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Right next to Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure is another lovely town by the Ligurian Sea.  Lured by the region's picturesque scenery and all that it offers, many tourists visit here.  The popularity of these towns are attested by crowds at their beaches and waterfront promenades.

 

But if we go further inland a couple of blocks, what we will see is just local people going about their ordinary life.  Children playing soccer, neighbors chatting in a square, moms busily shopping for dinner, a pizza delivery man on a Vespa... I just love seeing slice of life stories like these unfold.

 

In a residential neighborhood like this, there's no fancy pizzeria but I'd be happy to find an old snack bar behind a row of parked scooters.  A slice of pizza the owner warmed up for me tasted better than anything I might have found at a pricey restaurant where a waiter would recommend a tourist menu in several different languages.

 

 

Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy III

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

One of the rewards for traveling is that we realize there are many lessons to be learned out there. We can read or watch dvd's about different places, people and cultures, but the first-hand experience makes it so much easier to learn about them that it often doesn't feel like we are making a conscious effort.

 

For example, Portofino is a perfect place to understand the meaning of la dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing, that I heard the Italians had perfected as an art form.  Sitting at a cafe near the harbor surrounded by brightly-colored houses, the blue ocean and green mountains, and doing really nothing else but savoring the moment to appreciate what we have in life...  Doing this well is not as easy as it sounds especially if you are used to a fast-paced and hurried life.  But I think we can assume this is a lesson eveyone would love to learn.

 

 

Portofino, Italy V

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

The internet has allowed us artists to reach virtually all over the world.  I, for one, have done business with many people, in the last few years, who are more diverse in nationality, geographical location, profession, age, and financial means than I can write in one blog post.

 

Communication with them is usually by email.  While some prefer keeping it strictly business, many tell me a bit of their background information - who they are, where they live, why they like a particular painting of mine, who they buy a painting for, etc.  Each of their stories is so uniquely different, therefore special, I don't know if I will ever be surprised to hear even the one beyond my wildest dreams. What I want to say is, these stories bring me such a joy as they give my paintings a special meaning in a way I can't possibly do.

 

There's also a downside to having an internet presence, such as being targeted by art scammers.  I just had an unpleasant encounter with one through email last week and was made aware that having seen them and heard about them for years doesn't prepare you 100% against them.  Just as we artists become more familiar with their typical tactics, scammers invent a cleverer approach once their old tricks stop working.  Good news for me was that I didn't lose money or paintings to this scammer but he really wasted my time.  I was mentally exhausted and I felt I needed a vacation.  So I painted a beautiful villa on the Italian Riviera, overlooking the deep blue Ligurian Sea for a little escape.

Art is a way to express yourself and through that you can escape a bad situation.  - Russell Simmons


 

Portofino, Italy IV

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

There are several beaches on the Awajishima Island and I really liked Ohama Beach in the town of Sumoto for its beautiful white sand and rows of pine trees.  It was so quiet and the water was crystal clear.  It was strange that not many people ventured out to enjoy this jewel, but I figured, in winter time, the idea of soaking in onsen (hot springs), which Sumoto is also known for, must be what attracts most visitors to the town.

 

In both of my paintings today, I used Mt. Mikuma as a backdrop.  Using fairly thick mix of greens, purples and browns, I dropped paints quickly on a moist surface to create the illusion of a lush mountain.

 

There is a castle on top of the mountain, which was originally built almost 500 years ago during the Sengoku (Warring States) Period, a time of long civil war and political upheaval.  Looking up at the remains from the beach gave me a meditative moment about how times have changed.

 

Awajishima (Sumoto), Hyogo, Japan III

 

 

Awajishima (Sumoto), Hyogo, Japan II

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

 

Awajishima (Sumoto), Hyogo, Japan III

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Ono, a small village with a fishing port within the city of Kanazawa, was very quiet.  In fact, there was not even a soul walking when we got there in the late afternoon.  The chilly drizzle and freezing wind were enough to send even townspeople indoors, it seemed.  With nobody to ask for directions, we started exploring the town anyway, but we knew getting around could not be difficult in a small place like this.  So we first walked along the Ono River that flows into the Sea of Japan.

 

Along the river bank, fishing boats that had been long back from the sea were lined up neatly.  There were only a few fishermen mending their nets and cleaning the decks of their boats.  I couldn't help but imagine how busy and lively it must be in the morning when all the boats come and go.

