love, Kiyohime.