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San Diego Watercolor Society 28th International Exhibition Opening Reception is this Friday

9/30/2008 1:34:10 AM

Please join the San Diego Watercolor Society this Friday, October 3, 5:00-8:00pm for the opening reception of the 28th International Exhibition, juried by Linda Doll, AWS, NWS. She selected 90 watercolors out of 568 entries by artists from 33 states and 4 countries. Show runs from October 1 through 31, 2008. The galley is located at 2825 Dewey Road, Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92106, (619) 876-4550. Open daily (in October) 11:00am-5:00pm. -- Journey Home VII from my Japanese Landscapes Collection will be in the Exhibition. Journey Home VII Media: original watercolor on paper Image Size: 14.25 x 21.5 inches Purchase: Sold [...]

Poetry by Pablo Neruda

9/29/2008 2:00:42 AM

Mario, a mail delivery man on a remote island in Italy meets a world-famous Chilean poet/politician in exile. The poet introduces Mario to the world of poetry and teaches him what a metaphor is. It changes the way Mario sees the world and his life, too. I love the story in this Italian film "Il Postino"… and the scenery! Some parts of the movie were filmed on the small island called Procida off the coast of Naples. There you will find a much simpler life unlike the ultra-touristy, nearby Capri. The poet was none other than Pablo Neruda whose powerful words have [...]

Joie de Vivre

9/28/2008 3:28:06 PM

Petanque (Arles, France) IV Every time I visit France, I cannot help thinking that the French people really know how to enjoy simple things in life such as good food and conversation. It is widely believed that they take eating very seriously and I think so, too. I remember sitting next to a couple in a restaurant who spent 20 minutes with their waiter before they finally decided what to eat. And the waiter was equally enthusiastic, giving full details of their dishes. They go to their favorite shops for meat, fish, cheese and pastries instead of buying everything at a supermarket. [...]

Autumn in Kyoto, Japan

9/26/2008 3:48:52 PM

Autumn Leaves, Kyoto, Japan I A visit to Kyoto in autumn cannot be complete without walking on the Path of Philosophy, which takes you on a stroll along a small canal in the Eastern Kyoto. You will not only enjoy autumn leaves on both sides of the canal but you also have an easy access to many temples, gardens and tea houses that nestle in the lush forests nearby. One such place worthy of a stopover is Honen-in Temple. Almost hidden deep in the bamboo grove, it offers a most serene atmosphere with beautiful gardens. This small plein-air painting shows [...]

Amore

9/25/2008 12:24:57 PM

The setting of this painting is Alessandria in Northern Italy. The perimeter of the huge town square is lined with magnificent buildings built in a style typical of the Piedmont region. When I was there on one rainy afternoon, going-home traffic was coming in and out this square from all directions, and soon I found myself surrounded by cars. Then I spotted a couple, sharing an umbrella, dodging cars with ease. The rain was letting up and the sky glowed as the sun set. This is one of those moments when you want to say, "That's amore." Amore [...]

Watercolor Display at San Diego Airport

9/24/2008 12:18:33 AM

If you like art and go to the airport for whatever reason, wouldn’t you be happy to find a nice display of original paintings? Now through January 16 of 2009, there will be an exhibit of plein-air paintings (in watercolor) of various places of San Diego, California in the Terminal 2 East of the San Diego International Airport. Presented by the San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS), the exhibit showcases 15 plein-air paintings created by the SDWS members. It’s in the exhibit hall area (lower level), east of the baggage claim. The SDWS brochures are also available on the spot. - Visit my website to [...]

When in Rome

9/22/2008 2:26:44 AM

Roma, Italia I When in Rome, I walk everywhere to soak up the Old World ambiance. I marvel at colors and architectural designs of the buildings and have fun thinking how I can paint them. I eat a sweet peach at the Campo dei Fiori outdoor market. I let my imagination go back in time to live in the glorious ancient times. I don’t mind getting up early to avoid a horrendously long line to enter the Vatican. I climb to the top of the Spanish steps to see the sunset. I don’t forget to stop for a gelato. At the end [...]

