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I met up with my friends in Hong Kong's busy Central district one morning.  They had invited me to join them for authentic dim sum breakfast at an old tea house, and I was full of anticipation to see the place and taste what they think was the best in town.

 

As we passed a small bakery near the entrance of the tea house and walked upstairs, I felt like I was instantly transported back in time for several decades.  There was a huge dining hall with traditional Cantonese flair, brimming with local people who gathered to eat breakfast, meet friends or just read newspaper.  A couple of female servers were walking among them to offer tasty steaming dishes on dim sum carts.  Large fans and bird cages hanging from the ceiling added more charm of Old Hong Kong to the scene.  And an antique wall clock told time that seemed to go a little slowly here.

 

My friends ordered several signature dishes of the house for me to try.  Some were siu mai dumplings and they were all cooked to perfection.  I can say that the old-fashioned atmosphere truly enhanced the whole experience of dining here.  Rapid urbanization has replaced a number of traditional places like this in all over Hong Kong.  I just hope this tea house will survive and continue to delight our senses for many years to come.

 

 

Dim Sum, Hong Kong 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)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

 

 

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If you visit Hong Kong, you have to do dim sum for an unforgettable culinary experience.  And if you do it at an authentic tea house with local friends, that's even better.

 

My dear friends who live in Hong Kong took me to one of the oldest and most popular dim sum restaurants in town for the ultimate culinary and cultural experience.  There are do's and don'ts in a place like that: if you don't know the rules (and obviously their language), you are not going to get any of those steaming goodies, or even a seat.

 

Thanks to my friends, I enjoyed several small dishes, seated among local regulars in a huge dining room that hasn't changed much for almost 100 years.

 

 

Dim Sum, Hong Kong I

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Sold

 

 

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I am pleased that my watercolor "Torino, Italy II" was chosen as the cover art for Loving You the Way I Do, a new book by Ron Savage (ISBN: 978-0-9826364-3-5; Black Lawrence Press, New York).  The book is now available online.

 

"We don't love each other the way we'd like.  We love each other the way we do." - Ron Savage

 

It's been wonderful three weeks since the October 30 opening of my solo exhibition in Izmir, Turkey.  I am extremely grateful that I was invited to show over 60 original paintings of mine of Turkish and Japanese landscapes and cityscapes at the Izmir Painting and Sculpture Museum (İzmir Resim Heykel Müzesi Ve Galerisi).  Many people, including my friends and their families, joined me at the opening reception, and many more have visited the exhibition in the days after that.  I also spent three days painting in my workshop with talented painters who came from all over Turkey and overseas.

 

Originally, my show was scheduled to end on November 8 but the museum director generously gave it a two-week extention (the new closing date is November 21).  From the very beginning a year ago when planning for the show started, I have been blessed with generous help and kind support from my friends in Turkey.  Without them, I simply couldn't have accomplished all of this.

 

One of the memorable encounters that I had in Izmir was with members of the Japonya İzmir Kültürler Arası Dostluk Derneği (Jikad).  The group was founded in Izmir to promote mutual understanding between Turkey and Japan through a variety of cultural programs.  Some of the members, both Turkish and Japanese people who live in Izmir, came to my exhibition more than once.  I learned that about 20 Japanese people call Izmir home and the warm welcome they extended to me added a special meaning to my having a show in their adopted home.

 

My exhibition book "Turkey and Japan in Watercolor: glimpses of these two fascinating countries" is available online.

 

 

Shopkeeper, Kyoto, Japan I

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)

Frame/Mat: Yes

Purchase: Through Gallery

 

 

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I am pleased to announce my participation in the First International Biennial of Watercolors that is currently being held in Narbonne, France.  It is an honor for me to be among exhibiting artists who are known for their unique styles and therefore playing the leading roles in today's watercolor world.

 

For this exhibition, I have chosen paintings from my last trips to Shanghai/Zhejiang province of China, including "Tea House, Shanghai IV."  I am particularly fond of the historic tea house I depicted in this painting (click to read related post: Tea House, Shanghai I).

 

The exhibition runs through October 28 in several different venues inside Narbonne, a beautiful city by the Mediterranean where the ancient and modern times co-exist side-by-side.  I am scheduled to do a demo in the afternoon of October 27.

