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Tell Your Story

4/11/2019 1:08:56 PM

This is an article that I wrote for and was published in American Watercolor Weekly (February 26, 2019). The topic is how we can use composition to effectively tell our story in our painting. To me, the key is knowing what I want to say and deciding where to put focus. Choosing a good composition can be challenging, and it is something that I take it seriously especially when I paint on location. Compositional possibilities are endless, and it can be daunting to choose the right one. I find it helpful to take some time beforehand to do a few thumbnail sketches [...]

Grazie Mille, Associazione Romana Acquerellisti!

7/31/2016 1:02:25 PM

I must have left my heart in Rome because I can't stop thinking about it. From a daily walk to a neighborhood bar for my morning (strong Italian) coffee, to hauling all the plein-air painting gear across town in the 98-degree heat (and in the sun), to an evening stroll (with a gelato) to chill out feeling a breeze from the Tiber, to a nightly summer rock concert in Piazza del Popolo - just to name a few. There was so much to experience, discover and learn in this city that is simply amazing on so many levels; the best way [...]

Dive into the Unknown

6/16/2016 11:17:53 AM

I have been a traveler most of my life, much longer than I have been a painter. A recent talk with a friend got me wonder how travel has been impacting my creativity now that I can call both painting and traveling my passions. Whether you are a fearless, adventurous type or prefer a more organized group tour, travel is all about getting out of routine to explore and discover the unknown. It usually rewards you with amazing experiences that enrich your life and makes you appreciate what you have in your life. When I travel, I am not keen on [...]

How to Get Out of A Rut

4/10/2016 12:11:26 AM

The artist's growth is not always upwards. Sometimes it feels like you can keep going up but sometimes you feel stuck or think you're moving in a wrong direction. As with any journey, the artist's journey has ups and downs and that's normal. I have accepted this fact now but in my earlier days as a painter, I did not understand this cycle of ups and downs or know how to cope especially with not-so-good times, which sometimes lasted so long. Some artists call down times an artist block when they experience a creative drought. They stop creating or cannot create. I [...]

Beauty is Right Here All Around Us

3/13/2016 11:50:09 PM

"Where's your favorite place to paint (en plein air)?" This is one of the questions I get quite often from people I meet. Behind their curiosity, there are facts that I like painting outdoors and also that I travel frequently for my art and work. When I say "San Diego" (that is where I live), that seems to take some people by surprise. Perhaps they were waiting for me to say something like "Tahiti" or "Corsica"? Not that I don't like these exotic islands or other places I choose to go sometimes, it's obvious they didn't expect me to pick my [...]

Venice Without a Mask

1/28/2016 2:23:39 AM

Every winter Venice celebrates its famous Carnival (Carnevale di Venezia). I was fortunate enough to be there this year while doing work in and around the city. During the festivities, you see some people walking on the street wearing masks, elaborate gowns and beautiful dresses from the old times. There are events, balls and banquets to attend. It’s one of those times when Venice really shines with its glamour and splendor. The whole atmosphere feels almost unreal when this city shows its magical side. When I travel, I like getting to know people who live there. For a short “living like a [...]

Don't Paint Everything

1/24/2016 2:19:29 AM

If you have been in my workshop, you probably heard me say this: Don't paint everything that you see but paint what you want to see. These are simple words but so important to me, and I try to demonstrate what I mean to my workshop participants. When painting a landscape, whether en plein air or in the studio with a reference photo, I do not want to paint the scene too faithfully. If I do, I know my work will end up looking too literal, and that’s not what I’m after in the finished result. My goal is to capture the [...]

No Place Like Home

12/31/2015 10:34:27 PM

I spent numerous weeks on the road throughout 2015, teaching dozens of workshops and doing exhibitions in different cities and countries. In fact I traveled so frequently and constantly I have lost track of how many weeks I was away from my house in California the past year. To no one's surprise, I found myself traveling at the end of the year but this time I carried no portofolio, no heavy paper pads or a bag full of paints or any kind of equipment I usually tote around for my business-related trips. With just a few changes of clothes in a small [...]

