Kyoto Autumn Leaves

日本語 It has gotten a lot cooler here in Massachusetts. I feel that autumn is approaching slowly. There will be a juried show, “The Artist Travels”,  at Rhode Island Watercolor Society in September, so I wanted to paint a beautiful autumn landscape from one of my past trips outside the United States. My Austrian husband is a big fan of Japan, so he suggested…

Remembering my 2010 Kyushu Trip

日本語 Kyushu was hit by record rainfall this summer! I watched the recent news on the heavy rain in mid July, which brought　back memories of my trip there in 2010. Kyushu is not part of “Honshu ( the mainland of Japan)”, but the largest Japanese southern island. The nature there looks very unique, compared to other parts of Japan. There are a number of…

“Summer Garden” Plein Air or Studio Painting?

日本語 How are you enjoying summer? It is a prime time for Plein Air painters. I started painting landscapes with an art teacher who was a Plein Air painter, so this style used to be my primary style.  Even though I still believe that Plein Air painting is the best way to express direct response to the scene you see right in front of you,…

2014 Spring Member Exhibition (5/17 – 5/18) – Franklin Art Association

日本語 It was the second time that I participated in the member exhibition of my local art association, Franklin Art Association. Every artist was allowed to enter two pieces. I showed “Cuddly Time” and “Spring in Kobe “.  I was too new in the last member show to talk to other member artists, but this time I got to talk to some great art…

“Cats Shelf” – Happy Meowthday!

日本語 Today is the 5th birthday of my dearest twin cats, Murli & Schnurli. Here is a big meow from me, “MEOOOOW”. I already discovered a dead field mouse in my bed room today. OK. This is how they cerebrate their birthday. Well, if that is the case, I should cerebrate their birthday by painting something for them because I am an artist. I…

Mother’s Day in Provincetown, Cape Cod, MA

日本語 Did you already plan anything for Mother’s Day? This is how we spent our Mother’s Day last year. My husband, my daughter (one year old back then) and I went to my most favorite town in Cape Cod, Provincetown, which is the America’s oldest continuous art colony. It was not quite a gallery season yet. There were not many galleries which were open….

“Inner Voice”

日本語 I got an inspiration to paint this subject when I saw a Bishamonten (Buddhist deity) statue at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The statue was exhibited with other Buddhist statues in a very dimly lit room. The lighting resulted in a very dramatic shadow, which almost looked like another statue behind the Bishamonten. I was amazed by the contrast between the statue and…

For the Memory of the Visit to Matsushima in 2012

日本語 This paining, “Lost Horizon”, was shown in the 118th Annual Artist Member Show (3/30-4/24) at Rhode Island Watercolor Society. Three years already passed since the 3/11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. It was right before the 3rd anniversary of the disaster when I started painting it. I felt an urge to paint a landscape in Tohoku (northeastern part of Japan) while I was watching a series of documentary shows of evacuees from Fukushima and…