An Apple a Day

9/20/2008 1:58:36 PM

As the days are getting shorter, I feel a little nostalgic about Julian around this time each year. Julian is a mountain hamlet known for its apples, just an hour drive east of San Diego. Many, including myself, go there for apple-picking in its orchards. There is also plenty to delightfully stimulate artists’ eyes – the main street lined with gold-rush-era buildings, quaint diners and shops, changing color of leaves, horses grazing, many species of wild birds... And don't forget to please your appetite, too. You can't leave there without a warm slice of apple pie and apple cider. I don’t really think that “with an apple, [...]

My Favorite Subjects (2) - Cars & Scooters

9/19/2008 11:16:40 AM

Amalfi, Italy II I just love painting cars and scooters. To me, they are beautiful supporting actors in many of my street scene paintings such as this one, Amore. When I walk or drive, I cannot help noticing a shiny roof of a car or a perfect streamlined body of a motorcycle. Show me a silhouette of a car at sunset or a Vespa zipping by, and I almost immediately get the urge to paint the street where I see them. I have never been a car aficionado or anything remotely close. Growing up in Japan where you can go almost anywhere [...]

How I Paint (1) - Las Hermanas

9/17/2008 1:59:13 AM

Some of you have asked me to talk about how I paint. I am honored when people are interested in how I do my work (thank you!). Although my approach can be varied, depending on the subject, the paper size, how much time I have, how intrepid I feel, etc., I’d like to show you the creative process I typically follow, using Las Hermanas, one of my watercolors in Spanish Landscapes Collection, as an example. I used this photo (shown above) I took in Cordoba, Spain as a reference. My pencil drawing is usually very quick and [...]

Success at Outdoor Art Fairs

9/15/2008 1:38:30 AM

I’ve been on the art fair circuit only for a few years and very infrequently. Despite my limited experience, I think I can say that success at an art fair depends upon the exhibiting artist’s personality. Yesterday I was at ArtWalk on the Bay, an outdoor fine art festival in San Diego, to observe that first-hand. Some artists were busily engaging visitors in a lively conversation while others were lounging in their beach chairs away from their booths. There were a few who sat in the back of their booths with a grumpy look or buried themselves in a magazine. I was not [...]

My Favorite Subjects (1) - Paris Café

9/13/2008 6:25:57 PM

Paris Café X (La Rotonde) I rarely paint portraits or still lifes or animals. As you see, my large body of work consists of streetscapes and that’s undeniably my favorite subject. My creativity gets inspired when I am in a place where I feel the energy of its city life, the weight of its rich history or a sense of belonging. I especially find beauty in what would be very ordinary in people’s daily lives. In Paris, cafés are practically everywhere and have been an important part of people's lives for decades. Shown here in "Paris Café X" is La Rotonde, [...]

A Thousand Winds

9/11/2008 5:58:26 PM

Today I just want to take a moment to remember those who touched our hearts by quoting one of the most beautiful poems, "A Thousand Winds." Do not stand at my grave and weep; / I am not there. I do not sleep. / I am a thousand winds that blow. / I am the diamond glints on snow. / I am the sunlight on ripened grain. / I am the gentle autumn rain. / When you awaken in the morning's hush, / I am the swift uplifting rush / Of quiet birds in circled flight. / I am the soft stars [...]

Journey Home I

9/10/2008 10:11:45 PM

Every winter I return to Kyoto, Japan, my hometown, to visit my family. Journey Home I was created after such a trip a few years ago. It captures a typical early evening scene on a backstreet in this ancient city where people are shopping for groceries at neighborhood stores. Mundane, the sight evoked a sense of déjà vu in me. It was the return of distant memory long forgotten of my childhood in Japan and I had to paint it. This painting received several awards and is included in the recently-published Splash 10: Passionate Brushstrokes (North Light Books), a perennial art book filled with beautiful, inspirational watercolor paintings selected from hundreds of submissions [...]

Outdoor Art Fairs

9/9/2008 11:18:52 PM

Maybe because I work in my studio most of the time, I really enjoy meeting people and talking about art at outdoor art fairs. As those of you artists who have done art fairs know well, you become totally exhausted at the end. And there's also a lot of muscle work involved as you are pratically moving your studio, if not all, outside to set up a shop for a day or two. However, it is hard to find anything more rewarding than having people visit my booth (out of many) who want to see my watercolors and who want to talk with me. When they make a [...]

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