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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 [...]

Simplifying a Painting

2/25/2019 10:08:46 PM

This is an article that I wrote for Outdoor Painter, the home of PleinAir magazine, about one of the most important topics for plein-air painters, How to Simplify a Painting. This doesn't just happen. We have to make it happen. How does one simplify a complex scene in a painting? My approach to this question starts with having a vision. I want to have a solid idea about what I want to communicate and what I want to achieve in a painting before I begin. I use this as a guide to make some of the important creative decisions including simplification. Whether [...]

Like A Child

4/7/2018 12:54:02 AM

To me, a landscape painter, whether or not to go out to paint is not a question I have to ask. No matter the season or no matter where I am. I feel I must paint outside, from nature, from life. Why? I could say "just because." Or I could say something like "I just love being outside." That is true but it is also true that the idea of painting from photos never occurred to me when I started painting some 14 years ago. The reason was simply because I didn't remember using photos the last time I painted in my [...]

Pre-Sale Begins: My First DVD "Spanish Landscapes in Watercolour"

5/28/2016 11:02:51 AM

As I wrote on my blog exactly a year ago, my first DVD set is about to be launched from Veopintar, a Spanish video production company. I am very happy and excited that five complete plein-air demonstrations that I did in Spain last year are included in this 2-DVD set. The audio portion will be available in English and Spanish. Watch the trailer on YouTube. Veopintar has just started offering my DVD set as a pre-sale with a 10% discount (this offer is valid until June 15, 2016) from their website. The shipment will be after June 16 2016. Download this DVD I hope you will [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

NEW BOOK: Painting San Diego, 100 Plein-Air Watercolors of San Diego Landscapes

6/2/2014 12:53:21 AM

I am very pleased to announce that my new art book is now available online. PAINTING SAN DIEGO: 100 Plein-Air Watercolors of San Diego Landscapes is a result of my recent 6-month-long outdoor painting journey through San Diego County, California, my adopted home of 20 years. The book contains 100 images of never-before-seen watercolors of mine, all painted en plein air between November 2013 and May 2014, photos and descriptions of most locations, plenty of practical tips and several step-by-step demonstrations. 120 pages. Foreword was written by Michael Campos of Campos Photography, a fine art photographer and a dear friend whom I have [...]

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 [...]

From Plein-Air Sketch to Studio Painting

3/2/2014 10:16:52 PM

About nine years ago, I started out both as a plein-air painter and as a studio artist. As a watercolorist who paints in both environments, I have come to realize that there are unique qualities in each type of work. A painting done on location is my direct response to the landscape. I attempt to capture the whole experience of being there. For that purpose, I need to concentrate intensely to work fast. I so enjoy getting absorbed in the environment when the inspiration cannot be any fresher. As a result, the painting may look looser, more simplified or sketchy, and perhaps [...]

Recent Magazine Features

1/29/2014 3:13:21 AM

I am deeply honored to have my work featured in the 2014 March issue of Artists & Illustrators (published by Chelsea Magazine Co., Ltd., United Kingdom). Ms. Jenny White gave me an interview for my article. She asked me a lot of great questions about my thoughts on painting watercolor as well as teaching it. I hope you will enjoy reading it if you have a chance. Thanks to the article, one of my street scene paintings included in it "Bucharest, Romania I (2012)" saw the light of day. This work reminds me of my visit to this delightful city where I [...]

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. [...]

Al Ponte di Rialto, Venice II, Italian Landscape Painting

10/31/2013 8:21:42 PM

My travel sketchbooks vary in size but my favorites are 8.5"x5.5" or 12"x9". If my primary purpose of going somewhere is solely to paint, I, of course, carry with me all the plein-air painting gear, a tripod and a watercolor block of much larger size up to 18"x24, " which can be quite a handful. If I want to visit a place first, I like the portability of my small sketchbook just to make quick studies in whenever and wherever I want. And I do this sometimes with just lines, or sometimes with a few colors. My 12"x9" is actually a watercolor [...]