 

Ono is also known as a major soy sauce (shoyu) manufacturing town.  Here and there we can spot family-run shoyu factories, and we can sometimes detect the flavorful smell of shoyu while walking on the streets.

 

 

 

Kanazawa (Ono), Japan II

 

 

Kanazawa (Ono), Japan I

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

 

Kanazawa (Ono), Japan II 

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Over the mountains and past small villages, getting to Takayama can be an enjoyable trip in and of itself.   During winter months, thick snow can be seen on the ground, and the frigid temperature can often be expected.  A fairly large town in the remote region in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture, Takayama welcomes visitors with its unique charm that has especially attracted those looking for the image of Old Japan.

 

In all of these three paintings, everyday scenes in the old section of the town are depicted.  The bright red bridge (Nakabashi) in the first painting, is one of the town's landmarks; Takayama Castle used to be on the hill in the background.  The other two paintings show narrow streets where traditional merchant houses are lined on both sides.  Some are sake breweries and some are craftsmen's workshops.  Even though many of these houses sell souvenirs for tourists who come here during a day, there's just silence and a few lights on these streets after nightfall.  Time does seem to go by slowly here.

 

 

Takayama, Gifu, Japan II

 

Takayama, Gifu, Japan III

 

Takayama, Gifu, Japan I

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

 

Takayama, Gifu, Japan II 

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

Takayama, Gifu, Japan III

 

A larger images of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

I've been on this road before and here I am once again on my way to Eiheiji Temple in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.  My last visit here more than 6 years ago was around this time of the year as well.  Winter has just begun in Fukui so the weather is far from the severest, but I have been spoiled by a year-round mild climate of San Diego.  As before, I find myself shivering from the freezing temperature and occasional snowfalls.

 

Eiheiji is one of the most important zen temples in Japan and visitors come here literally from all over the world.  Although I am going on a pilgrimage, this journey is not purely for a religious reason but more for a personal one.  I wanted to come back to a place that helped me decide to stay on a journey as a painter.

 

Back in 2005, I was painting day in and day out various cityscapes and landscapes, struggling to find a way to create works that could tell my stories and convey my feelings.  Doing this for almost a year without any satisfactory results was discouraging, to say the least.

 

As a beginning watercolorist, I knew I lacked skills to execute such a painting but a goal for me was to produce a painting "from the heart" rather than a technically good one.  Inspired by a spiritual trip to Eiheiji a year before, I did a series of paintings of that experience at the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006.  I don't know how I did it differently but I was able to feel my emotional involvement in those paintings for the first time.  So I am here again to say thank-you for the encouragement that I needed desparately.

 

 

Road to Eiheiji Temple, Fukui, Japan VIII

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

 

Road to Eiheiji Temple, Japan VI

 

Road to Eiheiji Temple, Japan VII

 

 

Road to Eiheiji Temple, Fukui, Japan VI

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

 

Road to Eiheiji Temple, Fukui, Japan VII

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

Last weekend I had so much fun with a group of 25 very enthusiastic students who attended my workshop at the Education Center of the San Diego Watercolor Society.  I did four demos over two days and in between everyone was busy painting, learning, critiquing, exchanging ideas, socializing and inspiring each other.   Here are some photos and some of my demo paintings.

 

I am scheduled to do another weekend workshop, Capturing Light and Atmosphere in Watercolor, at the San Diego Watercolor Society in September, 2011.  Register early at the SDWS website.

 

 

    

 

 

  Firenze, Italy IX

 

  Julian VII

 

 

Barrio Logan, San Diego II

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 12 x 16 inches (31 x 41 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

Firenze, Italy IX

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 21.5 x 14.25 inches (54.5 x 36 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

Julian, San Diego VII

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 12 x 16 inches (31 x 41 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

It's been 14 or 15 years already since a good friend of mine from Japan married someone from Belgium.  They kept inviting me to their new home in Brussels but the problem was they were always traveling for work and pleasure.  One time when I was in Paris, they were home for a few days between trips - so I hopped on a train to visit.  They gave me a whirlwind tour of their city and a few more of their favorites in Wallonia - that's when I had a glimpse of Namur.  We didn't spend much time there but I've always had a good impression of the city to this day.

