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Huntington Beach Art League Demonstration

9/4/2014 11:14:09 AM

I had the pleasure of spending some time yesterday together with members and guests of the Huntington Beach Art League (HBAL) who invited me to do a demonstration for their September meeting. It was quite an honor for me, as a watercolorist, to do a watercolor painting demo to an all-media art group such as the HBAL as they kick-start their fall season. I did a demo, showing my process from the beginning to the end, of a street scene with corner cafés in Paris. I painted this subject from my previous plein-air sketch, and I did so in response to the [...]

Workshops in Kyoto & Osaka, Japan

8/22/2013 2:27:15 AM

I just finished two workshops in Kyoto and Osaka, Japan. I was told, in both locations, classes were filled months ahead of time and there was still dozens on the wait list. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who braved this summer's record-breaking heat to participate in my workshops. This was my second workshop in Kyoto. While sign-ups were taken on a first-come, first-served basis, I saw several familiar faces in the classroom. It was nice to see them again after my first one back in February. This time we practiced painting a street scene involving a café [...]

Workshop at Catalyst, Westminster, California

6/10/2013 2:51:11 AM

I just finished a 3-day workshop at Catalyst, Westminster, California. Painting with 18 very enthusiastic painters three days straight was fun, inspirational and a great learning experience for all. I'd like to thank each one of my workshop participants for choosing to study with me. In a workshop situation, I may be called a teacher or an instructor but there's so much that I learn in each worshop I teach. In a way, I am also a student, with no doubt. Each day I normally do two live painting demonstrations where I show my creative process from the beginning to the [...]

La Seine, Paris V, French Landscape Painting

4/9/2012 8:30:32 AM

Cities like Paris seem to have such charm that they make you dream of things both ordinary and extraordinary. For instance, thinking of Paris makes me dream of strolling down a street with a baguette in hand or living on a luxurious houseboat on the Seine. In Paris I always enjoy walking along the river banks to see all the boats, especially the ones with their owners living inside. What a life it must be to wake up to a view of the Eiffel Tower and be able to take your house out to sea! La Seine, Paris V Click here for an enlarged [...]

Springtime in Paris, Paris Café Painting

4/5/2012 12:30:50 AM

"With so many trees in the city, you could see the spring coming each day until a night of warm wind would bring it suddenly in one morning... Sometimes the heavy cold rains would beat it back so that it would seem that it would never come and that you were losing a season out of your life. This was the only truly sad time in Paris because it was unnatural... You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare [...]

My Solo Exhibition Next Month in San Diego

9/29/2011 2:11:11 AM

Next month we will meet Philippe, Gustave and Henri, three World War I veterans living in an old soldiers' home in the French countryside. We will listen in as they make a crazy plan to escape from there (or from their nun, to be precise), with their stone dog… To where? To the poplar trees that they always see from their terrace! This is a story from HEROES, Gérald Sibleyras' play, which received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy. HEROES will be the next play at the San Diego's North Coast Repertory Theatre (NCRT), October 19 (preview) - November 13. I am [...]

Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Paris II, French Landscape Painting

6/19/2011 4:15:45 AM

A small alley in the back of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica was surprisingly quiet, and it was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the animated Montmartre village. The area surrounding the church is perhaps the most touristy in the butte Montmartre. From the stairs leading up to the church to the nearby Place du Tertre square, there are many camera-toting tourists and vendors selling all kinds of gadgets and trinkets. Add to the mix scores of artists who want to make a portrait of you as a souvenir, and you can imagine a vibrant street scene that's always there. [...]

La Seine, Paris II (Le Petit Pont), French Landscape Painting

6/15/2011 4:29:10 AM

On the coat of arms of Paris is a silver vessel that sails on the rough waters. We may not see a ship like this from the Middle Ages on the Seine River any more, but the importance of the river in trade and transportation hasn't changed throughout Paris' history. Le Petit Pont (The Small Bridge), connecting the the Île de la Cité and the Left Bank, is one of the first bridges built over the Seine when Paris was still called Lutetia in the Gallo-Roman era. It was a wooden bridge back then and served as a strong fortress protecting the [...]

La Seine, Paris I, French Landscape Painting

6/5/2011 5:48:28 AM

There are two Paris must-do's that I haven't done yet despite numerous visits there over the years - a cruise on the Seine and the Eiffel Tower. It may be that a part of me thinks they are just too touristy so I keep avoiding but another part of me, I admit, wonders if I'm missing out on a lot. I always walk down to the water's edge or cross some of the bridges to enjoy watching people along the quays and boats traveling up and down the river. I just love being part of the scene that is full of life [...]

