Portrait: The Thunderous Scowl of Issa

This portrait of Kobayashi Issa, Japanese poet, artist and Buddhist priest, was inspired by a quote from Jack Kerouac's beautiful novel Big Sur. 

"... the gloom of Basho behind it all, the huge thunderous scowl of Issa or Shiki, kneeling in the frost with the bowed head like the bowed-head-oblivion of all the old horses of Japan long dust." - Jack Kerouac, Big Sur

The thunderous scowl of Issa, latex paint on canvas, 24" x 24", 2016