London Calling - Making Art is Therapeutic -

11/25/2015 1:31:56 PM

After generations, London Calling (1979), a hit song by the UK punk rock band Clash, is still iconic of London. We still enjoy this song maybe without thinking too much of what the words really mean. I was a bit surprised to find out, however, when I read its lyrics because they actually portray a pretty gloomy state of their troubled times back then, and speak about their anxiety of the world going to pieces. When people stop and think about the words, it still sends us a message after decades. Perhaps that is what the songwriter intended. We often hear creative [...]

Just Paint for the Sake of Painting

10/28/2015 5:00:05 PM

The pure joy of painting - Isn't that the reason why we (painters) decide to paint in the first place? Without a doubt my artistic journey started this way. Then we may continue as our brain tells us that this is an activity worth spending our time with for the reward we get in return. To me the ultimate reward comes in the form of a joy of creating and expressing my voice visually. I believe that this is true with most painters, professionals and amateurs alike. It is this joy that motivates us to do more. It is simply [...]

The Truth in Us Artists

8/13/2015 3:44:56 PM

"I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration." - Frida Kahlo Have you ever found yourself deep in thought, wondering why in the world you paint? There are millions of other things to choose from but yet we painters choose to pick up a brush and paint. Each artist may have his own answer to this question but I think the single truth in the core of it is this: because we need to. As an international watercolor workshop instructor, [...]

Springtime in Kyoto, Japanese Landscape Paintings

4/19/2015 7:36:51 PM

I travel around the world to conduct workshops, and no matter where I teach, I always enjoy painting the place where I happen to be at. But when it's in Kyoto, Japan (my favorite city and my hometown) and in the springtime (my favorite time), I was thrilled even before I got there. I just finished a 10-day plein-air watercolor course in Kyoto for a group of 18 people who came from many different cities and countries. When we all arrived there at the beginning of the month, cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the weather mild and pleasant. We couldn't [...]

6th Annual Signature American Watermedia Exhibition

2/23/2015 10:28:08 PM

Among many juried exhibitions for watercolor/watermedia paintings, the Annual Signature American Watermedia Exhibition holds a unique place as it is probably the only one open to painters with signature status in any watercolor society in the U.S. In its sixth year, the Fallbrook Art Center opened its doors on February 7 to the visitors to their popular annual watermedia exhibition who attended the opening reception. I am deeply honored that my entry "Masquerade, Venice, Italy I" was selected by juror Stephen Quiller to be in the show but he also chose my work as a recipient of one of the top awards. [...]

Dinard, French Landscape Paintings

11/17/2014 3:30:21 AM

Years ago when I visited Dinard in the height of summer, I gave up going to this beach simply because it was so crowded with holiday makers and I couldn't find a parking spot. But last month when my workshop students and I went there, there was no one except a few locals enjoying a quiet stroll by the water. I thought I came to a different beach. In front of us was a vast stretch of sandy beach, the calm blue ocean, the town of Dinard on the left, the skyline of Saint-Malo in the far right. It was almost too [...]

Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne! no.II

11/9/2014 1:18:50 PM

This painting is one of the demonstrations I did in my recent workshop in Brittany. Pointe du Chevet is at the tip of the peninsula near Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer on the Emerald Coast of Brittany, France. As seen in the photo (below), the view we had from there was stunningly beautiful, and the weather couldn't have been better, either. Both my students and I were so eager to take advantage of this one fine day to paint outdoors. When we arrived there, the tide was low, exposing much of the mud flat in front of us. Damp mud glistening in the sunlight, instead of [...]

Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne! no. I

11/2/2014 8:13:45 AM

Il fait toujours beau en Bretagne: I was in Brittany last month and my Breton host taught me this expression. When people say "il fait toujours beau" (the weather is always fine), it may be true in certain parts of the world. But "en Bretagne" (in Brittany) in northwest of France? The area is known for variable weather patterns even in a day. Recently I taught a plein-air workshop near the small town of Ploubalay of Brittany for 5 days. Each morning around the dining table where we all ate, our conversation started with "what's the weather like today?" and ended at [...]

Festival International de l'Aquarelle in Aiguillon, France

10/24/2014 2:12:02 AM

A few days ago a friend who lives in Aiguillon took me to the top of a hill behind a small village of Nicole. Just before the sunset on an unseasonably balmy day, the view from there was stunning. I could see the town of Aiguillon far down below, the vast valley where it lies and the two rivers, Lot and Garonne, which meet near the town. I felt blessed to be able to spend a marvelous week in Aiguillon, in southwestern France, to participate in the 7th International Festival of Watercolor as invited guests of honor with French artists, David Chauvin and [...]