Eiffel Tower, Paris II - French Landscape Painting

4/12/2011 7:34:01 AM

Eiffel Tower, Paris II You say it's an absolute beauty and one of the first things you must see in Paris? Rather, you are of the opinion that it's such an eyesore you can't stand it? There seems to be two kinds of visitors to Paris when it comes to their opinions about the Eiffel Tower. Whether you take one side over the other (or fall somewhere in between), wouldn't you agree that Paris wouldn't be the same without it? Weighing 10,100 tons, soaring 324 meters tall, it is a massive structure, and I must say that getting an up-close-and-personal look at the [...]

Paris (#30) - Tram, French Landscape Painting

4/9/2011 9:39:57 AM

Paris (#30) - Tram The state-of-the-art trams are a fairly new sight in the cityscape of Paris (Tramline T3 opened in December, 2006). Compared to the city-wide Metro network, the tram service is still limited as it only covers the 13th, 14th and 15th arrondissements in south Paris. However, many stops along the line also connect to metro or suburban railway lines, so it can be very useful if one wants to avoid driving into the city. Given the increasing popularity of this modern transportation system in many cities around the world, maybe we will see more tramways running across the City of [...]

La Grande Dame de Paris, French Landscape Painting

4/5/2011 11:05:31 AM

Old Neighbor, Paris II People living on this street have had this brown, 324-meter-tall neighbor for quite some time. She just celebrated her 122nd birthday on March 31. One of the most popular iconic symbols of Paris, she's often referred to as the Iron Lady (la dame de fer) or La Grande Dame de Paris. At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, thousands of people from all over the world line up every day to pay tribute to her. Having such a famous neighbor could mean a lot of traffic or visitors to this area, but for the residents on this street and [...]

Paris (#29) - Le Marais, French Landscape Painting

4/1/2011 10:28:53 AM

In the heart of Paris, on the Right Bank, there's a historic district called Le Marais. This area used to be where aristocrats lived. Long after they moved out, we can still feel their influence from those days in many old architectures around here. Today fashionable boutiques and lively sidewalk cafés and restaurants are attracting many tourists and younger people who fill the streets. The atmosphere here is full of life.A narrow alley in this painting is a stone's throw away from Rue des Rosiers, a main street in the Jewish quarter inside the Marais district, where Jewish bakeries and specialty [...]

Japan Disaster Relief Auctions

3/13/2011 12:25:33 PM

Paris (#17) - Bistro In addition to the two paintings posted here on March 11, I am offering seven more paintings (see below) for a disaster relief auction. All proceeds will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society to help tens of thousands of victims and their families in Japan who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Minimum bidding starts at USD100. Please send me an email to bid. The bidding closes at midnight on the 17th. The highest bidder will be notified by email. This is a closed (by invitation only) auction. To participate, please contact me. The prices [...]

Paris Café LII & LIII, French Landscape Paintings

3/11/2011 4:13:57 AM

As I was writing today's blog post, I received a call from one of my family members in Japan who was horrified about a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that had just hit there. It took me some time before I was able to get in touch with the rest of my family (and they were all ok). However, as I see more news reports on this biggest tremor in the history of Japan and think how extensive the final damages can be, my heart goes out to those who have been affected. And I feel I want to do something, however small, [...]

Retour de la série «Paris Café»

3/6/2011 11:57:19 PM

Paris Café LI (Montmartre) Paris Café was the series of mostly small works depicting different cafés in the city of Paris. I started it in 2009 and, after making 50 paintings, I announced the end of the series. I am happy to say most of the 50 paintings found a new home and that I still hear from visitors to my website that they continue enjoying viewing the images of those paintings. In fact, after the announcement, I myself couldn't stop painting scenes involving Parisian cafés, bistros, bars and restaurants, and occasionally showed them here on my blog (see my Paris, France category). Without [...]

50 Blogs Recommended for Watercolor Artists

11/27/2010 1:01:39 AM

Web Design Schools Guide recently put together a list of 50 best blogs for watercolor artists. A comprehensive guide for students of any age who want to learn more about the latest in the field of watercolor art, the list has links to 10 watercolor demonstrations blogs, 20 watercolor artists blogs, 10 art business blogs and 10 art news & reviews blogs. I am honored to be included as one of the 20 artists they recommend by saying, "Follow this award-winning watercolor artist as she travels around the world, painting Parisian cafes, California beaches, Venetian gondolas and other lovely sites." Paris Café XXIV Paris Café [...]

