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Route de la Lavande III, French Landscape Painting

4/29/2009 11:00:29 PM

Route de la Lavande, Sault, France III I can't remember when this love affair began, but I've always loved lavender. So, when I had a chance to visit an acquaintance of mine who lives in the highlands of the Provence region, I scheduled my visit there at the height of a blooming season of this fragrant flower. Sault, a village neat Mont Ventoux, is situated along the Lavender Road and is really France's lavender capital. The summer days were extremely hot and dry. But that didn't stop me from venturing out. I was happy walking along fields of blue [...]

San Diego 100 (#54) - Del Mar and (#55) - Del Mar Dog Beach, California Landscape Painting

4/29/2009 1:12:00 AM

Del Mar (SD100-54) Del Mar is a lovely seaside town just north of Torrey Pines State Beach. Because the area around here is so picturesque, it once attracted Hollywood stars. This painting shows a main street that runs through this small town. There's no high-rises; many buildings along the street are small and quaint-looking with a European atmosphere. Beaches are very popular, too, with both locals and vacationers, and many come here for surfing as in Beach Boys' song "You'd catch em surfin at Del Mar... (Surfin' USA)." Del Mar Dog Beach is located at the north end of [...]

Paris Café XXXV (La Palette), French Landscape Painting

4/28/2009 1:33:02 AM

This cafe is located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the Left Bank in Paris. The clientele was a largely youngish crowd. With the École des Beaux-Arts being just a stone's throw away, some of them were probably art students from the famed school. I also saw some intellectual types and a fashion model when I was there. Near here there were other cafés, brasseries, galleries and boutiques but the narrow streets of this neighborhood were surprisingly quiet and cozy. Even though this area was known for intellectual life in the past, the air was not pretentious at [...]

San Diego 100 (#53) - Vineyard in Spring, California Landscape Painting

4/27/2009 1:35:33 AM

San Diego is home to many wineries, including this one located in San Pasqual Valley. There's no surprise here considering the average temperature is almost always somewhere between 58 and 73 degrees. And there is plenty of sun all year round, especially in inland areas. When I was there, some men were hard at work preparing the soil. Some were checking the wires and posts so grape vines would grow nicely. This is a view from the barrel room, looking towards vineyards that spread up and down the surrounding hills. One can only imagine what marvelous wine will be made from the grapes after a [...]

Mission Federal ArtWalk

4/26/2009 1:08:43 AM

Pasta Shop. Little Italy, San Diego The first day of the Mission Federal ArtWalk weekend was a big success! The forecasted rain didn't arrive and instead we had a sunny, breezy day, which was perfect for strolling. That's what so many art-loving people did on the streets of Little Italy, San Diego on Saturday. I met not just local people but also quite a few from out-of-town. I'd like to thank those of you who visited my booth and purchased my paintings. The festivity continues till Sunday, so come and join us for great art, great music, great food, all in [...]

Art Fairs and the Economy

4/25/2009 1:34:18 AM

Little Iatly, San Diego IV With the arrival of spring, art fair season is starting across the country. The most serious artists on an art fair circuit will find themselves at a different event venue almost every weekend for a few months from now. Without a doubt, art fairs provide artists with a great opportunity to show their art to a wide variety of audience in a relatively short time. Meeting potential buyers and actually selling is a real confidence booster. I'm not exactly on an art fair circuit, but I do a few events a year and know first-hand how [...]

Firenze, Italy VI, Italian Landscape Painting

4/24/2009 1:36:22 AM

Most visitors to Florence go up to Piazza Michelangelo to enjoy this panoramic view of Italy's Renaissance city. Almost everyone takes pictures there. The sight is just incredible. It's a natural response to something as beautiful as this view that we want to capture the experience of seeing it and being there. What about us painters? When moved by what we see, our first thought is usually, "Oh, I want to paint it," isn't it? It didn't matter that hundreds, or possibly thousands, of paintings have been made of this view of Florence. I had to paint it, too, simply [...]

