The Geisha at the Waterfall is my 2024 portrait for my Geisha friend Tomitsuyuu. We have known each other for 9 years now...time flies. Since her maiko days, this is one of the most popular Geisha in Kyoto. Every year, we meet up just around Christmas...but this year, Okasan has invited me to come to Japan during the New Year. During this special period, my geisha friends all dressed up in their most formal way, wearing a luxurious black kimono called kuromontsuki, a golden obi, red under-kimono, and having a special hairstyle especially for this occasion and the formal Sanbon-Ashi makeup (three lines on the back of their neck). During this festive period, they also wear signature hair ornaments made of turtle shells and a real rice stalk, signifying a long life of abundance.