2011 Art Calendars from Daily Painters & Watercolor Artist

11/21/2010 12:55:17 AM

Family photos, artwork, a clock... We carefully choose what we hang on our walls because we want to make sure that's something we want to look at all the time. What about wall calendars? This holiday season, I'd like to suggest as a gift idea art calendars from Daily Painters and Watercolor Artist magazine. Over a dozen different themed calendars are offered by Daily Painters and available via their Lulu.com store. I have my painting included in Cityscape and Landscape themes. For watercolor enthusiasts, editors of Watercolor Artist magazine have a beautiful watercolor art calendar made up of their 12 top choices available [...]

Preview: Feature Article in Watercolor Artist, December 2010

10/12/2010 2:58:49 AM

I am very pleased to announce that there will be a feature article about me and my work in the December issue of the Watercolor Artist magazine. The article is based on my interview and will include several new images of my paintings, including this one. The magazine is scheduled to be on the newsstands in the U.S. on October 26. Meanwhile, please enjoy my gallery, an online-exclusive album of my paintings on the Watercolor Artist magazine website. Aux Tours de Notre Dame, Paris, France Click here for an enlarged view. Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 14.25 x [...]

Paris (#28) - Place de la Madeleine, French Landscape Painting

6/12/2010 2:07:32 AM

Looking at the Madeleine Church (in the background) from this vantage point, I was able to see Cafe Madeleine's inside and outside and felt like seeing two movies side by side. So I decided to fill one half of this painting with an interior scene of the cafe and the other with its exterior. People inside seem to want a little bit more privacy, and they are more interested in eating, drinking, chatting with friends. They may be more sensitive to outdoor dust or traffic fumes. Those sitting outside love watching people (and being watched, too). Or they may [...]

Paris (#26) - Notre-Dame de Paris, French Landscape Painting

5/13/2010 2:13:57 AM

Paris (#26) - Notre-Dame de Paris People are sitting at an outdoor café as evening approaches -- It's a scene that is so commonplace this could be anywhere. But the one with Notre-Dame silhouetted in the background? That is so Parisian. A friend of mine recently returned from his first visit to France. While he and his wife enjoyed everything about their trip, he said Notre-Dame was the only thing he really cared about after waiting to see it for 20 years. I know he was not exaggerating. The cathedral does have an appeal that evokes a deep sense of admiration [...]

Paris (#25) - Tour Montparnasse, French Landscape Painting

5/4/2010 2:24:56 AM

Paris (#25) - Tour Montparnasse It is still before the sunrise, and most of Paris is just about to wake up. But here on the ground above the Montparnasse Bienvenue station, one of the busiest transfer points of the Paris metro system, it already feels like 8 in the morning, with all the buses and cars busily moving about. What adds a more urban feel around here is of course the Tour Montparnasse. The tallest skyscraper in France (689 ft.; 210m), its massive presence gives the Montparnasse neighborhood a characteristic of a major commercial center, a far cry from a clichéd [...]

Paris Café XXV & XXVIII, French Landscape Painting

4/29/2010 1:22:10 AM

Paris Café XXVIII Sorry there has been no post of new daily paintings for a few days as I was working on commissioned pieces. I'd like to post here today two small paintings from my Paris Café series (2009) that have never been shown before. Please enjoy! Paris Café XXVIII Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper) Mat/Frame: No Purchase: Sold Paris Café XXV Paris Café XXV Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 7.5 x 9.5 inches Mat/Frame: Yes/No Mat Size: [...]

Paris (#24) - Gare de l'Est, Interior Painting

4/26/2010 1:41:04 AM

Gare de l'Est (Paris East Station), not far from Gare du Nord is one of the main railway stations in Paris. With the beginning of high-speed rail service a few years ago, this station is busier than ever as the sleek TGVs and ICEs come and go, whisking passengers between Paris and cities northeast of Paris. Only five minutes before the scheduled departure of our TGV train for Strasbourg, our track number was not announced yet. Many people around me here in the airy Central Hall were looking at a departure information screen rather anxiously. They had to be waiting [...]