Rainy Day, Bordeaux I, French Landscape Painting

6/25/2013 4:20:41 AM

In my previous blog post, I said imagination can be one of the important ingredients in my creative process. But I was talking about my studio paintings. What about when I work en plein air? When I paint the subject that is in front of me, does imagination influence my vision and painting process? I believe so. I remember, when I just started painting outdoors, I was trying to describe faithfully or report in my painting what my eyes saw. But as I had more experience, I was begininng to digest the visual information to edit and to make my own story [...]

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 [...]

Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville, Spain, Interior Painting (2)

8/31/2012 4:04:58 AM

Inspiration… where do we artists look for it or does it just come to us? We all suffer from a creative block from time to time and we know that's when we struggle to find it. But other than that, if we stay open-minded, we just know when we have it. When I visited Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain with my artist friends, we were all so excited with the lovely atmosphere inside and got in a sketching frenzy immediately. No doubt there we had it - we were fully inspired (click here to see a painting I did there). I just [...]

Nice, France V, French Landscape Painting

1/25/2011 9:49:04 AM

Light can be gentle, dangerous, dreamlike, bare, living, dead, misty, clear, hot, dark, violet, springlike, falling, straight, sensual, limited, poisonous, calm and soft (Sven Nykvist). When I paint into the light, I think of first what kind of light I am trying to paint. Here in Nice, on the southeast coast of France, mid-day light can be very unrelenting to the point of being painful sometimes. Light brings out colors more vividly but when it's intense, the strong contrast between light and shadow areas seems to look almost black and white. With that in mind, I used a wide range of [...]

Napoli, Italy VII, Italian Landscape Painting

10/14/2010 3:08:04 AM

Napoli, Italy VII What color symbolizes may be different from culture to culture, or even from person to person. I'm not an expert on symbolism of color but I know it does funny things to our psychology. I have painted streets from different corners of the world, and I have found I choose the color(s) I associate with a particular place in my painting of the place. This doesn't happen all the time, but I find it very intriguing when it does. One example is today's painting. I didn't intend to color the street this way, but doesn't the foreground look [...]

Roma, Italia XXXVI, Italian Landscape Painting

9/15/2010 2:23:20 AM

Roma, Italia XXXVI Not being formally trained in art and not being afraid of creative experimentation are like two sides of the coin. I don't mean it in any offensive way, however, because anybody who creates art embraces the freedom to experiment regardless of their background. But for those (including myself) who didn't go to art schools to learn what they teach, ignorance may be bliss in order to gain experience by trying new things without worrying about do's and dont's (or grades?). Of course, without proper guidance, that could easily mean lots of bad paintings and a sense of failure [...]

Roma, Italia XXXI, Italian Landscape Painting

7/23/2010 11:56:34 AM

Out of many squares in Rome, who wouldn't love the Piazza della Rotonda? Some might ask, "where is that?" because the name of the square may not be as popular as the image of it. But "rotonda" meaning a round building in Italian, it's easy to think of one, a famous one, that fits the description - the Pantheon. Always crowded and lively, this square is so well-known that, if you can't remember the name, you can simply say to your friend, "let's meet up in the square of the Pantheon." This is how I started this painting. [...]

Torino, Italy IV, Italian Landscape Painting

6/1/2010 1:55:19 AM

In my fourth painting of the city of Turin (Torino), once again I used the portico as a design motif. Since it is the city's architectural signature, it adds a special touch to this painting that really helped me immerse in the exact moment I was there. But in this piece, a main event is, of course, a little flower market that I found between buildings. While the lifeblood of this market scene was all kinds of cheerful colors of flowers, the dark shadow of a building, not to mention that of a huge umbrella, obscured them on a bright [...]

Genova, Italy V, Italian Landscape Painting

5/2/2010 12:39:28 AM

Genova, Italy V It started raining when I was walking down on Via Balbi toward the old section of Genova (or Genoa). Wondering whether I should look for shelter to wait it out, I heard "Prego" and found an old man gesturing to usher me in. I didn't realize I was in front of the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato and the gentleman was a gatekeeper. I thought I would be a fool not to stop there to avoid getting wet, and I was also tempted to see the inside of this Baroque-style cathedral. But I was in a hurry [...]