 

Little did I know back then that my art would have a chance to travel to Namur some day.  I'm very pleased that in May of 2011, I will have four paintings (not these two small paintings of Namur) on exhibit in the 12th Biennial Salon de l'Aquarelle de Belgique, to be held from May 7 to May 29 at the Expo in the city of Namur.

 

 

 

  Namur, Belgium II

 

Namur, Belgium I 

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

Namur, Belgium II

 

A larger image of this painting is avaialble on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Sometimes we wonder how in the world we could survive life before the internet.  But somehow we did.

 

In those days, traveling far from home meant a difficulty to stay current with the news, and a traveler would often feel isolated for better or worse.  While in a foreign land where there was a language barrier, TV offered little help.  Placing an international call home was a luxury, especially for a young backpacker on a budget.  Sometimes I had my family and friends from home send letters for me to a place like the American Express office in a country where I was traveling, and I would pick them up when I got there.

 

During my first visit to Italy, I learned a quick stop at a newsstand could satisfy my need to know the world's biggest news if I could just skim the headlines of any English-language newspaper they carried.  When I saw this newspaper kiosk in Siena, nostalgic memories of those days came back.

 

 

Siena, Italy VIII

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

Click here to see more paintings in my Italian Landscapes Collection.

 

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Kathleen Alexander, Carol Carter, Mark E. Mehaffey, Thomas W.  Schaller, Nicholas Simmons and myself have formed the North American Watercolor Artists,  a group of six U.S. watercolor artists, to represent the United States in the IX International Watercolor Biennial in Mexico.

 

The exhibition will be held at the National Museum of Watercolor in Mexico City, December 5, 2010 through February 13, 2011. Artists representing countries in five continents are participating in the Biennial, which is invitation-only. Begun in 1994, the purpose of the Biennial is to establish or enhance friendly relationships among watercolor artists and promote watercolor painting around the world.

 

As for the North American Watercolor Artists, we look forward to more opportunities and possibilities in the future to work together as a group.

 

 

Malibu, California V

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 21.5 x 29 inches (55 x 74 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

I was awe-struck as I stood on one edge of Piazze del Campo.  I often heard people describe it as the loveliest or the finest square in Europe, but until I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn't really believe it.

 

On a sizzling hot summer day, you may feel like a pizza in the oven walking in the sunny red-brick square.  But when the beautiful medieval buildings start casting shadows and cooling the bricks, you will see small groups of people here and there actually sitting on the ground as if they were on the beach or in the grassy park.

 

In an attempt to best depict the grandeur and a sense of place, I made three paintnigs of this piazza that I also think one of the finest.

 

  Siena, Italy VI

 

  Siena, Italy VII

 

 

Siena, Italy V

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

 

Siena, Italy VI

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

 

Siena, Italy VII

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

Click here to see more paintings in my Italian Landscapes Collection.

 

Napoli, Italy III

 

 

Wonderful news came yesterday that two paintings I had submitted have been juried into the Seventh International Watercolor Biennial (VII Bienal Internacional de Acuarela, 2009-2010, Viña del Mar, Chile).

 

A panel of jurors chose works from 31 artists out of 300 entries from the Americas, Asia and Europe.  It is quite an honor to have my paintings selected to be in this exhibition that will open on November 30, 2010 in the city of Viña del Mar, Chile.

 

Exhibiting artists are from Argentina, China, Mexico, Chile, the U.S.A., Venezuela, Japan, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Peru.

 

 

Napoli, Italy III

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 21.5 x 14 inches (54 x 36 cm)
Purchase: Please send me an email.

 

 

 

  Napoli, Italy V

 

Napoli, Italy V

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 21.5 x 14 inches (54 x 36 cm)
Purchase: Please send me an email.

 

Although there are many churches in the town of Arezzo,  the Basilica of San Francesco is one of the most famous because of the frescoes by Piero della Francesca.  Facing this medieval church is a cafe used in the film Life is Beautiful  (by Roberto Benigni).

 

I had spent a most memorable day exploring the Tuscan countryside and just returned to Arezzo where I had a place to stay.  Almost at day's end, I came to Piazza San Francesco and caught the last rays of sunlight hitting the top of the buildings.  Stopping to enjoy the scene at the piazza, I also noticed greetings heard around this cafe switch from buon giorno (good day) to buona sera (good evening).  La vita è bella, indeed.