Immagini dell'Acqua, Milano, Italy

9/8/2014 4:08:02 AM

It is with a great honor that I am participating, as an invited guest artist, in the 40th anniversary exhibition of the Associazione Italiana Acquerellisti (AIA). Mr. Fernando Cavalieri, the AIA's President, together with Ms. Cristina Bracaloni, the AIA's Vice President, very kindly extended the invitation to me earlier this year to take part in the events including the opening of this special exhibition and live demonstrations. The theme of the exhibition is Immagini dell'Acqua (Images of Water), and it will take place at the Acquario Civico in Milan, Italy from the 2nd to the 26th of October. An international watercolor exhibition, the [...]

The Land of Smiles, Thai Landscape Paintings

7/1/2014 11:03:40 PM

While I am on the road teaching or for an exhibition, there is something I try to do whenever I can find a little free time. That is going to a non-touristy, ordinary neighborhood where local people live. Even for a very short time, I like and enjoy "living like a local," walking on the same street, smelling the same smell, shopping in the same market, visiting the same park with people that live there... In such a place, especially in a non-English-speaking country, it is expected that only a local language is being heard. I must admit that I would rather [...]

Plein-Air Painting in Long Island, New York (2) - American Landscape Painting

5/7/2014 6:44:34 AM

If a plein-air landscape painter doesn't do a maritime theme on Long Island, it's like going to the Rockies and not painting mountains. So I decided to look for more scenes with water along the south shore after completing a waterscape in Center Moriches. I found this small harbor in Hampton Bay. I loved the overall atmosphere of a quiet day here but, to create a better design in my painting, I had to rearrange some of the things I saw. Although it might have been better to actually do a few quick thumb-nail sketches to work out compositions, I sort of did [...]

Plein-Air Painting in Long Island, New York (1) - American Landscape Painting

5/5/2014 2:23:15 AM

On my recent trip to Long Island, NY to teach a workshop, I had an opportunity to paint around the island. This is the first one I attempted near the town of Center Moriches. Looking at these photos reminds me that I was painting and crying here on the edge of a river mouth, constantly buffeted by the strong wind. The snow was falling just a week before but on the morning I painted, luckily, the sun was shining with no clouds in sight. I didn't realize, however, how relentlessly the wind would blow, especially by the ocean. While painting, I grew [...]

Painting in New York City, American Landscape Paintings

4/27/2014 4:32:58 AM

If you had a day in New York City to do anything you want, what would you choose? A tough call, I'm sure - the city has too many temptations! Recently I found myself to be in that situation between two of my workshops. It was a glorious weekend day, and I couldn't believe my luck. Here I am posting photos of what I decided to do. Painting in Central Park, NYC City Hall, NYC I (20"x14") Battery Park, NYC I (14"x20") Central Park, NYC I Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 13 x 19 inches (33 x 48 cm) - Join me on Facebook and [...]

Mexico City Workshop

3/12/2014 1:00:59 AM

So I was going to do an outdoor workshop in Mexico City, one of the world's biggest cities. I have to confess, though, prior to my arrival, I had no idea at all what I could find to paint there. But I was more excited than worried and I was pleasantly suprised to discover serene beauty inside this megalopolis. Following my demos, my workshop attendees painted varied sights - beautiful lakes, a panoramic view from the hilltop castle, and a street vendor in a park, etc. The focus throughout the week, however, was on how to paint water and everyone worked very [...]

Workshop: Painting Light and Atmosphere of California Landscape

2/24/2014 11:16:53 PM

I love being with other artists. I love sharing my creative passion. I love painting California landscape. In the workshop I just finished in Orange County, California, I got to do all these things for three days. For a full house of 18 students, I did 2 demos each day in a room filled with enthusiasm. Painting light and atmosphere of California landscape being the theme of the workshop, we did a harbor scene, a downtown street , an outdoor café, a mission and a desertscape. Everyone worked so hard and we felt like we had just finished a whirlwind tour of [...]