Paris (#23) - Quartier Place Vendôme, French Landscape Painting

4/22/2010 1:49:05 AM

Paris (#23) - Quartier Place Vendôme It doesn't take long to notice this is a posh neighborhood when we walk through an area just north of the Tuileries Garden leading up to Place Vendôme. Mainly a commercial and business district that caters to a wealthy clientele, the area certainly has a classy atmosphere, with Place Vendôme as a perfect example of elegance from the 18th century. Never say no when a client asks for something, even if it is the moon. You can always try, and anyhow there is plenty of time afterwards to explain that it was not possible. The customer [...]

Paris (#22) - Pont Neuf, French Landscape Painting

4/20/2010 8:43:09 AM

Paris (#22) - Pont Neuf Pont Neuf, one of the bridges that connect the left and right banks of the River Seine, is my choice for No. 22 of my Paris Series. Completed at the beginning of the 17th century, it is the oldest standing bridge across the Seine in Paris, and perhaps one of the most famous and beautiful. Back then, it was a novel idea to make pavements for pedestrians crossing on a bridge. A designer for Pont Neuf took up that idea, and how Parisians liked it can be seen in past artwork such as Le Pont-Neuf, Paris [...]

Paris (#20 & #21) - On the Seine I & II, French Landscape Painting

4/14/2010 2:30:08 AM

Paris (#20) - On the Seine I At any time when I am fortunate enough to be in Paris, I like to just sit down on the riverbank of the Seine and enjoy watching the river run and all kinds of boats pass by. I like just about anywhere if it's close to one of the beautiful bridges. On my last visit, this handsome sailboat caught my attention, so I decided to spend a little time there admiring her beauty -- smooth, long curves of the body and soft lines of all the ropes, accompanied by sharp straight lines of masts [...]

Paris (#19) - Hotel du Nord, French Landscape Painting

4/12/2010 1:36:53 AM

Paris (#19) - Hotel du Nord A short walk from the East Railway Station, Hôtel du Nord sits quietly by the Canal Saint-Martin. I had heard about this place being a setting for the 1938 French movie "Hôtel du Nord" which I have never had a chance to see to this day. But I had read some reviews and always wanted to see the actual hotel (Today it's no longer a hotel but a restaurant). When I finally got there, I almost missed it because it was small and looked rather plain, as was the surrounding neighborhood. I didn't quite [...]

Paris (#15) - Jardin des Tuileries, French Landscape Painting

4/10/2010 1:28:57 AM

Paris (#15) - Jardin des Tuileries A spacious and quiet park, the Tuileries Garden is just a perfect place to be in after what can be a very intense, demanding visit to the Louvre. Situated on the west end of the Louvre, this urban park seems to have everything you need to unwind and stretch your legs -- benches under shady trees, cafes, fountains, sculptures, and, yes, ice cream vendors on a hot summer day. Paris (#15) - Jardin des Tuileries Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper) Mat/Frame: No Purchase: [...]

Paris (#18) - Salon de Thé, French Landscape Painting

4/8/2010 1:51:26 AM

Paris (#18) - Salon de Thé I am not so difficult when it comes to eating when I travel. I am willing to try local food and drink and I think I adapt well most of the time. But tea is something I cannot live without no matter where I go. Stereotyping the French as 100% coffee drinkers, I was both surprised and relieved to find a salon de thé (tea house) in Paris during my first visit there a long time ago. It is said that today more than 140 tea houses are in Paris alone. I subsequently discovered that [...]

Paris (#17) - Bistro, French Landscape Painting

4/6/2010 3:44:43 AM

Paris (#7) - Bistro This bistro was near the place where I used to stay in Paris on several occasions. Because this neighborhood was away from any tourist sights, I enjoyed "living like a local" every time I was there. On my way to a nearest Metro station every morning, or when I went out for grocery shopping in the evening, I passed by this bistro. It was never too crowded but locals were always there, stopping by to spend some time as if it was their living room or a kitchen nook. Although this may [...]

Paris (#16) - Brasserie, French Landscape Painting

4/3/2010 1:54:53 AM

Late afternoon as the sun goes down, people (mainly young) have gathered in this casual brasserie, enjoying the last rays of sunshine and company. A lone bicycle parked to the lamppost is casting a long shadow, and I imagine someone in this neighborhood just hopped on a bike to come here to have a drink with his friends. For many residents, their favorite cafe, favorite bakery, favorite hair salon, etc... they are all there within a walking distance or a few minutes by bicycle from their apartments. Life in a big city can be stressful but in Paris, living in [...]