 

 

Tea House, Shanghai, China IV

 

A larger digital image available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 21.5 x 14.25 inches (54.5x 36 cm)

Frame/Mat: Yes

Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

 

 

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Inspiration… where do we artists look for it or does it just come to us?  We all suffer from a creative block from time to time and we know that's when we struggle to find it.  But other than that, if we stay open-minded, we just know when we have it.

 

When I visited Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain with my artist friends, we were all so excited with the lovely atmosphere inside and got in a sketching frenzy immediately.  No doubt there we had it - we were fully inspired (click here to see a painting I did there).

 

I just loved the place, and for sometime after I left, I still felt the need to do more paintings of that experience.  So here's one I did, using sketches I made.

 

 

  

Sketches done on location such as these are always the most useful reference materials.

 

 

 

I always draw first, taking anywhere between 5-15 minutes.  When I'm satisfied with my drawing, it's time to paint.  For a small-sized painting like this (12x16 inches), I try to lay in as much as possible in one go - colors, values, details - during the first stage.  And I do it fairly quickly while everything is still wet or moist on paper.  This is what this painting looked like as a result of my first step of the process.  And I let it dry completely.

 

 

Finished painting

 

 

Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville, Spain IV

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper

Image Size: 11.5 x 15.5 inches (29 x 39 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

 

 

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Daytime temperature reaches about 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) before noon and stays that way well into the evening.  Being outside constantly reminds us that we need to somehow cope with this relentless, intense heat.  I suppose that is a typical day in Seville during summer months.  I got together with several local artists on such (in other words, brutally hot) a day to paint around town (click here to read related story).

 

First we headed to the Alcazar Gardens.  Simply a divine environment for plein-air painters like us.  Sometime after lunch, just when I felt like seeking some cool shelter, I found out that was also on the minds of these die-hard painters of Seville.  They suggested we go to Hotel Alfonso XIII, a historical 5-star establishment in the city.  The architectural details,  interior décor, spacious courtyard, gracious staff who gave us non-paying visiting artists royal treatment... all this with a very pleasant sense of camaraderie with painter friends, the experience was pure luxury.

 

 

Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville, Spain I

 

Click here for an enlarged view of this painting.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 15.5 x 11.5 inches (39 x 29 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

 

 

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I am participating in the 2012 Salon Biennale d'Aquarelle de Rochemaure, July 7 - 15, in the Ardèche region, in the south central France.

 

Along with this painting, up to 18 works of mine will be on exhibit.  I will be also doing a demo in the afternoon on July 7.  If you happen to be in the neighborhood, please drop by!

 

 

 

Nazare Market, Portugal I

 

Click for an enlarged view of this painting.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 14.25 x 21.5 inches (36 x 54.5 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Sold 

 

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The people in this shop are busily making ningyo-yaki, one of traditional Japanese snacks sold along Nakamise Street in Asakusa.

 

Asakusa is a temple town with a feel of Old Japan and is always fun… and crowded.  Although it's in Tokyo, the area around here has quite a different atmosphere which gives us small glimpses of how life used to be.  With the completion of Tokyo Skytree, now the world's tallest tower and not far from Asakusa, the area has seen a surge in tourism and is even more vibrant.

 

 

Asakusa, Tokyo, 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)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Sold

 

 

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Too many cooks spoil the broth?  It shouldn't happen... if a chef de cuisine would communicate orders to his sous-chef who would manage the entire kitchen staff well; if each chef de partie would make sure that his cuisiniers and commis prepare specific dishes in a certain manner that recipes call for; and if a saucier, a boucher, a rotisseur, a poissonnier, a garde manger, an entremetier and a patissier would do their best for their sauces, meats, fish, soups, salads, hors d'oeuvres and desserts.

 

I made this painting, inspired by what saw in a busy kitchen at a restaurant in Mont Saint Michel (France).  Considering how popular this place was, I can say too many cooks do not always spoil the broth.  All it takes is a brigade de cuisine that works.