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 (#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 [...]

Venice Canal VII, Venice, Italy Painting

2/11/2010 3:05:00 AM

Whenever I get an idea for a new painting, I become so excited and anxious I can't wait to put it down on a paper. So my drawing is pretty quick and simple. I draw, with a 4B or 6B pencil, all the main shapes and a few details, especially highlights where I want to preserve the white of a paper. Then, I gaze at the paper in front of me for a moment, trying to visualize the painting I'd like to make happen. This is a small but very important step in my process because it makes me aware [...]

Venice Canal VI, Venice, Italy Painting

2/3/2010 1:34:02 AM

According to Truman Capote, "Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go." Not really meaning to prove him right, I happened to have a box of chocolate liqueurs sitting in my studio when I was thinking what to paint. Lo and behold, it sure put me in the mood for another piece of Venice canal. I decided to use a photo I took (below) which shows an ordinary canal scene on a gray day. To me, reference photos are for just that, for reference only. How faithfully I paint to what's in it or how [...]

Paris Cafe XXXVIII, French Landscape Painting

1/27/2010 1:34:23 AM

This café, near an entrance to the Luxembourg Gardens, is in such a great location it seems always busy. Late afternoon the light was coming straight into the terrace where people were enjoying a drink before heading home or for other evening activities... This is the story of this painting. But I hope you will see what will happen after this scene. A waiter will come and clear one of the round tables that was just vacated. Soon these three tables (in front) will be taken by more customers as an evening approaches. Here's how I painted this scene: [...]

Pauma Valley, San Diego I, California Landscape Painting

12/15/2009 1:56:35 AM

When I start a studio painting from a field sketch or a reference photo, I go at it with full confidence and much excitement but my semi-conscious mind always knows it may or may not work. For one thing, watercolor is such an elusive medium. Oftentimes, if a painting doesn't work out, it's too difficult to salvage or rework it. A painting may look good at first but it can lose a certain flow at some point and initial enthusiasm may quickly fade. An experienced watercolorist will know then how to get back in the flow quickly, or even to [...]

San Diego 100 (#80) - Carmel Valley, California Landscape Painting

10/17/2009 4:19:49 AM

Carmel Valley (SD100-80) Before the current recession hit, rapid population growth added many new local communities in and around San Diego. They literally kept sprouting like mushrooms after the rain. Housing developments were happening no matter where we looked, and sprawling hills, farms or any open space seemed to have been converted very quickly to residential neighborhoods and office compounds. Carmel Valley in the northwestern corner of San Diego has so many new homes built within its boundaries in the last decade or so. I still remember just 12 or 13 years ago much of Carmel Valley was more rustic with horse ranches and farms [...]

Procida, Italy VI, Italian Landscape Painting

10/8/2009 1:53:43 AM

Procida, Italy VI To me, selection of a subject matter is usually a one-shot approach. But when I am hopelessly taken with a particular scene, I paint it again and again. The first painting is naturally the most direct expression of my emotional response to it, but I feel I have more freedom in subsequent paintings as I get to know the subject better. So I play with designs, colors, forms, etc. Sometimes I even change the time of day or the weather with a little help of imagination (Read my related blog post Power of Imagination). A sunset scene at a small harbor on an island called Procida is one of [...]

Avignon, France I, French Landscape Painting

9/15/2009 1:34:59 AM

In his bi-weekly letter where his personal thoughts and insights are shared, Robert Genn, a renowned Canadian painter and inspirational writer, recently quoted one of his readers' question: "How do you get yourself into a right brain mode? ... I've experienced it in working with oils. Time disappears and one is totally in the present. Watercolor is another matter. There are so many things one has to think about in the process that I find myself much more left-brained than I want to be." In response, Genn offers a few suggestions for artists to get into "a dreamy flow" or to become [...]

Paris Café XLVI, French Landscape Painting

8/27/2009 1:39:00 AM

What if it was sunny? What if this building looked more exciting? What if I could fill the street with light? What if I could change everything that I see just to have fun? These questions might have been in my head when I did this painting. Whether en plein air or working from a photo, sometimes we find ourselves too preoccupied with painting the scene exactly how it is. There's nothing wrong with it; in fact that is good training to hone our technical skills. But if we start focusing on copying what's in front of us instead of painting what we [...]

