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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 [...]

Watercolor Artist October 2014

8/28/2014 7:52:43 PM

To a painter, a brush is just like a good knife to a chef. One of my essential tools is a mop brush. And I am happy to say that an article of me talking about it appears in the October issue of Watercolor Artist magazine. I used "Central Park II," one of my recent paintings of New York City, to demonstrate how I used a mop brush in this painting. In this issue, I am also honored to be among some of today's finest artists working in watermedia, such as Direk Kingnok (cover artist), George James, Carol Evans, Chizuru Morii Kaplan, [...]

Have Fun with Your Imagination

8/27/2014 8:20:30 PM

When it comes to choosing a subject of plein-air painting, I think I'm fairly easy. What it means is that I am pretty relaxed about what I can find to paint in most situations, even in a new place in a foreign country. In a plein-air workshop situation, it is usually a person who organizes this that is more worried than me if I like a particular view or if I see anything that is paintable for my group. As a realistic painter, I find it somewhat important to be situated in an ideal spot where there is good light and [...]

Announcing A New Workshop in California

7/10/2014 3:20:25 AM

"California has been my home for nearly half of my life, and I have spent the majority of the time in San Diego. California's southernmost city holds a special place in my heart, for it was here that I made a life-giving career change and became a full-time painter. The abundant beauty of my 'adopted' home has been the inspiration for many watercolor scenes since I started painting in 2005. Thanks to San Diego's mild climate, I have become an avid plein-air painter and quite often I can be found traipsing its nooks and crannies on a quest for [...]

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 (4) - American Landscape Painting

5/14/2014 3:26:43 AM

The weather was gorgeous. I really liked the area around East Hampton so I decided to stick around a little to make more paintings that portray beautiful architecture in the area. Painting Miss Amelia's Cottage, Amagansett Amagansett I (14"x20") Amagansett II (12"x16") The Palm, East Hampton, Long Island, New York I Click for an enlarged view. Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 13 x 19 inches (33 x 48 cm) Frame/Mat: No Purchase: Please send me an email for details. - Join me on Facebook and follow my blog on NetworkedBlogs. - Follow me on Google+.- Follow me on Twitter.- FASO Artist Websites - Easy, Professional Art Websites for Artists who [...]

Plein-Air Painting in Long Island, New York (3) - American Landscape Painting

5/12/2014 3:28:53 AM

After completing two waterscapes, I decided to move a bit inland to avoid the chilly wind from the south shore. I drove past several quaint small towns and some really luxurious houses but other than that, the landscape was mostly rural. This simple country scene that I painted was nothing extraordinary but there was something quite appealing about it. When I decided to set up to paint there, I had a choice of doing it on this side of the road or on the other. You can see what I chose and why in the finished painting. I have had people who told [...]

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 [...]

Central Park, New York City II, American Landscape Painting

5/1/2014 2:14:47 AM

One of the things I repeatedly tell my students is, before painting, have a plan for your creative process and picture your final picture. Easier said than done, but isn't it true that this is so easy to forget? Maybe we are too eager to paint. Maybe we don't think it's that important. Or we think a painting has to be done intuitively - we are artists after all, right? Please read this: Seasoned athletes use vivid, highly detailed internal images and run-throughs of the entire performance, engaging all their senses in their mental rehearsal, and they [...]

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 Paintings

3/25/2014 3:46:13 PM

I heard that Mexico City is huge. But it is really convincing when your airplane flies over this densely-populated city for what it seemed like an eternity and you see just houses upon houses as far as your eyes could see all the way to the horizon. You have to see it to believe it. During my workshop week in Mexico City recently, my host and her family showed me many corners of this megalopolis that 20+ million people call home. No matter where you go, chances are that you spend a considerable amount of time in a car in this city, [...]

Chasing the Light in Palm Desert, California Landscape Painting

1/28/2014 12:17:43 PM

I often find myself heading out to paint during the golden hour to capture soft, warm sunlight. The quality of light is what I'm after and it is just fantastic especially for a lovely atmospheric painting. But, if you have ever attempted doing this, you know how rapidly the golden-hour light changes it can make the whole landscape look totally diferent within a matter of minutes. If only we could keep the beautiful light as long as we need to finish our painting! To deal with that elusiveness, I try to remember the first impression and work with it throughout the end. [...]

On the Road (6) - China, Chinese Landscape Paintings

12/16/2013 7:54:06 PM

Traveling somewhere with plein-air painting as a primary purpose requires an itinerary definitely different from a typical sightseeing trip. For one thing, in a totally new environment in a foreign country, it normally takes a day or two just to know the ropes. So something as simple as finding a good place to paint that's safe and convenient to get to can be a big task. After spending some time scouting for such a place and managing a painting or two, chances are that a good part of a day is already gone and perhaps you're too tired to go sightseeing [...]