 

 

Dans La Cuisine I

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 10.5 x 13.5 inches (27 x 34 cm)

Frame/Mat: Yes (16 x 20 inches)

Purchase: Sold

 

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Six or seven hours you typically spend in a day in a painting workshop can be pretty intense and you feel exhausted when it ends.  In all of my previous workshops, almost everyone I taught was such a hard-working participant some of them even wanted to work through lunchtime.  With or without the "no pain, no gain" mentality, I believe it's mostly a drive from within and everyone comes away with a good kind of pain.  Spending several days in a room full of enthusiam and with those who share passion for the same thing (in my case, that is watercolor painting) is both rewarding and inspiring.  And a big plus is that we naturally develop a sense of cordial camaraderie by the end of a day.

 

After a full day at work, there's nothing like going to a cozy café for a little social time to talk about our work or just get to know each other on a more personal level.  Recently, after another day of workshop, I was treated to a casual dinner in this café by some of my students, and I really enjoyed the lovely moments we had.

 

Incidentally, Mother's day is just around the corner.  If you usually send your mom (or a mother figure) flowers or a card, why not take her out to a friendly neighborhood café for a nice brunch this year?  Unlike any other job, hers never ends - she's got the toughest job in the world.

 

 

San Pedro Café, California 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)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

 

 

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As soon as I sat down in this restaurant, I couldn't help noticing cooking flare-ups from the partially open kitchen (Click here to see another painting of the kitchen).  It didn't take long before my curiosity got the better of me and I peeked inside.  One of the cooks was heating up black stone pots or what they call dolsot in Korean.

 

Dolsot bibimbap must be one of the most popular Korean dishes.  Several kinds of colorful, tastefully-prepared ingredients neatly arranged on top of cooked rice, the dish is foremost a visual delight.  When it's served in a piping hot dolsot, the sizzling sound of everything in it is so inviting.  What's more, the dolsot will continue cooking, so to speak, even while we eat, often resulting in a toasty flavor of the ingredients and crispy rice on the bottom.

 

I attempted to create a painting where you can smell the food, hear the sound and feel the temperature - a piece that I hope is entertaining in more than one way - sort of like dolsot bibimbap.  Click here for a recipe of this delicious dish (courtesy: Dolsotbibimbap.com).

 

 

Kitchen (Seoul, Korea) II

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 inches (29 x 21 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Sold

 

 

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One thing I like about eating Korean food is the wide variety of soups and stews in their cuisine.  They can be pretty much a main dish as a bowl of rice and many side dishes are usually served together.  From a simple cup of miso broth to a hearty meat-and-vegetable stew and anything in between, choices are usually many it is not easy to decide especially if you are a fan of delicious (and often spicy) soupy dishes.

 

In this busy kitchen, a couple of cooks were churning out all kinds of sizzling hot bowls of soups and stews every few minutes.  Needless to say, inside a restaurant was filled with happy customers... and a painter (that's me) who happily sketched the scene while waiting for her order to come.

 

 

Kitchen (Seoul, Korea) I

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 inches (21 x 29 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Sold

 

 

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When you arrive in a foreign city and the first thing you see is an Art Nouveau-style café like this, whatever anxieties you may have about being new to the place will disappear.

 

Fanta's Café, named after the architect Josef Fanta, is housed inside the main railway station in Prague.  The station looks like it has seen its better days but it still holds its charm and beauty.  Before heading out to the city, it is worth spending a few minutes here with a cup of coffee, to enjoy artistic decorations all around.

 

 

Praha Café I

 

Click here for an enlarged view of this painting.

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

Purchase: Sold

 

 

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Making a Mark is one of the most popular art blogs in UK written by UK artist and writer Katherine Tyrrell.  In just five years or so, her blog has attracted more than one million visitors, and artists and art lovers regularly check on what she has to say as she covers a wide variety of topics: drawing, painting, art blogs, visual artists, art competitions, art exhibitions, art history, art technique, art business, etc.

 

Last week Katherine chose me in her weekly "Who's made a mark this week" post, and talked about the acceptance of my painting "Marseille St-Charles II" into the National Watercolor Society's All Member Juried Exhibition.  What a delightful surprise and a great honor!  Thank you, Katherine!

 

It is with a great pleasure that I announce the inclusion of my painting in the upcoming exhibition of the National Watercolor Society.