Duomo, Milano Painting Commission

6/28/2009 7:11:49 AM

This painting was a commission piece (posted yesterday). An owner of a new Italian restaurant on the island of Coronado (in San Diego) asked me last month to do a large piece of the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano). He seemed to be very partial to this massive yet very elegant church as it was obvious from the look in his eyes. Originally from Milan, he's now working as a very successful restauranteur in San Diego and is married to a lovely American lady. I was excited! When I was in Milan in 2007 and saw the cathedral, I thought, "Some day I am going to paint it." [...]

Milano, Italy VII, Italian Landscape Painting

6/8/2009 12:16:49 AM

As shown in my previous "How I Paint" blog posts, my typical painting process consists mainly of two stages: first wash and detail work. Sometimes I start off with a rather soft wash and later layer subsequent washes to achieve the desired tonal values overall. At other times, I begin with a bolder approach in that I carefully put in just the right amount of pigments and the right choice of colors in my first wash so the painting almost looks finished from the beginning. The key in this method is to establish the broader scale of tonal values at the initial stage. I [...]

Cassis, France I, French Landscape Painting

5/20/2009 1:34:40 AM

Cassis, France I I have to admit I am not really big on colors most of the time but this painting was about colors. From the very start, I wanted to use all colors that I had on my palette: cobalt blue, ultramarine, cerulean blue, prussian blue, turquoise, raw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt umber, cad red, cad orange, gamboge, alizarin crimson ... The question I kept asking when I painted this was "which color next?" It was fun to let the colors sing but this approach was a bit unusual for me. Usually I do try to stay true [...]

Lisbon Café V & VI, Interior Painting

5/2/2009 1:34:03 AM

One of the oldest and most famous cafés in Lisbon, Portugal, Brasileira was a travel destination in and of itself. During a stay in Lisbon, I wanted to head for this café first. I could feel anticipation building high as I looked for this place. The minute I walked in, I was dazzled. The Old World atmosphere of this historic café made me want to paint it right away. The interiors were filled with charm of Art Deco style - decorative chandeliers, mirrors on the walls, a long dark oak bar, checkered floor tiles, etc. I was intrigued to see [...]

Paris Café XXXIV, French Landscape Painting

4/20/2009 11:49:28 PM

This cafe, in the Marais district of Paris, was full, inside and outside. Actually, the entire neighborhood was full of people, mostly young, who seemed to come here to dine and socialize. The vibrant energy in the air told me that this must be one of the hip places in today's Paris. See how this painting developed: Paris Café XXXIV Click here for a larger image of "Paris Café XXXIV" painting. Media: Original watercolor on paper Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. Mat/Frame: Yes/No Mat Size: 14 x 18 in. (color: off-white) [...]

Venice Canal IV, Venice Italy Painting

4/18/2009 12:36:46 AM

Just how many different kinds of artist's palettes are being sold is anybody's guess. Speaking for watercolor artists, at an art store or art supply online site, there is a wide variety of palettes available. One with lots of wells, one with open wells, plastic, porcelain, butcher tray, round, rectangular, large and small... Choices are so many it's overwhelming. It must be especially so for beginners (I've been there!). Being able to make a choice is nice, but the problem is, you never know which type works best for you until you actually use it. After trying several kinds, I [...]

Venezia VII, Venice Italy Painting

4/15/2009 1:34:02 AM

In painting this canal scene in Venice, I used one of my old paintings from 3 years ago as a reference source (shown below). I painted "Venetian Holiday II-4" right after my visit to Venice in 2006. While my memory was still fresh, I used a couple of photos and a sketch to make the painting. Three years later, traveling down memory lane, I find myself still remembering some but not all the things that my senses had captured during the trip. The older our memory gets, the fuzzier and simpler (or forgotten!) it becomes. Good memories may come back as glorified images and bad memories as nightmares. [...]