Paris (#14) - Dimanche Matin, French Landscape Painting

3/26/2010 3:53:23 AM

Paris (#14) - Dimanche Matin Early Sunday morning. It's a rare sight that a major thoroughfare in the heart of Paris looks this empty. Light, however, has already filled everywhere, inspiring me to paint it. Locals and tourists may still be sleeping. And auto commuters are staying in the suburbs today. A lone bicyclist must be feeling like king of the castle (or at least that's how I'd feel) as if he was in the last stretch of the Tour de France about to cross the finish line before the peloton arrived. Paris (#14) - Dimanche Matin A larger image of [...]

Paris (#13) - Newsstand, French Landscape Painting

3/24/2010 2:09:23 AM

Paris (#13) - Newsstand This small newsstand (librairie-papeterie) in a residential neighborhood in Paris sells all kinds of newspapers and magazines. But do people read newspaper any more? When it is so easy and quick for many people to get the latest news online, the print version has been struggling in France, too. That's why their President Nicolas Sarkozy announced last year a plan to give every 18-year-old a free subscription to a newspaper of their choice for one year. That's a unique birthday present! I wonder how it has been received by the young people in France? Sadly, [...]

Paris (#12) - Poissonnerie, French Landscape Painting

3/19/2010 2:14:24 AM

Paris (#12) - Poissonnerie April is around the corner, and April Fool's Day may be on your mind. Are you usually the one who plans a prank or you tend to be on a receiving end of it? If you happen to be in France on April 1, and hear someone say "Poisson d'avril (Fish of April)!" behind you, you've been pranked. On a street in the Montmartre district, I found this poissonnerie (fish monger) with strikingly blue awnings. It was late in the afternoon but the business was already finished for the day at this shop, as the owner was [...]

Paris (#11) - Crêperie, French Landscape Painting

3/17/2010 2:01:30 AM

As soon as this sweet smell hit my nose, I knew I was near a crêperie. Around the corner, there it was, a crêpe restaurant with red umbrellas. While a crêpe can be bought from a street vendor and eaten right away, it is nice sometimes to sit down in a restaurant to have it as a meal and/or a dessert. The sheer number of crêperies in Paris alone says a lot about how popular crêpes are here. They are simple, quick and delicious -- it's hard to resist the temptation of this warm, savory, classy fast food. In fact [...]

Paris (#10) - Vélib', French Landscape Painting

3/15/2010 2:16:33 AM

Paris (#10) - Vélib' Thanks to a public bicycle sharing system called vélo libre (Vélib' for short), there are thousands of bicycles available for use all over Paris nowadays. It takes no time to notice quite a lot of people, both Parisians and visitors, take advantage of sturdy bicycles provided by the city, and they are riding practically everywhere. This is quite a change from pre-Vélib’ days (that's only 3 or 4 years ago) when not so many two wheelers were in the Paris streetscape. When I spotted these two Vélib’ users chatting in the morning light, they were barely out [...]

Paris (#9) - Bar, Interior Painting

3/10/2010 5:49:21 PM

It was Friday afternoon. The outdoor terrace of this bar was popular as it always is on a sunny day like this. A couple of businessmen opted to stay indoors, however. Still, with large windows allowing the sunlight to pour in, they must have felt as if they were outside, too. Not quite mobbed by a happy-hour crowd yet, this bar still maintained a quiet ambiance. So it was ideal for them to discuss an important business deal. Or, were they talking about a golf weekend in the countryside? Paris (#9) - Bar Click here for an enlarged view. Media: [...]

Paris (#8) - Corner Café, French Landscape Painting

3/6/2010 2:14:10 AM

Paris (#8) - Corner Cafe Although I've been talking about how I paint from time to time, it is not my intention to show you there's a set approach to my painting style. It would be easier for me if I knew steps to follow, but honestly, I'm not even aware of what I am doing while painting - how dare I write "How I Paint" posts! I may stick to one method of painting for some time, especially after it worked for the first time. Finding a comfort zone encourages me but I also know a part of me always wants [...]

Paris (#7) - Gare du Nord, French Landscape Painting

3/2/2010 6:49:25 AM

Paris (#7) - Gare du Nord The North Station (Gare du Nord) is one of the terminus railway stations in Paris. It looks magnificent, from any angle, so I made another painting of it, this time from a different side of the structure (Click to view a step-by-step demo of my first painting, Paris North Station). I got off here when I arrived in Paris by train for the first time. Old apartment complexes, graffitti-covered walls, billboards, industrial zones... What I saw, as my train began to slow down before reaching this station, was a little glance at the northern suburban [...]