 

I am honored that Juror Marciano Martinez has chosen "Marseille St-Charles II" for the 2011 NWS All Member Exhibition.  The show runs from May 15 to June 12 at the NWS Gallery (915 S. Pacific Avenue, San Pedro, CA).  The opening reception will be held at the gallery on May 15, from 2 to 5 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

Marseille St-Charles, France II

 

Click here for an enlarged view of this painting.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 15 x 22 inches (38 x 56 cm)
Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Sold

 

As I was writing today's blog post, I received a call from one of my family members in Japan who was horrified about a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that had just hit there.  It took me some time before I was able to get in touch with the rest of my family (and they were all ok).  However, as I see more news reports on this biggest tremor in the history of Japan and think how extensive the final damages can be, my heart goes out to those who have been affected.  And I feel I want to do something, however small, to help.

For today's paintings of Paris Café, there's no price.  If you're interested in one or both of these paintings, please email me to bid.  I'd like to send them to someone with the highest offer and donate all proceeds to the Japanese Red Cross Society in aid to the victims of the March 11 earthquake in Japan.  Bidding ends at midnight, March 15.  The highest bidder will be notified by email.  Please click here to see the current highest bid.

 

Thank you very much in advance for your kind consideration and generosity.

 

 

Paris Café LII (Café Madeleine)

 

Paris Cafe LII

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: Sold

 

 

Paris Cafe LIII

 

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: Sold

 

I can't think of a better place than Santa Fe Depot (Union Station) to welcome visitors to San Diego.  It's such a beautiful place and I even think making a trip to see just that is worthwhile.

 

The architecture, reflective of the city's Spanish Colonial heritage, is breathtaking.  When passengers get off a train and walk alongside the historic building and rows of majestic palm trees, I see them just smiling.  Once inside, then the interior makes anyone stop and say wow.  The high ceiling, brilliant tile work throughout, cozy benches, and a little cafe... all create a very inviting atmosphere.

 

As light comes in from huge windows and bounces off the floor, the entire place looks more like an art museum than a train station.  Click here to see another painting of Santa Fe Depot.

 

 

Santa Fe Depot, San Diego II

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 15.5 inches (29 x 39 cm)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

 

 

Santa Fe Depot, San Diego I

 

 

Santa Fe Depot, San Diego I

 

A larger image of this painting is available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 cm)
Mat: Yes (18 x 12 inches; off-white)

Frame: No
Purchase: Please send me an email for more information.

 

I received great news a few days ago that 4 paintings of mine have been juried into the 12th Biennial Salon de l'Aquarelle de Belgique.  I am honored to be selected by a panel of distinguished judges for this prestigious watercolor biennial exhibition in Europe.

The 12th Biennial takes place in Namur, Belgium, from May 7 to May 29, 2011.  The exhibiting artists represent 12 countries, including Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Canada, the U.S., Lebanon and Lithuania.

 

 

 

Collioure Bar, France 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: Yes
Purchase: Sold

 

If any popular seafood eatery is right next to the busy harbor,  you can bet their fish is as fresh as it can get and their food won't disappoint.  This clam bar facing the picture-perfect Santa Barbara Harbor is such a place.

While I was there just before lunchtime, more small fishing boats had returned from the sea with their catch of the day, and some kids were watching fishermen unload their ships, amazed and curious.

I like painting cafes and restaurants, and especially enjoy a cozy one, like this, that is filled with light.

 

 

 

Clam Bar, Santa Barbara, California

 

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: Sold

 

Xialongbao that I had was filled with crab meat.  It was not just any crab but the much sought-after kind from the Yangtze Delta (read related post and see another painting of this restaurant).

In Chinese cuisine, crab meat is considered yin because of its cooling characteristics.  Therefore, it is often eaten together with something else that has a warming (yang) effect such as vinegar.

Yin and yang - they are two opposites that interconnect and interact, and together make a whole.

Whether conscious or not, we painters think in terms of yin and yang when we design and execute a painting.  After gaining a little knowledge on what makes a painting, the importance of understanding the polarity of many elements in composition, paint application, color choices and types of brushstrokes, becomes clearer to us.  Our brain is constantly making choices between light/dark (values), warm/cool (hues), positive/negative (shapes), wet/dry (surface), etc. while working on a painting.