 

 

"When I first saw a Fellini movie, I came out of the movie theatre and decided to become a lawyer!  I thought to myself, it's impossible to make something so beautiful!"

 

"My duty is to try to reach beauty.  Cinema is emotion.  When you laugh you cry."

 

- Roberto Benigni, Italian actor, screenwriter, director

 

Arezzo, Italy III

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

Click here to see more paintings in my Italian Landscapes Collection.

Hilltop towns and villages in Italy have existed for centuries.  In some of these places, time seems to have stopped at middle ages.  On the other hand, some were "discovered" by travelers getting off the beaten track, and became popular tourist destinations.  Being written about in a book or travel magazine or being featured in a movie also played a role in the popularity at least for a few of these towns.

Cortona was taken by the Etruscans in the ancient times but today by tourists and travelers who come here from all over the world for its magnificent views, art, architecture, regional food and wine, etc.

The street in this painting is Via Nazionale and it connects two important squares of Cortona: Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza della Repubblica where the City Hall is.  Most visitors leave their cars or get off their bus at Piazza Garibaldi to enter the town walls.  Most will take Via Nazionale because it is the town's main street with vibrant colors and inviting activities of shops and restaurants.


Cortona, Italy I

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

Click here to see more paintings in my Italian Landscapes Collection.

 

 

It all started with a surprise email from the editor of Watercolor Artist magazine back in March.  Soon she connected me with Ann Emmert Abbott, a Cincinnati-based freelance writer and former editor of the magazine.  After many emails, a telephone interview with me and an untold number of hours she must have spent going through my website and blog, Ann wrote "The Way of the World," a feature article about me and my work that has just been published in the December issue of Watercolor Artist.

Back in April and May, I also worked with my photographer, Michael Campos of Campos Photography (phone 760-504-0324) for photo shoots of a number of my new paintings in order to prepare images for the article.

I received my copy of the magazine a few days ago and am thrilled beyond words to see how everything came together.  Nine paintings of mine, including Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto, Japan III and Pacific Coast Highway V are featured in the 8-page article.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kelly Kane, editor of Watercolor Artist, Jessica Canterbury, managing editor of Watercolor Artist, Michael Campos, a fine art photographer and Ann E. Abbott, a wonderful writer with a big heart.

The magazine will hit newsstands in the U.S. on October 26.

   
Magazine cover (Dec. 2010)      Pacific Coast Highway V (featured inside)



Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto, Japan III

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 14.25 x 21.5 inches (36 x 54.5 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Despite the fear of living near Mount Vesuvius that buried Pompeii in the year 79, people in Naples have been enjoying benefits from what the fertile volcanic soils bring to their tables - some include finest ingredients for their famous pizza.

Vera Pizza Napoletana - A sign that says "true Neapolitan pizza" can be seen here and there when we walk on the streets of Naples.  In this logo, there's a pizza maker (pizzaiolo) standing with a giant wooden spatula (in green) with a round dough (in red) on it.  There's also Mount Vesuvius depicted in the black background, and I must say this is quite an eye-catching design.

Only the restaurants and pizzerias certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana can proudly hang this sign.  It means that's where we can taste the authentic pizza of Naples, recognized formally and strictly regulated by the Italian government as a DOC product.

So look for this sign, when walking in Naples; the nearest one may be in a back alley, just around the corner from a busy main street like this in today's painting.


Napoli, Italy VIII

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

Click here to see another painting of a backstreet of Naples.

 

Chauffeurs in the suits with white gloves were making sure the cars they drive for their bosses were spotless.  Black sedans, neatly parked on the street and near entrances of stately office buildings, looked ready now.  It was close to the end of another busy work day in the middle of Tokyo, I imagined that corporate executives would soon come out and hop in these cars to go to a business dinner or to attend an evening social function at a luxurious hotel.

Marunouchi is Japan's most prestigious business center where many companies have (or wish to have) headquarters.  Hard to imagine was that 400 years ago this area was a residential neighborhood for feudal lords who protected Edo Castle.

 

 

Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan I

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

From brand name designers to high-end restaurant owners, to merchants of trinkets, to fast food joint operators, if anybody wants to stay in business in Harajuku, they have to be a trend-setter.  After all, this is a fashion capital of Japan where people, especially the young, come from all over the country to see what's in style.  Thus things can change quickly as "in with the new, out with the old" seems to be the rule.

