In Japan for the first time there were some aspects of the country that I fixated on, such as the ever present beautiful mountains and unique landscapes; the astonishing sense of cultural design that touched on every aspect of the visual (building, fashion, products, agricultural fields); the melodious language, and the sense that I was on the far side of the Earth from where I lived. The Japan Paintings, which I call Banners because of their 14’x3’ shape, poured out of me when I returned home and let the experience take over as I worked.