So, when I look at a finished painting, it has to feel, in a way, as if I just had the most delicious crab meat together with rich, flavorful aged vinegar.  If not, I just have to try again.


Yuyuan, Shanghai, China IV

 

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: Sold

 

"Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary." -- Chinese Proverb

"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world."  -- T'ien Yiheng

The first cup moistens my lips and throat;
The second cup breaks my loneliness;
The third cup searches my barren entrail but to find therein some thousand volumes of odd ideographs;
The fourth cup raises a slight perspiration-all the wrongs of life pass out through my pores;
At the fifth cup I am purified;
The sixth cup calls me to the realms of the immortals.
The seventh cup-ah, but I could take no more! I only feel the breath of the cool wind that raises in my sleeves.
Where is Elysium? Let me ride on this sweet breeze and waft away thither.

                                   -- Lu Tong (Chinese poet during Tang Dynasty)


Tea House, Shanghai, China II

 

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: Sold

 

After a walk through an overcrowded shopping area in a hot, humid climate, what could be more relaxing than sipping an afternoon tea inside a cool, elegant tea house built over the pond?  This is the city's oldest tea house where textile merchants used to gather back in the 18th century.

They have all kinds of Chinese tea (traditional, flower, herb...) to choose from.  Tea leaves come in a tiny glass pot filled with hot water and can be enjoyed several times over by adding more hot water.  With tea, they usually bring 4 or 5 different kinds of snack food such as quail eggs, flavored flat tofu and sweet rice cakes.

Price of a pot of tea may be 10 times more than a store-bought bottled tea, but the experience in such a beautiful setting was well worth it.


Tea House, Shanghai, China 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

 

Through the steam coming out of stacks of bamboo baskets, cooks were seen busily moving about to make their signature dumplings - thousands of them a day, I'm sure, to meet a huge demand.  They had no time to rest as a long line of hungry people waiting eagerly to get the authentic Shanghai-style Xiaolongbao didn't seem to get short any time soon.

Xiaolongbao, steamed dumplings filled with meat and scrumptious soup, is what many people actually travel to this corner of the Old Shanghai for.  I very much enjoyed not only my first taste of this delicacy but also the sight of a busy kitchen where it was made.  Just as I knew I had to try it the minute I smelled this famous food, I knew I had to paint this interior scene the instant I saw it.

 

Yuyuan, Shanghai, China III

 

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

 

Looking at the Madeleine Church (in the background) from this vantage point, I was able to see Cafe Madeleine's inside and outside and felt like seeing two movies side by side.  So I decided to fill one half of this painting with an interior scene of the cafe and the other with its exterior.

People inside seem to want a little bit more privacy, and they are more interested in eating, drinking, chatting with friends.  They may be more sensitive to outdoor dust or traffic fumes.

Those sitting outside love watching people (and being watched, too).  Or they may be tourists who want to spend some time looking at the majestic architecture of the Madeleine Church.  It's more likely they smoke.

This is just an ordinary cafe scene in Paris but it is one of the things that make this city such an attractive place to be.



Paris (#28) - Place de la Madeleine

 

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: Private Collection

 

The Shroud of Turin, Fiat, vermouth, Juventus F.C., the 2006 Winter Olympics...  there are many things that make Torino (Turin) famous in the world, but the portico is something I will never forget about this city.

Stretching for miles (11 miles or 18km), porticos in Torino are without question part of its cityscape.  Spending a good amount of time walking under them, I remember many places, including Piazza San Carlo in this painting, as a view from the portico.


Torino, Italy III

 

Click here for an enlarged view.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

Click here also to see Torino Italy II painting.

 

Long ago I had a chance to visit NYC and Washington, D.C. as a student cultural ambassador from Japan.  30 or 40 of us were all invited from different countries, and spending a week together was quite an experience.  One of my roommates was a quiet Italian girl from a small town near Torino, and we formed a kind of friendship that lasted for many years after that memorable summer.

Through the years, we both went through many life events, some happy and some difficult, but we would always write letters to be there for each other.  I made a stop at Torino on my first trip to Northern Italy to see her and Carlo, her baby boy; on my second visit, she had two boys and she was eventually blessed with three boys.