But there's something that's never changed for almost 90 years and that's what I painted today.  This white-walled, half-timbered building is Harajuku Railway Station.  Original building was constructed in 1906.  And the current one was built in 1924 after the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated Tokyo in 1923, making it the oldest wooden railroad station building in Tokyo.  Just behind this station is the Meiji Shrine.


Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan II

 

A larger digital file available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Just being at a beautiful beach is a treat in and of itself, but spending some time there doing what we really love makes it an unforgettable, rewarding experience.  For me, it is of course painting.

I saw many catamarans landed on this beach while visiting Santa Barbara and couldn't resist doing what I love.  The weather was a little fickle, foggy one minute and sunny the next, but at a place like this, any time is a good time for some quick paintings.

 

 

 

 

    Santa Barbara, California IV



Santa Barbara, California III

 

A larger digital file available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.



Santa Barbara, California IV

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

It's fun to walk in the vibrant downtown area of Santa Barbara.  Comparing different, colorful storefronts facing the tree-lined streets is quite enjoyable.  I admire architectural features, in particular, and a style representing many buildings that gives the whole area a unique look and that really appeals to me.

It is well known that the city adopted the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style to be used for many of its downtown area buildings after the 1925 earthquake destroyed or damaged them.  The success of the rebuild and redesign project is more evident, looking from the nearby County Courthouse tower.  There are many red rooftops and stucco buildings playing hide-and-seek among tall trees, not just in the downtown area but as far as our eyes can see.  Simply a beautiful sight, it almost makes us feel like we are somewhere in the Mediterranean coast.

 

Santa Barbara, California II

 

A large digital file available on request
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

 

It's actually not so far from coastal communities by the Pacific Ocean, probably less than 20 miles, but a drive on a winding road through farms, hills of citrus groves, and oak forests to a small town of Ojai will take us to a place that seems like a world apart.

Situated in the Ojai Valley, this hamlet is known to attract many visitors who admire its beautiful hilly landscape.  They also come for various art events, spas, golf, or just to enjoy a small town feel.

The tower built in the Spanish Revival style of architecture that attracts attention on the main street is a local post office.  So charming a landmark, I painted it from two different spots on the town's tree-shaded streets.


  Ojai, California II


Ojai, California I & II

A larger image is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Ojai I (available); Ojai II (sold)  Please send me an email for information.

 

Zhouzhuang is one of the remaining ancient water villages in the south of Jiangsu Province in China.  Surrounded by lakes and rivers, the village with more than 900 years of history offers a glimpse of what life used to be like in the olden days.

Fairly accessible either from Shanghai or from Suzhou, it is a popular place with day-trippers who visit to enjoy a boat cruise up and down on the canals inside the village.  I don't think comparing it to another famous canal city further west would do it any justice, but Zhouzhuang or the nearby region is often called "Venice of the Orient" or "Venice of China".

In fact, as in Venice, I saw something that inspired me to paint at virtually every turn when I was walking in this village.

Click here to see another painting of Zhouzhuang, China.


Zhouzhuang, China III

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Despite what I said in my recent blog post, I love Madrid for its urban vitality and sophisticated cultural scene.

The area surrounding the Puerta del Sol, a short walk from Plaza Mayor, is especially lively.  Always crowded with shoppers, tourists, business people, students and onlookers, it seems everything takes place in this square, the most popular in Madrid, or in all of Spain for that matter.

I even found a bear there.  The bronze statue called "El Oso y El Madroño" (the bear and the berry tree) is a city's symbol and many locals adore it and use it as a meeting point.  It is said that there used to be a lot of bears living in the wooded areas near Madrid.  Thus this statue was erected.  It reminded me of a bronze statue of loyal dog Hachiko in Tokyo, also a beloved symbol and a popular meeting spot.



   Madrid, Spain IV


Madrid, Spain I

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 14 x 21 inches (36 x 53 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.


Madrid, Spain IV

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

If you have traveled to many places, I think you'd agree that it is often the people you met that give you a lasting impression of a particular place.  Speaking of Madrid, two encounters I had over there vividly come back.

In a restaurant, a young (and not so bad-looking) man spoke to me from behind in a language I didn't understand.  I turned around and politely said, sorry, I don't speak your language.  Then I turned back and, a surprise, the small bag I had next to me was gone.  The man's buddy snatched it and together they ran away.  Luckily, the loss was very minimal but it took me a day to get over the shock.

