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In order to practise more Japanese
life and Zen Buddhism, I went
directly up to Sierra Nevada after
he returned to America from Japan,
living in a primitive homestead in
the pine-oak forest. During his
reclusive years, he exposed himself
to the rsthand mountaineering and
laboring work, thought and studied
on Mountains and Rivers, and
gradually expanded his range of
walked-in landscapes. He developed
evolving ability to visualize the
whole of the landscape of the Sierra
Nevada with the early in uence by
his Ink and Wash painting teacher
Chiura Obata.

" At some point I became aware

of the powerful light- lled
watercolor paintings and color
woodblocks of California
mountain landscapes that had
been done by my old teacher
Chiura Obata. It turned out that
he had explored and sketched the
"
Sierra high country many times.

During Gary’s late years, he
visited most of the major
collection of Chinese paintings
in the United States when he
was giving readings and talks
around the country. In
Cleveland, he had 2 private
viewing of the landscape scroll
– Mountains and Rivers
Without End.