But something must have happened (I only knew she was going through a very tough time).  My last couple of letters were never answered and I lost touch with her.

I stayed in Torino last summer very briefly on my way to an art exhibition, but that visit was the first one without seeing her... I still think of you, my friend.  I'll be always happy to hear from you.


Torino, Italy II

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

Paris Café XXVIII

 

 

Sorry there has been no post of new daily paintings for a few days as I was working on commissioned pieces.

I'd like to post here today two small paintings from my Paris Café series (2009) that have never been shown before.  Please enjoy!

 

Paris Café XXVIII

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

Paris Café XXV


Paris Café XXV

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 7.5 x 9.5 inches
Mat/Frame: Yes/No
Mat Size: 11 x 14 inches (color: off-white)
Purchase: Sold

 

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.

 

Vigilucci's Bar IV

 

 

When I think about why I don't get tired of painting interior scenes such as this, first I find myself eagerly attracted to the relaxing ambiance.  So what creates the relaxing ambiance?  To me, as a painter, it is bar lighting, before anything, that plays an important role.  A warmly illuminated bar, a cafe with mirrored walls, a restaurant with beautifully-decorated lighting fixtures… they can be an instant inspiration for my next painting.

Vigilucci's is one of those places.  Although this bar sounds Italian, it is not in Italy.  It's actually in San Diego, halfway around the globe from the land of Amaretto and Grappa.  But the owner is from Italy, and he and his interior designer created a bar area within an Italian restaurant that is filled with elegant and expensive lighting fixtures directly imported from Italy.


Vigilucci's Bar IV

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

I have painted the interior of this historic cafe in Lisbon several times before.  Although each time the focal point may be different, the inspiration is essentially the same - the play of light.  This time, I concentrated my efforts more on that aspect the whole time I was working on this piece.

While painting, there are many things an artist has to be thinking about (shapes, colors, values, edges, light/shadow, warm/cool, etc.) and sometimes the fun may be taken away from the very act of painting when the artist gets too preoccupied with all these elements.  I certainly happens to me.

By making a conscious effort just to focus on one aspect out of many (and hoping the rest will cooperate), I had so much fun making today's painting.


Lisbon Café, Portugal VIII

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

Click here to see more Portuguese/Spanish landscape/cityscape paintings.

 

Martini Bar I

 

 

This painting is in stark contrast to another bar painting I posted a few days ago (Paris (#9) - Bar).

In my previous piece, sunlight seemed to fill every nook and cranny of the interior of a bar.  In Martini Bar, on the other hand, it was night time, and dim lights inside were not reaching far.  Limited amount of light obscured what our eyes could see in bright daylight, leaving much more to our imagination.  This tiny bar was inside an Italian restaurant in North County, one of San Diego suburbs.

One martini is alright, two is too many, three is not enough. -- James Thurber

 

Martini Bar I

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

It was Friday afternoon.  The outdoor terrace of this bar was popular as it always is on a sunny day like this.  A couple of businessmen opted to stay indoors, however.  Still, with large windows allowing the sunlight to pour in, they must have felt as if they were outside, too.

Not quite mobbed by a happy-hour crowd yet, this bar still maintained a quiet ambiance.  So it was ideal for them to discuss an important business deal.  Or, were they talking about a golf weekend in the countryside?

 

 

 

Paris (#9) - Bar

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

Collioure Bar, France II

 

 

This is the same bar in Collioure I painted yesterday.  After a lunch crowd was gone, I caught a few moments when the bar was almost empty.   Seeing lights bouncing off everywhere was the source of inspiration for this painting.

This place has two entrances, front and back, and bright sunlight pours in from both sides.  They also have old-fashioned chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, giving off soft orange glow.  All of this makes a really cozy atmosphere inside the bar.

I was a bit surprised, however, considering how well-known and popular this bar is, to see only a couple of locals shooting the breeze in the corner.  I wondered, "Where's a bunch of regulars who hang out here all the time?"  As I left from the other door, I found the answer.  A group of guys were playing cards on the outside patio, feeling a gentle breeze from the Mediterranean.


