Heron on a Willow Branch, late 1700s. Okyo was the most influential painter and teacher of his time in Kyoto. His mastery of brush and ink found expression in a variety of Chinese and Japanese subjects, painting styles, and formats. This depiction of a heron on a willow branch is done in a classical Japanese painting ( yamato-e ) style, utilizing flat areas of colourful pigments set against an expansive background with little or no spatial depth.