Bouquinistes of Paris II, French Landscape Painting

4/23/2009 12:46:45 AM

Bouquinistes of Paris II Bouquinistes (old book sellers) and their green stalls under towering trees - That's one of the scenes so uniquely Paris. They have been sung in chansons, written about in novels, and fondly remembered by visitors to Paris. Why do they hold such an important place in many people's hearts? One reason may be that they are always found along the river Seine. Not many rivers in the world are as famous and important as the Seine. This major river running through Paris has witnessed many historical events. Walking along the Seine, we can see some of [...]

San Diego 100 (#51) - Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, California Landscape Painting

4/22/2009 12:56:29 AM

The largest of all 21 California missions, Mission San Luis Rey was built in 1798 between San Diego and San Juan Capistrano. Because of its stunning beauty and easy access, this is a popular place for plein-air painters in San Diego. I made several paintings there, too. Although many views of the exteriors and interiors were intriguing to paint, I was looking for something more than the timeless nature of this place. Something that happens only once. A unique moment to record. That's when I saw this Hispanic couple walk out of the church. "That's my story," I thought, and made [...]

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) [...]

Procida, Italy I, Italian Landscape Painting

4/20/2009 1:20:03 AM

When the famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was in exile in the 1950s, he spent some time on the island of Capri in southern Italy. His life there was depicted in my favorite Italian movie Il Postino. Part of the movie was filmed on a nearby island Procida. This movie has a sad ending, but there are many funny scenes that are so unforgettable that I can see them in my head. One is that when Mario, a shy postman who delivers mail for Neruda, fell madly in love with Beatrice, a beautiful barmaid, he couldn't say anything to her. So [...]

Procida, Italy II, Italian Landscape Painting

4/19/2009 1:05:28 AM

When I want to watch the movie with a very touching story and breath-taking sceneries, "Il Postino" is always one of my top choices. This Italian film is about Mario, a naive mail carrier and how his meeting with Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet, changed his life. It blew my mind in many ways when I first saw it, and I watched it many times thereafter (Click here to read a related post on Neruda's Poetry). One of the things that captivated me so strongly was a setting of this film: A poor Italian fishing village on a tiny island [...]

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 [...]

Paris Café XXXII, French Landscape Painting

4/17/2009 12:27:51 AM

It is early on a Sunday morning in Paris. Not many people are out walking; few cars are on the streets; and tables are not ready at neighborhood cafés. Around the corner, I see café chairs still stacked up high, wet with morning dews. Within a couple of hours, the same scene will look entirely different, with people starting to fill the sidewalks and cars coming and going from all directions. And waiters from this cafe will busily set up tables for customers soon. If it gets sunny, yellow umbrellas will provide nice shades. Years ago I stayed at a [...]

Montmartre, Paris I, French Landscape Painting

4/16/2009 12:17:25 AM

Montmartre, Paris I It was much colder than normal here in San Diego yesterday. And very windy. As I looked out the window of my studio, I saw palm trees swaying, and I heard the gusts roaring throughout the day. The weather does affect my mood, which is more or less likely to affect how I approach my painting subject. For example, I may paint a snowy scene in the summer if I have to, but it is hard to get in the wintry mood when I feel like going to the beach. When a heat wave lasts longer than 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. [...]

Mexican Folk Dancer I

4/14/2009 1:13:02 AM

Mexican Folk Dancer I Several years ago, on a day of the Cinco de mayo celebration, I saw a Mexican folk dance called ballet folklorico for the first time. When a mariachi band started playing, a group of women and men came up on the outdoor stage. I was mesmerized by beautiful dresses of women dancers and how they graciously moved their full, colorful skirts. Men dancers looked good, too, in their suits. And how gentlemanly they escorted their lady partners made them look really good. I can't remember all the details but there was a story (I think it was a cute love story) told in this [...]

Village Festival (Farandole), French Landscape Painting

4/13/2009 1:34:44 AM

Village Festival (Farandole), Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France Dancers have been a popular painting subject. Whether it is ballet, ballroom, folk or flamenco, many painters have been inspired by forms, movements, emotions and historical/cultural aspects of dancers. I saw these dancers in Moustiers, a hilltop village in Provence, France. Wearing traditional costumes of the region, these young women and men entertained us in a village square on one summer afternoon. They hopped and skipped to the rhythm of a simple flute and a drum. And girls came around, again in traditional dresses, with baskets in their hands filled with aromatic lavenders, handing a bunch to each of us. [...]