  Collioure, France


Collioure Bar II

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

Collioure Bar, France I

 

 

The walls are the first thing you’ll notice inside this family-run bar.  They are covered, from one end to the other and all the way to the ceiling, with framed paintings and drawings.  Upstairs (there are hotel rooms), I heard they have more.

They are pride possessions of the owner of the bar who is sharing them with customers.  And they are handed down as the ownership moves from father to son.

It is incredible to find artwork of Picasso, Duffy, Matisse, Dali and many others who left their footprints here.  These artists came to Collioure for inspiration and stayed here, with their room and board paid by their creations.

 

Collioure Bar I

 

Click here for an enlarged view of this painting.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

When it's cold outside and you need some company, would you want to go where everybody knows your name?  That's probably why these men had gathered around a boiling tea kettle on a stove to shoot the breeze.  I don't know whether I was guessing it right, but the very thought motivated me to do this painting.

This is the inside of a rather modest tea house that I found when I went to Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan (click here to see another painting "Fushimi Inari Shrine I" that depicts the outside look of this house).  In this painting, I focused on a relaxed atmosphere among old friends that, I hope, would make you want to join in for a cup of tea.  Or, was that hot sake in their cups?  Cheers!



Cold Day (Kyoto, Japan)

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 8.25 x 11.5 in. (on 9 x 12 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

Just when I got used to constant noise of cars and scooters on my first day in Rome, I thought I heard "waterfall."  What could it be?  Around the corner, there it was, not a waterfall, but a beautiful fountain spouting water up in the air, in the middle of a traffic circle, Piazza della Repubblica.

The semi-circular piazza is surrounded by buildings with porticos, and this cafe bar was under one of the porticos or arcades.  Not a bad place to take a coffee break especially on a very warm day.

 

 

 

Roma, Italia XXIV

 

Click here for an enlarged view.
Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 11.5 x 8.25 in. (on 12 x 9 in. paper)
Mat/Frame: No
Purchase: Sold

 

Known for famous intellectuals who used to frequent here (such as J-P Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Picasso), Café de Flore still attracts the same kind and many others.

Behind glass panels, I could see young couples, foreign tourists, and wealthy old men and women.  There were also families on vacation and a couple of well-dressed businessmen.  I could only guess, but they must have come here for more than a cup of coffee.  To experience the charm of an old Parisian cafe, to be part of its history, to people-watch, or to daydream -- whatever their purpose might have been, they probably had a very special time in this historic café.   


Paris Café XLIX

Click here for an enlarged view.

 

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 7.5 x 9.5 in.
Mat/Frame: Yes/No
Mat Size: 11 x 14 in.
Purchase: Sold

 

Sevilla Bar, Spain III

 

 

We had some time to kill before our bus arrived, so we went into a bar at the bus terminal in Seville.  It was a very hot day (the Andalusian sun can be maddeningly intense!) and we were tired and not really looking for a fancy meal, so just being inside was a treat enough.

After studying their tapas menu, we made a few choices including the one that said "our award-winning regional specialty."  To be honest, we didn't take that too seriously from a bar that caters to long-distance bus travelers.

While waiting, I looked around the inside this bar.  The place was rather nondescript but there was a little bit of Andalusian charm here and there.  So I made a little sketch as a souvenir for me.  Our order came to our table.  Their special tapa was roasted snails stewed with vegetables.  It was unbelievably rich - what a treat it was.


Sevilla Bar, Spain III

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.

 

Station Café, Spain

 

 

I joined Daily Painters Gallery exactly a year ago today.  It's been an amazing year, painting, blogging and getting to know many of DPG artists and viewers.  At times, life threw at me unexpected things and I couldn't get to my studio or I had to miss posting, but I made a commitment to make daily painting a top priority in 2009.

Thank you for checking my blog to see my daily effort.  I am grateful that many of my creations have found a new home.  Thank you for sending me your comments, opinions, inquiries and kind emails, all of which I value as they are your voices.  They mean a lot to me.

To celebrate my first anniversary with DPG, I would like to offer a 10% discount to any of my available daily paintings, from now through the end of January.  Please sit back, with a cup of coffee, and enjoy browsing through my gallery page at Daily Painters Gallery (there are more than 330 paintings there).  For more information on any painting, please send me an email.


Station Café, Spain

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 7.25 x 6.25 in.
Purchase: Sold