This piece for solo alto flute is inspired by a pair of panel paintings by Japanese artist Maruyama Ōkyo (1733-1795), Goose and Reeds; Willows in the Moonlight, which I saw in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The pair of panels both feature the water surface near its shore, with several distinct objects: a goose, and several branches of a willow tree. The artist is very minimalistic in his approach – the only signs of a water surface are a few waves across the entire panel. I was inspired by this idea and wanted to express it in this piece, where the tremolos represent the constant waves, and the added flourishes represent disturbances to the water by external objects.