Paris Café XXXIII, French Landscape Painting

4/12/2009 12:50:20 AM

Paris Café XXXIII Last fall, top ten colors were chosen as the most popular for Spring 2009. It was a prediction made by Pantone, a company known for color systems for the design industry. Designers, if not all, listen to what it says. So they took note and probably incorporated the colors in their spring collections. I didn't know about the Pantone's Fashion Color Report but I was surprised that I had used most of the ten colors, or pretty similar, in this painting of a cafe in Paris: Salmon Rose, Fuchsia Red, Rose Dust, Slate Gray, Lavender, Super Lemon, Lucite Green, Palace Blue... (By the way, my [...]

Helping Italian Earthquake Victims

4/11/2009 1:18:43 AM

I was sad to hear the news of a deadly earthquake in central Italy last week. I love Italy, have friends there, and have countless good memories from travels in the country. So I've felt I had to do something to help. I also grew up in Japan where earthquakes are so common that I understand what it means to be living in an earthquake-prone region. Since the 6.3-magnitude tremor on April 6 in the town of L'Aquila, several aftershocks have hit the area. Hundreds were killed, thousands were injured, tens of thousands were left homeless. I was immediately reminded of [...]

San Diego 100 (#50) - Mission San Diego de Alcala, California Landscape Painting

4/10/2009 12:58:58 AM

Mission San Diego de Alcala (SD100-50) When I started San Diego 100 Project back in February, I boldly announced that I'd make 100 paintings of San Diego. Well, today I've reached half-way point of this project. I certainly don't want to pretend that it has been easy but it has been a fantastic experience! It was late afternoon on another sunny day in San Diego when we visited Mission San Diego de Alcala. Padre Junipero Serra founded this mission in 1769 as the first in the chain of 21 missions in California. Through the gate by the bell tower, we went [...]

San Diego 100 Project - Almost Halfway

4/10/2009 12:58:20 AM

Mission Bay (SD100-49) I have completed #48 and #49 of my San Diego 100 Project. It was William Lyon Phelps who said "A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view halfway up is better than the view from the base, and it steadily becomes finer as the horizon expands." By continuously working to make 100 landscape paintings of San Diego, I've been learning and re-discovering a lot both as a landscape artist and as someone who lives in this city. The whole experience sure feels like climbing a tower, but I still have more steps to climb to the top. [...]

Little Italy Café, San Diego I, California Landscape Painting

4/8/2009 11:22:11 PM

Little Italy Café, San Diego I A big outdoor art festival takes place in about two weeks in downtown San Diego. On April 25 & 26, rain or shine, Mission Federal ArtWalk (formerly ArtWalk) will return to Little Italy. I have been busy preparing for months now. Walk on the streets of Little Italy to enjoy fine art, music, food (at this cafe, for example) or just being there. I will show many new paintings for the first time at this event. I look forward to seeing you at my booth (#774 on Fir Street). Please click here for the event information. Little [...]

Le Vieux-Nice, France I, French Landscape Painting

4/8/2009 12:06:04 AM

Le Vieux-Nice, France I (sold) Two years ago a friend of mine and I, both Francophiles, took our kids to see the movie Ratatouille. The story was about a rat who had a big dream of becoming a chef in a restaurant and found an unusual way to make it come true. The key dish that brought him a success was ratatouille. After the movie, we went to my friend's house to enjoy ratatouille she had made, following an authentic Julia Child recipe. What a way to end the day! Any ratatouille recipe calls for many different vegetables; tomato, eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion... [...]

San Diego 100 (#47) - American Diner, California Landscape Painting

4/7/2009 1:22:02 AM

American Diner (SD100-47) Walking up to this diner in Julian, a small town in the mountains east of San Diego, is an exciting moment because we know we will have a good time once inside. I painted the interiors of this diner some time ago. An old-fashioned soda fountain, this place has a unique ambiance that evokes a sense of nostalgia. The food they serve is nothing really spectacular; just basic American diner fare but it is good. It is also fun to order a soda or an ice cream, sitting on a swivel stool at the counter. All kinds of memorabilia and antiques are [...]

