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We Can Do It: Week 4

4/26/2020 1:01:31 PM

About a month ago, we began to realize that we were not living in the world we use to know any more. While the most important thing some of us can or should do is to stay home to save lives, the others who work in essential businesses to combat pandemic threats go to work every day to save lives. To express my deep appreciation to these people, I started a humble effort called "We Can Do It," inspired by a letter from a nursing school teacher, which allows me to donate my painting every week to someone working on the [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Repetitio Est Mater Studiorum

8/19/2018 4:50:18 PM

Repetitio est mater studiorum" (Repetition is the mother of learning). I work hard when I'm serious about learning something new but I don't know if learning by repetition is the best way for me. I'm a kind of person who doesn't like reading manuals so I just start playing with a newly purchased product and figure out how to make it work (well, sometimes, never). I like to just dive in and learn by doing instead of reading or taking notes or even seeing how things are done beforehand. It may be natural for a person like me to get bored with the [...]

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 [...]

Journey Home 2017

12/13/2017 11:32:46 PM

I couldn't believe my eyes when I picked up newspaper on the first morning at my mother's, whom I visited after a year, in Kyoto, Japan last month. My father, a scholar of French literature and philosophy, deceased ten years ago, was mentioned in the front-page column. It was with the quote of Simone Weil, a French philosopher whose work my father translated into Japanese, about factory workers she chose to work with after quitting her teaching job: "The temptation to give up thinking altogether is the most difficult one to resist:one feels so clearly that it is the only way [...]

Travel Down Under

9/13/2017 9:19:41 PM

My first trip to Oz (Australia) last month was heaps of fun and an awesome learning opportunity with a few doses of culture shock. I started my adventure in Sydney, met up with my artist friend who organized my first 2 workshops in Newcastle and Mittagong, spent a mini holiday with her in the spectacular and very windy Blue Mountains, taught another workshop in Brisbane, met up with other friends in the balmy Noosa, taught in Adelaide, took a little trip to Hahndorf, and taught in Fremantle a.k.a. Freo. At the beginning of my 5-week trip it felt like winter there [...]

San Diego + Plein Air Painting = A Perfect Match for Me

4/16/2017 8:40:08 PM

Knowing I'm an avid plein-air painter who travels around the world often, many people ask me where my favorite place to paint is. I could name spots in the Mediterranean region, Japan, California, etc... but that's not an easy one to answer, in fact, because, to be honest, it is not really where or what to paint that I consider the most important when it comes to plein-air painting. What grabs me, what inspires me, what excites me can be found anywhere and can happen any time. Then, if I take the time, or seize the moment, I will begin to establish [...]

Plein Air or Studio?

4/2/2017 9:26:09 AM

"Everything that is painted directly and on the spot has always a strength, a power, a vivacity of touch which one cannot recover in the studio... three strokes of a brush in front of nature are worth more than two days of work at the easel." - Eugene Boudin When I became a full-time painter back in 2005, there was no question in my mind that landscapes must be painted directly from nature. I had no one telling me to do this but I started painting outside once or twice a week in the same year. With very little experience and almost [...]

Play to Fuel Creativity

2/24/2017 10:14:43 AM

"Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation." - Michael Schrage My cell phone gets recharged every day but me? I have been neglecting myself a little too long, so when my Mexican friends got me out of my daily routine, which has been pretty grueling these months, to stay at a lovely seaside villa of one of them, I felt like a bird out of a cage. Days of enjoying being with friends, eating, laughing, dancing, feeling the sun and ocean breeze, doing whatever we wanted to do (in my case, it was plein air painting & soaking [...]