On another trip to Madrid, I was on a train and realized that I had lost my wallet with some money, credit cards and other important things in it.  I had no idea if I had accidentally dropped it somewhere or, again, if I was a victim of a very tricky pickpocket.  Some of the passengers were very sympathetic and helped me look for it but to no avail.  It took me days to patch up the damage... but several months later, something quite incredible happened.  I received a letter from the Japanese Embassy in Madrid, saying they had my wallet (with everything in it).  Someone apparently had reported it to the local police.

There are all kinds of people to make up the world.  And Madrid is one of the places that remind me of that in a quite intense way.


Madrid, Spain III

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

If we hop on the Spain's high-speed train in Madrid and zip through the La Mancha plains, we get to Toledo so quickly we won't even have time for a short nap on board, much less the time to fully take in the region's landscapes from a window.  But once in Toledo, we have plenty of opportunities to enjoy panoramic views all around and think about scenes from Cervantes' Don Quixote.  It is one of the memorable things to do in this hilltop town.

The catch is, we have to walk a lot to find rather scarce view points.  Up and down on narrow, winding cobbled streets.  And these streets are just like a maze that makes us wonder often where the heck we are.  In the summer, we have the blazing hot sun to keep us company.  It is easy to be tempted to retreat to a hotel room for a siesta, but the reward is very nice... like this view with Tagus River in today's painting.

Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.   - Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish author


Click here to see other Toledo paintings.


Toledo, Spain IX

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

As I was painting this canal scene yesterday, quite coincidentally a big airmail package arrived from Zhujiajiao.  It was from the International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition Office, and I knew immediately there was something inside that I was waiting for for months.  A beautiful album, containing images of the paintings that are currently hung in the Inaugural Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition, is finally here, courtesy of the exhibition organizers.

A 28.6 x 28.6 cm (11.25 in) softcover book with front and back flaps and perfect binding, features 244 paintings that were selected from 2,500 submissions, and is such a treasure to have I just couldn't put it down and looked through it over and over again.  I was so delighted to see brilliant watercolors done by quite well-known artists and some of my personal friends.  I was also entertained immensely by exquisite works of many Chinese artists whom I hadn't heard of before.

I think it is also worth mentioning that, this book being completely bilingual, all the names of the artists and their paintings were meticulously translated into Chinese.  If you're one of the international artists in the book, it's interesting to see how your name is written in their language.

On the cover is a picture of the Fangsheng Bridge, an ancient stone bridge and the largest in the village.  Yes, I was admiring a panoramic view from the top of it only a month ago, and all the memories of my visit there quickly came back (read related post)...


   
This 276-page catalog features all paintings selected for the exhibition, including
these two of mine (shown, right)


Click here to see more Chinese landscape paintings.


Zhujiajiao, China V

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Always make sure they are fresh, high-quality and without impurities.  It'll be even better if they are carefully manufactured by a reputable artisan.  Then, when tried, they will satisfy you with rich, smooth texture and color.  A wonderful experience like this is hard to forget, making us want to come back to it again and again.

 

As you can guess, I am talking about a really good gelato, wonderfully tasty Italian ice cream, just like what you can get at a popular gelateria in the sunny Sorrento.  But, seriously, the same thing can be said about paints we choose to work with.

 

How our paints/colors perform can make or break a painting.  That's why it is important to choose the best kind that suits our taste, style, subject, or even character.  If we don't feel good about the paints in our palette, we won't make a truly good painting because our lack of confidence will show.



Sorrento, Italy V

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

It is interesting to see on a map how Rome is divided into two sections by the River Tiber.  Compared to the bigger east side with all the famous monuments, the west side may be less well-known but has a distinctively unique character.

When I'm in Rome, I like walking through back alleys to come to the riverbanks of the Tiber.  In Roma, Italia XXXII is one of the bridges near the Castel Sant'Angelo, and Roma, Italia XXXIII shows a view from it.

Watching the river run and taking in the surrounding scenery from this bridge,  I think of ancient times... Is it really true Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of Rome, were thrown into this river before they were saved by a she-wolf who raised these infants?... In a city like Rome, a bridge is not just to get us to the other side of a river; it seems to take us all the way back to the past in history.