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 [...]

On the Road (4) - France, Interior Paintings

11/28/2013 5:26:21 PM

Recently I wrote a blog post about my workshop experience in southern Spain - how a lunchtime is taken rather seriously over there. Another country where lunch is enjoyed with vigor is France. I have taught quite a number of workshops in this country. I have found the time they take for lunch may not as long as in Spain but on many occasions lunch is a sit-down ritual, starting with a serious look at the menu and ending with a plate of various kinds of cheeses and/or incredible sweets. Bottles of wine are also a common sight on the table. Even if we don't [...]

On the Road (2) - the South, American Landscape Paintings

11/25/2013 6:18:24 PM

To me, traveling for a workshop often means arriving there just in time, getting the job done, and packing up to go home. Especially in the U.S., I rarely have extra time to do anything else. However, my workshop organizers and participants alike sometimes go out of their way to show me around their neighborhoods. In the region called the American South, I have done several workshops in the past few years. And in each place I was a happy recipient of the Southern Hospitality from people I worked with. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the gallery staff took me straight to the Philbrook [...]

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" [...]

Painting Figures

11/16/2013 1:13:31 AM

Being primarily a landscape painter, I have treated figures mostly as a small element in a landscape or a cityscape. Figures not only add more interest but also create a certain appeal that tells a story in a scene. I love putting them in my work and thinking about the role they can play in a painting. In the last year or so, I have been practicing figures as a main painting subject rather seriously. As a subject matter, it seemed so different from landcapes and I was a bit lost in the beginning, but I immediately found myself really enjoying doing [...]

Barns of Michigan, American Landscape Paintings

11/9/2013 4:03:07 PM

I teach both indoors and outdoors when I do a workshop. Obviously, both have certain advantages and challenges, and I may focus on slightly different aspects of painting, depending on where we work. During my recent workshop in Michigan, we were all painting inside, warm and cozy, in downtown Ann Arbor. The chilly November wind and occasional rain was a bit too much even for the courageous plein-air painter. So one day, I gave everyone one of my photos of a typical Michigan farm with a barn. What the photo showed was a no-brainer to paint, in fact, but we took it [...]

The Well-Traveled Road - Del Mar, California

9/2/2013 9:59:46 PM

This is a road I take to get to my favorite beach near my home. No, I don't get in the water there as it is too cold for me but to see the beautiful sunset from the cliff or just to walk or think, I like going there. I have taken this road so many times I even feel I could drive with my eyes closed. As you go downhill, you see the Pacific Ocean glisten just before the sunset. It's so beautiful I was tempted to paint it numerous times before but I never actually did. So for the [...]

Demo and Workshop in Fallbrook, California

8/30/2013 4:03:03 AM

We love sunsets. I'm not just saying. It's true, for vacation brochures, postcards sold at gift shops, wall calendars, commercial logos (and, yes, paintings, too), etc. that the ones with a sunset scene seem to be very popular. Listen to what Mr. George Lucas says: "If the boy and girl walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand in the last scene, it adds 10 million to the box office." So we love seeing a sunset, but not just for its beautiful light and colors but for the feelings evoked by it as well. I have painted quite a number of watercolors at [...]

Hachinohe Morning Market, Aomori I, Japanese Landscape Painting

8/27/2013 1:18:01 AM

Six o'clock in the morning. And this huge outdoor market by the Port of Hachinohe is already packed. They tell me that the market opens around 3am and every Sunday it's crowded with people coming from the city of Hachinohe and neighboring towns and villages. Three in the morning! It's still dark even in the summertime. I have no idea how many stalls are lined up along the quay. It seems to go on forever and I just can't see the end of it. All sorts of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, cut flowers and crafts can be found here, and every [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

Cafés in Bordeaux, French Landscape Paintings

6/26/2013 7:55:57 PM

While most of us may normally associate Bordeaux with their famous wines, this city in southwestern France has a lot more to offer: vibrant cultural life, great architecture, beautiful landscapes nearby... Cafés and bistros with wonderful atmosphere and food are also not to be missed. In fact, some of these cafés look too attractive to be enjoyed just for coffee but well worthy of extra time to set up an easel to paint. Start your day with a nice cup of coffee and good breakfast to get going. After painting all day, you can relax and have a glass of Bordeaux and [...]

Catalan Countryside I, Spanish Landscape Painting

6/23/2013 1:18:03 PM

The exact scene depicted in this painting doesn't exist. I mixed my imagination into the actual subject to fancy this idyllic scene. Although I do representational art, it is true that the imaginary process almost always plays a role in my paintings to some degree. And sometimes my painting is more imaginary than representational like this one. So when does that happen? I have found that the imaginary process happens more spontaneously when the images conjured up from an experience are still vivid, such as right after I return from a very inspirational trip. On the other hand, if I try to [...]