Away From Home - Daily Paintworks Weekly Challenge

12/21/2013 4:43:49 AM

As a host for the Daily Paintworks (DPW) Weekly Challenge, I have chosen the theme "Away from Home" (please read a brief description below). I thought this topic is a timely one as many of us have a chance to spend some time away from home around this time of the year. Daily painters out there, or occasional painters or anyone who loves to give this challenge a try, let's have fun with it. To participate, please visit DPW website for more information. The challenge starts on Saturday, December 21. "Away from Home" Challenge: Many people travel at this time of the year. Some [...]

Li River, Chinese Landscape Paintings

12/9/2013 8:59:10 AM

Stunning, dramatic, surreal... I don't know if any words can describe the amazing landscapes of karst terrains near Guilin. Some of the peaks look like animals while others look like giant cacti or jagged teeth. And these towering mountains are evreywhere - some stand alone right in the middle of a town and others out in the countryside. Between Guilin and Yangshuo, boats take visitors on a cruise on the Li River which meanders through these mountains. To see this very unique landscape, people come here not just from all over China but from all over the world as well. Yangshuo receives [...]

On the Road (5) - China, Chinese Landscape Painting

12/7/2013 7:05:13 AM

Painting en plein air is a great way to learn how to capture the sense of place and its atmosphere quickly. It is also a great way to take a quick look at life of the people who live there. I don't know about other plein-air painters but to me, personally, similarities or differences in people's lives that I observe and find in a foreign place are quite intriguing. In China, one thing that I noticed is that more people than in other places I've been to are quite interested in watching me paint. Some even want to take a photo together [...]

Northen Guangxi Province, Chinese Landscape Paintings

12/6/2013 4:51:03 AM

In Sanjiang County in the northern part of Guangxi Province, I spent some time learning about culture and traditions of some of China's minority groups. Predominantly inhabited by the Dong minority people, this region seems a bit different from the other parts of China. Perhaps because the Dong speak their own language or perhaps because of their traditional wooden architecture that still exists such as drum towers and wind and rain bridges. Most people in small villages are farmers and they were friendly to a foreigner like me. Today's painting is some of my small studies done in this region. Studies, Sanjiang [...]

Aberdeen I, Hong Kong Landscape Painting

12/3/2013 9:56:09 PM

After enjoying a beautiful day painting at Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island, I traveled to the New Territories to visit my artist friend and respected teacher Harvey Chan. His students gathered that night in Harvey's studio to watch my demonstration he organized for me. I also had the pleasure of having some of my former workshop students and my art collector friend join us. I had a wonderful time sharing my work and talking about watercolor and more. I would like to thank everyone who was there for me! painting en plein air in Aberdeen, HK With Harvey Chan and his students, Hong [...]

Sam Mun Tsai I, Hong Kong Landscape Painting

12/2/2013 7:03:18 AM

In Sam Mun Tsai Fishing Village, local fishermen breed fish in cages. There are several stations floating on the calm water inside the bay, and I loved the serenity and timeless beauty of the scene as I watched fishing boats come and go. But the number of such floating stations is dwindling. I even heard (and I hope I was wrong) that the remaining ones may be removed eventually - just like old houses and shops tucked in between high-rises of Hong Kong. I looked up toward one end of the bay to find an enormous luxurious housing development, named the Beverly Hills. That in and of [...]

Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy

11/21/2013 3:56:53 AM

One of my favorite paintings is John Singer Sargent's piece that depicted the façade of the Salute. Rather, this painting is much more than just "favorite." Early on in my career as a watercolor painter, I was simply in awe when I saw it for the first time. I would even call that a life-changing experience. Almost anything my eyes see in Venice can be a painting. At least that's how I feel. But scenes involving Santa Maria della Salute are especially magnificent... "Santa Maria della Salute, Venice III" (10"x29") - available "Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy IV" (19"x13") - sold "Venetian Sunset VII" [...]

Hakodate Sunset I, Japanese Landscape Painting

8/25/2013 6:48:24 PM

A railway stationfilled with local accentsI go into the crowdto listen for mine (by Takuboku Ishikawa, translated by me) For Japanese poet Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912), Hakodate had something special that made him say that he would like to die there. One of the well-known figures in Japanese literature, most notably for his tanka and free-style poems, Takuboku wrote many poems that tug at our heartstrings. He lived for less than half a year in Hakodate in his short, poverty-stricken life of 26 years. The time he spent there was perhaps the happiest for him thanks to the camaradarie with his colleagues. He was also [...]