Roma, Italia XXXIII (available)


Roma, Italia XXXII & XXXIII

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

By the end of June, water has been drawn into rice paddies and seedlings planted in it are growing fast every day.  Originally a tropical plant, rice seems to thrive in the warm, humid climate that prevails in most parts of Japan from June till September.

All over Japan, the rural landscape at this time of the year rapidly changes from the one that looks like a lake district, as water fills paddies, to deep, rich green fields as rice plants get taller and thicker by days.

By October, this countryside in Nara Prefecture as other parts of Japan will look golden when grains bountiful at the tips of rice plants will be ready for harvesting.


Nara Countryside, Japan III

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

About 1 km east of Asakusa, one can see a tower currently under construction.  With cranes visible on top of what appeared to be an observation segment, there is no question more height will be added.  For someone who hasn't been in Tokyo for several years, this is a bit shocking to know that they are building a new Tokyo Tower called Tokyo Sky Tree.  When it's complete in 2012, it will be one of the world's tallest at 634m.

The existing, old Tokyo Tower, resembling the Eiffel Tower of Paris, has been an iconic symbol of Japan's capital since the 1960s.  Now it is about to be replaced by this new one - the end of one era and the beginning of another.

Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan II

A larger image of any of these paintings is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

I am on the road again... I hope to post new paintings that I'll make at my destination, after unpacking, settling into a new time zone and feeling free of jet lag.

Just prior to my departure, I was working on a commission of a Venice painting.  My client asked me to create a special piece for her dear friend who is finishing his studies in this canal city.  While doing some research for the commission, I became so inspired to make several more paintings.  I don't really know why... just to be in the right mood for the commission piece, maybe.  Or I could say it was the magic of Venice.  Some of them appeared in my last blog post, and here are two more of Venice Canal paintings.



  Venice Canal IX (available)


Venice Canal IX and X

A larger image of any of these paintings is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Voga alla veneziana, rowing Venetian style, is something anybody who wants to be a gondolier has to master.

According to Veniceworld.com, gondolas are eleven meters in length, 600 kilos in weight, and made with eight different kinds of wood in 280 pieces.  They are flat on the bottom and asymmetric, the left side being larger than the right by 24 cm.  This is the reason the gondola is inclined on one side.

We've all seen it - a gondolier slightly tilting his body and pushing a long oar to navigate a canal in Venice.  Knowing the structure of a gondola helps us understand why a gondolier rows in a certain way.

Voga alla veneziana is something we painters of Venice have to understand, too, to make a scene with a gondolier rowing look believable.


Three Gondoliers, Venice, Italy

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

In and around Auvers-sur-Oise, a small community in the northwest suburb of Paris (30km), we can still see the same landscapes 19th-century Impressionist artists painted.

But it was probably Vincent Van Gogh that many of us are likely to associate this town with as he spent his final days right here.  When he arrived here in 1890, already sick, he was treated by Dr. Gachet, the town's physician.  But, as a painter, he was extremely productive and it is said that he made more than 70 paintings in the course of two months.

I had an opportunity to visit Auvers last year to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh.  For many visitors who are like me, the town made it easy by setting up signs for us to follow so as not to miss all important spots.

  Auvers-sur-Oise II (available)


On the main street (Auvers III), there is Auberge Raboux (Auvers II), perhaps the most emotional place of all.  Van Gogh was renting a room here for 3.50 francs per day.  He took his last breath in Room 5 on July 29, 1890, with his brother Theo by his side, leaving what's believed to be his last words, "La tristesse durera toujours."

I was more moved, however, when I stood in the lonely wheat field, on the edge of town (Auvers I), where "Wheat field with crows," one of his last paintings, was created.  The cemetery where Vincent and Theo rest side by side is just next to this place.


  Auvers-sur-Oise I (sold)


For more information about Van Gogh's last months of his life in Auvers, take a look at this well-researched, very informative website.


My favorite Van Gogh quotes:

I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.

If you hear a voice within you saying, ''You are not a painter,'' then by all means paint… and that voice will be silenced.

How can I be useful, of what service can I be?  There is something inside me, what can it be?

Poetry surrounds us everywhere, but putting it on paper is, alas, not so easy as looking at it.

Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul.



Auvers-sur-Oise, France I; Auvers-sur-Oise, France II; Auvers-sur-Oise, France III

 

Click here for an enlarged view of "Auvers-sur-Oise III.

