Keiko Tanabe - Blog: Irish Landscapes

Plein Air in the Emerald Isle

9/2/2018 6:44:41 AM

I just returned from 10 days of intense painting and fun in Ireland, resulting from receiving the honor of being one of the invited guest artists in the 11th Art in the Open. This international plein air painting event was held in Wexford in Ireland's South-East region and has grown into the largest of its kind in Europe. Together with other guest artists and 200 participants from 14 countries, I painted city scenes, charming villages, castles, harbors, beaches, animals on a farm, and the typical Irish rural landscape, every day, from morning till night. I also taught 2 workshops. A variety [...]

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 [...]

Travel with a Sketchbook

9/8/2015 2:43:52 AM

I used to take a lot of photos when I traveled. Mostly for keeping memories but I also thought some day I would use these photos to make paintings from. Well, some got used for that purpose, but the reality is, when there were too many, most didn’t even get looked at… buried somewhere on my computer. Plus back in my studio after a trip I found it difficult to feel just as inspired as I did when I took the photo. Luckily I discovered the joy of plein-air painting early on and have been doing it almost from the beginning as [...]