Onuma (Hakodate), Hokkaido II, Japanese Landscape Painting

8/23/2013 11:10:22 PM

My recent 5-day workshop in Hakodate, Japan involved a day out with nature with stops at a couple of picturesque spots near Hakodate. We, 20 of us, all prayed for good weather the day before, and next morning we woke up to a cool day with cloudy sky (so I think most of us had been good!). We were all excited that we could paint beautiful landscapes of southern Hokkaido directly from nature. The lady who organized my workshop had chartered a bus for the day's trip. Everyone felt like school kids on a field trip to an amusement park or something, [...]

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 [...]

Fishing Village, Hokkaido II, Japanese Landscape Painting

8/19/2013 2:05:52 PM

This fishing village on the island of Hokkaido is not exactly in a remote, rural area; rather, it is near a city that used to thrive on herring industry. But in Hokkaido, even cities are not too crowded and they have a small-town feel. And I have found the people living there very friendly and easygoing. The northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido has a long, severely cold winter. After all, it is not really far from Eastern Siberia of Russia, which says a lot about the difficulty of spending winter months and the perseverance required to do that each year. As well, it [...]

Fishing Village, Hokkaido I, Japanese Landscape Painting

8/14/2013 11:15:12 AM

I was looking for a place to paint, preferrably a port with many boats or something similar. That is when I found this tiny hamlet of fishermen's houses while walking on the outskirts of the coastal city of Otaru. Tucked in behind a residential area, it was not quite visible from a public street nearby. With no signs, I could have easily missed it. My instincts told me to take a narrow alley between houses and go toward the joyful commotion of what sounded like sea gulls. I was glad I did. At the end of an alley, there was a small bay where local fishermen [...]

Moored, Tokyo II, Japanese Landscape Painting

7/25/2013 12:32:08 PM

Although Tokyo was my home for several years in the past, the truth is I feel more like a stranger every time I go back there. An ever-growing, forward-looking megalopolis, this city never ceases to amaze me with new buildings, new technologies, new trends, (and should I mention a new government?), not to mention the sheer number of people! However, even among modern high-rises, one can still find a scene that is reminiscent of the past. In today's painting, I depicted one of such spots in the shitamachi area that I enjoy visiting while in Tokyo. Moored, Tokyo, Japan II Click for an enlarged [...]

Bretagne - Enchanted Land, French Landscape Painting

7/5/2013 11:45:30 PM

I just completed a sketching tour of Brittany, France (Bretagne in French, Breizh in Breton). Often dubbed as an enchanted land, I have found this corner of France indeed mystic in many ways. Foggy coastlines, sprawling hills dotted with menhirs, rush forests, fast-moving clouds... all that makes up their landscape looked something uniquely different from the rest of France that I know. With so many wonderful spots to paint everywhere in Brittany, I really felt like a kid in a candy store. I am excited to be putting together paintings from this trip and plan to make a book later this year. A publication date will be announced [...]

San Giorgio, Venice II, Italian Landscape Painting

7/3/2013 10:44:13 PM

The church of San Giorgio Maggiore (the same name as the island where it stands) looks strikingly beautiful with its bell tower soaring into the sky. It looks as if it stands right on the water of the Venetian lagoon when seen from across the lagoon. The view, especially from the waterfront promenade by Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square), is one of the most photographed of Venice. Curious what the view might be like from the other side, I hopped on a boat and went over to San Giorgio Maggiore. It was breathtaking as I imagined. We could see the similar-looking bell tower of San Marco, [...]

San Giorgio, Venice I, Italian Landscape Painting

7/1/2013 11:21:18 AM

Painting en plein air in Venice may be every painter's dream. But, compared to painting in the comfort of an indoor studio, painting outdoors has more elements to factor in, so it can be quite challenging. For one thing, in Venice, there is a constant flow of people, mainly tourists, virtually everywhere. Yet with careful planning and a bit of luck, we can manage to set up an easel and paint without fighting a crowd even near a popular spot like San Marco. Get up and go out to paint before tourists finish their breakfast, or try it when day-trippers leave at the end [...]