Listen to Your Muse

1/2/2017 12:01:11 PM

Happy New Year! When the champagne glasses were empty and the confetti settled, I wanted whatever I'd do right after the year-end countdown to be representative of what I determine to work on to improve in the new year. So I went to my newly set-up studio and painted. A bit bleary-eyed, I just wanted to play and throw some painting ideas around that I had for some time but my brain (or the champagne?) was saying, it's a new year, a new beginning, so why not use some new colors, new brushes and new methods to do some crazy stuff. There was [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

A Little Sketch Goes A Long Way

3/2/2016 1:06:16 AM

Winter is over and it's time to get out in the field for plein-air painting. Sounds great? I know it's Yes for some people but for the others it may be one of those things that are easier said than done. Especially if you made your studio too comfortable during harsh winter months, or if you have never painted outside, it may seem a bit daunting to venture out of the studio. Well, you can relax and take a less intimidating approach: make a small sketch outside instead of a full-scale painting. These small sketches, called fieldwork, are something I enjoy immensely. [...]

I Didn't Choose Art

2/27/2016 1:36:48 AM

"So how did you become an artist?" - Almost everywhere I go, people ask me this question. Most of them seem to already know that I never attended art school and was establishing myself professionally in a totally different field. But in 2005 I quit my job in marketing to paint full-time and thus the question. Perhaps people find my career change interesting or even strange that I never studied art formally or never worked in the creative field before that. In response I usually tell them my story with a few anecdotes. However, in my mind there's an answer to [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Quick studies made even quicker with W&N markers

10/22/2015 6:56:54 PM

It is a huge honor that I was named a brand ambassador by Winsor & Newton earlier this year. One of their products that I have become particularly fond of is their watercolor markers. Colors so vibrant and of fine quality are a pure joy to play with. I have also found its versatility incredible, and its portability hard not to love, especially for a constant traveler like myself. Being an avid plein-air painter, I prefer setting up on site to do even sketches with paints and brushes. There is no problem in most cases as my landscapes subject doesn't move and [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

Portugal - Quiet Beauty

6/29/2015 9:09:50 PM

Back roads in the region of Mafra meander through rolling hills and valleys that are dotted with lovely rural villages and forests. Landscape in this region is so beautiful and the overall atmosphere so peaceful and quiet. Less than an hour from Lisbon, Portugal's largest city, it doesn't feel like a big city is so close. But I have found people in Portugal to be very gentle and mild-mannered and even in Lisbon, a more relaxed mood prevails compared to other big cities I know. I was very fortunate to be invited to do a workshop there last month. In just 4 days we had opportunities to paint a farm, a seaside resort, [...]

Maybe Foes in Soccer but Friends in Watercolor

5/26/2015 2:17:59 AM

Barcelona and Bilbao. I was recently in both cities in Spain to conduct plein-air workshops. Walking on the streets, I couldn't help noticing how much people there love soccer (or fútbol in Spanish) as their love for the sport, and for their local team in particular, was evident with their own team's flags and banners displayed all over town to show their support. Two teams from these cities may be rivals in soccer, but this is not a case in the watercolor community at all. I found, first-hand, watercolor painters I worked with in both cities were equally friendly, kind, enthusiastic, supportive of each [...]

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 [...]

International Watercolor Exhibition - Thessaloniki, Greece

9/29/2014 11:42:39 PM

I am honored to have my work included in the Second International Watercolor Exhibition, which opened on September 15 in Thessaloniki, Greece. This show was organized by George Politis, a wonderful Greek watercolor artist and a dedicated teacher, and will run until October 7. I have "Afternoon, Venice, Italy IV" and the other piece of Venice in this exhibition. Showcasing small- to medium-sized watermedia gems from both Greek and international artists, who were selected by a panel of international jurors, the exhibition is worth visiting if you are near the Gallery of Society of Macedonian Studies in Thessaloniki, the second-largest Greek city. Thessaloniki [...]

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 [...]

World Watermedia Exposition & Workshop in Thailand

6/17/2014 3:13:12 AM

The World Watermedia Exposition in Thailand (WWET) is truly a world-class watercolor event. In recognition of the importance and popularity of watermedia, the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (Ministry of Culture of Thailand) organized the first international exhibition in Bangkok where 289 watermedia works are currently on view. 116 international artists and 30 Thai artists have been selected to participate in the show which runs until July 20 at the Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center in Bangkok. I was deeply honored to be invited by the Director-General of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture to participate both in the exhibition 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 (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 [...]