A larger image of "Auvers-sur-Oise II" is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Gokonomiya Shrine, Kyoto, Japan I

 

 

Gokonomiya, shrine of fragrant water.

One thing we will want to bring when we visit this shrine is an empty bottle.  In fact, on a stone path leading from the Main Gate to the inside of its precincts, we often see people carrying several of them.

The reason for this is gokosui, or fragrant water that has sprung up here, on and off, since 862.  People come here from all over to take it home, believing it will cure illness and keep them healthy.

 

If water is too clear, it will not contain fish; people who are too cautious will never gain wisdom. -- Chinese proverb

 

Gokonomiya Shrine, Kyoto, Japan I

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Paris (#25) - Tour Montparnasse

 

 

It is still before the sunrise, and most of Paris is just about to wake up.  But here on the ground above the Montparnasse Bienvenue station, one of the busiest transfer points of the Paris metro system,  it already feels like 8 in the morning, with all the buses and cars busily moving about.

What adds a more urban feel around here is of course the Tour Montparnasse.  The tallest skyscraper in France (689 ft.; 210m), its massive presence gives the Montparnasse neighborhood a characteristic of a major commercial center, a far cry from a clichéd image as a Bohemian community of artists.  So is this one of the spots where the old Paris and new coexist?  I think we will have to wait until the sun is up (or artists are up) so we can explore the backstreets to see it.


Paris (#25) - Tour Montpartnasse

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Gare de l'Est (Paris East Station), not far from Gare du Nord is one of the main railway stations in Paris.  With the beginning of high-speed rail service a few years ago, this station is busier than ever as the sleek TGVs and ICEs come and go, whisking passengers between Paris and cities northeast of Paris.

Only five minutes before the scheduled departure of our TGV train for Strasbourg, our track number was not announced yet.  Many people around me here in the airy Central Hall were looking at a departure information screen rather anxiously.  They had to be waiting for the same train as mine because they were all ready to run.  What a relief when our train finally pulled into one of the closest tracks (there were as many as 30 of them).  Then again I found my car was at the very end of the long train, so I still had to run lengthwise.


Paris (#24) - Gare de l'Est

 

A larger image is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Paris (#23) - Quartier Place Vendôme

 

 

It doesn't take long to notice this is a posh neighborhood when we walk through an area just north of the Tuileries Garden leading up to Place Vendôme.  Mainly a commercial and business district that caters to a wealthy clientele, the area certainly has a classy atmosphere, with Place Vendôme as a perfect example of elegance from the 18th century.

Never say no when a client asks for something, even if it is the moon.  You can always try, and anyhow there is plenty of time afterwards to explain that it was not possible.  The customer is never wrong.

- César Ritz, founder of Hôtel Ritz on Place Vendôme

 

Paris (#23) - Quartier Place Vendôme

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Paris (#14) - Dimanche Matin

 

 

Early Sunday morning.  It's a rare sight that a major thoroughfare in the heart of Paris looks this empty.  Light, however, has already filled everywhere, inspiring me to paint it.

Locals and tourists may still be sleeping.  And auto commuters are staying in the suburbs today.  A lone bicyclist must be feeling like king of the castle (or at least that's how I'd feel) as if he was in the last stretch of the Tour de France about to cross the finish line before the peloton arrived.

 

Paris (#14) - Dimanche Matin

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

Paris (#12) - Poissonnerie

 

 

April is around the corner, and April Fool's Day may be on your mind.  Are you usually the one who plans a prank or you tend to be on a receiving end of it?  If you happen to be in France on April 1, and hear someone say "Poisson d'avril (Fish of April)!" behind you, you've been pranked.

On a street in the Montmartre district, I found this poissonnerie (fish monger) with strikingly blue awnings.  It was late in the afternoon but the business was already finished for the day at this shop, as the owner was washing the glass cases.  Coming from a culture with a diet rich in fish (Japan), I would have been really interested to see what kind of fish he had.

It's been said that the more fish you eat, the better it is for your memory.  If you feel like cooking fish tonight, French-style, maybe you like this recipe (red snapper cooked in thyme-flavored salt).  It looks very easy and the pictures on the site are beautiful, too.  Bon Appétit!


Paris (#12) - Poissonnerie

A larger image of this painting is available on request.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.