Tossa de Mar II, Spanish Landscape Painting

6/19/2013 12:57:55 AM

Even though we always try to do the right thing, life throws all kinds of adversity at us - and it seems unfair at times. Recently I was hit with a big one which I thought would destroy something I was working so hard for. Needless to say, I was crushed. But obstacles in life do teach us how to weather the storm. They can make us stronger, more knowledgeable, more organized and more thoughtful. Life must go on. “The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining [...]

La Jolla Art Association Plein Air Juried Show

5/28/2013 8:12:35 AM

The current show that hangs at the La Jolla Art Association is "Capture the Light: Plein-Air Juried Exhibition." I am pleased to have included two of my paintings I did on location in the southwest of France last year, Clermont-Dessous I and Bordeaux Cafe III. The show closes on June 2. Read a review of the show by Will Bowen of La Jolla Light. Clermont-Dessous, France I Click for an enlarged view. Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 13 x 19 inches (33 x 48 cm) Frame/Mat: No Purchase: Please send me an email for details. - Join me on Facebook and follow my blog on NetworkedBlogs. - Follow me [...]

La Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgian Landscape Painting

1/30/2013 3:29:20 PM

Chocolate, waffles, coffee, beer, mussels, fries... Belgium has a lot to offer to satisfy a hungry traveler's appetite. But one also finds a lot there that is simply a feast for the eyes - the Grand Place in Brussels, for example. This is not as big as some of the other world's famous squares but what a beautiful square it is. To feel the grandeur of La Grand-Place, one has to be standing in the middle of it. To really understand the historical importance and power of merchants who thrived in this commercial center, one has to see and marvel at exquisite guildhalls. Although each building may be different in size, [...]

Day's End, Romanian Landscape Painting

1/15/2013 4:30:59 AM

When the sky turns gold, it's time for farmers to wrap up their field work and go home. In the scene I painted, two farmers are busily stacking up hay onto their wagon. Something like this is quite a typical scene in the coutryside of Romania. At the end of a long summer day in the northern part of the country, watching the sky at sunset is one glorious spectacle. The colors slowly change from gold to orange to pink to purple. What makes the sky so beautiful here must be clean air as the region is mostly rural with traditional villages, [...]

Kamakura I, Japanese Landscape Painting

12/12/2012 8:39:41 PM

As a Japanese living outside Japan, one of the things I miss most is events surrounding the New Year's celebrations - hatsumode, in particular. It is the first visit to a shrine, one of the important things to do within the first three days of the New Year.I would guess most people in Japan make it a habit of doing so each year regardless of their religious beliefs. It may sound funny but it's a custom of the Japanese culture and, to many, that's a reason good enough. What they do when they go to their favorite shrine is, pray for [...]

Konak, Izmir, Turkey II

11/21/2012 4:35:05 AM

Konak Square is probably the busiest part in the city of Izmir. With the city's symbol Izmir Clock Tower in the middle, this square is always full of people, and pigeons alike, walking about in all directions. The tower was built in the Ottoman architectural style over a hundred years ago. On one evening, rain had just let up and the beautifully-silhouetted tower looked as if it rose from a mirror. One of the important buildings near the square is the state-run Izmir Painting and Sculpture Museum where I just finished my solo exhibition (read related post). I woud like to take [...]

Morning, Piazza San Marco II, Venice Italy Painting

9/28/2012 7:39:44 AM

Judging from how crowded Piazza San Marco always is, an astronomical number of people must visit Venice's main square each day. Ironically, however, they go to the square but not see the square. The Basilica, the Campanile and other elegant buildings that surround Piazza San Marco - they are always in plain sight. And most visitors stand or sit inside the square to marvel at the magnificent architecture around them while their small children, if any, chase the pigeons. But what kind of pavement is laid there on the floor? What about the design work? Not many people actually remember simply because [...]

Vienna III, Austrian Landscape Painting

9/21/2012 5:22:09 AM

If I was asked what would be the single most important quality in a painting for me, I would say a good design. Without it, the chance of producing a good painting would be very slim. But again, a good painting to one person may not be so to another. Beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder. That said, most of us intuitively agree on what constitutes a good design simply because we know it when something feels "right." I never studied the art of design formerly. So when I started painting, I knew nothing about principles and rules such [...]

Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, Portuguese Landscape Painting

9/6/2012 9:21:48 AM

For plein-air painters, there's always a possibility (or a risk, depending on how you look at it) of attracting onlookers when working outside. I have painted in many places in the world and in many different weather conditions. No matter where, I have had some kind of contact with others who were interested in what I was doing. Most of the time, they are nice, decent people who just wanted to see what I was making. I almost never had very unpleasant experience as they would just stay by my side, quietly watch and leave. But sometimes they would say something [...]