Four Gondoliers, Venice Italy Painting

4/6/2009 12:25:56 AM

Venice -- the only place where you can get seasick by crossing the street. (Anonymous) Water buses, barges, fast-speed boats and of course, gondolas... Canal Grande looked so busy sometimes every boat seemed to be going in a different direction. Then, I was amused when I saw this: I caught a moment when four gondoliers made this formation as if they were rowing side by side. Volume of traffic on major waterways in Venice can be pretty high during rush hours. It always amazes me how well they maneuver their vessel to avoid accidents. But as on any street, [...]

Paris Café XXVI (Bar du Marché), French Landscape Painting

4/5/2009 12:28:58 AM

First, Bar du Marche's red and white awnings caught my attention. I peeked in as I walked past. It was full mainly with young people that day, and they looked like students from nearby schools and universities. I didn't have time to check out this place, so, later, I googled its name. Fodor's describes this cafe as "a local legend, despite its pocket size and relative lack of decorative charm... No Left Bank reveller can afford not to know it." This alone is enough to intrigue my inquisitive mind. If I have a chance to go there again, I hope to see what [...]

San Diego 100 (#46) - Rancho Santa Fe, California Landscape Painting

4/5/2009 12:11:51 AM

Rancho Santa Fe (SD100-46) Here's another painting of Chino's Farm in Rancho Santa Fe (click here to see the other one). Early spring on a hazy day, everything here looked soft. There was hardly any movement that would have disturbed the tranquility. This farm is bordered by a palm-lined street on one side. I included it as a part of the painting because it adds a flavor of Southern California to the scene. As I talked about it before on my blog, the produce from this farm is out of this world. Even chef Bobby Flay invites you to try a recipe [...]

Paris Café XXIV (Le Dome), French Landscape Painting

4/3/2009 11:54:55 PM

Paris Café XXIV (Le Dome) Long before there was email, twitter or facebook, intellectuals would meet at a café for conversations. In Paris, Le Dome was such a gathering place for artists and writers. Picasso, Modigliani, Foujita, Hemingway and Miller were among the regulars. Times are different now and we heavily rely on modern-day technological tools to talk to each other. It seems that internet forums, blogs and all kinds of social networking services are going to replace an old-fashioned way of meeting friends and colleagues. Personally, I would very much enjoy going to a café if only I could have 26 [...]

Venezia VI, Venice Italy Painting

4/3/2009 12:14:41 AM

Wearing a starkly white mariner's jacket, black trousers and a straw hat, they proudly do their job of rowing a sleek gondola along the canals of Venice, Italy. There are reasons why they look so proud, one of which may be because becoming a gondolier is not an easy thing to do (read related post). Here's how I painted the 6th of my Venezia series. Sometimes people ask me if I use masking fluid. My answer is no; I don't even have any. I try to leave the white of the paper for highlights, but if I lose it, that's fine. I gently scrub the paint [...]

San Diego 100 (#45) - Torrey Pines State Beach, California Landscape Painting

4/1/2009 8:19:44 PM

Torrey Pines State Beach (SD100-45) We see Torrey Pines State Beach on the right, the Penasquitos river on the left. After we pass this stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, the road ascends a mesa that is designated as a state natural reserve. Darkness is about to dominate the scene. As a nocturne painting, I needed several washes to build up the dark values, especially on the river side. On this day, fog started rolling in from the ocean. Day visitors were gone from the sandy beach, it seems, except for a few die-hard night surfers, maybe? We knew it was going to be a [...]

San Diego 100 (#44) - Balboa Park, California Landscape Painting

4/1/2009 1:02:47 AM

Balboa Park (SD100-44) It's a huge urban cultural park. With more than a dozen museums, gardens, theaters, and hundreds more picturesque sights, I think I could try painting 100 views of Balboa Park instead of 100 views of San Diego. This painting shows a main promenade in the middle of the park, just before sunset. The California Tower in the far back and museums built in Spanish colonial style hidden behind lush greens, it offers a view that could well be somewhere south of the border. Although I've been to and painted from this spot numerous times, it looks different every time. The weather, time of the day/season, [...]

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