Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I struggled to find a good reference photo for the gothic mermaid I want to paint
(even spending hours on photoshop trying to do a composite). I realized what the problem is...When I go to the ocean, I'm nearly always walking along the bluffs above it. The mermaid, in such a scene, would be tiny. I need to be beach-level.

We have plans to go to Carmel a week from Tuesday (when the pink flowers are blooming) so I'm going to try to take photos with mermaids in mind (there are various places to access the beach and it's rocky--I may even get a good shot with a seal). I don't want just the ocean & the mermaid. I'd like to have a bluff or something in the background. Half Moon Bay would be nice for that too--all those interesting cypress trees.
Been working all morning on the new Japanese Garden painting (from my last trip to Hakone in Saratoga). This is a 16" x 20" acrylic and will feature my lovely cat, Lady Sky, sitting on a rock looking at the koi.

It was off to a slow start (had the sky, then the background, far off trees, then filled those in a little more, then it sat). Got the whole canvas blocked in this morning :-).

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Blue Moon Tea pendant, from my original art:


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An orange tabby cat appears in the doorway of a Japanese teahouse. Steam rises from a cast iron blue Asian teapot with koi fish and water lilies. The white china teacup is also painted with the same koi and water lilies. A branch of cherry blossoms in the background is illuminated by the full moon. Outside, purple princess flowers bloom and some have been brought inside to rest in front of the orange raku dish that the teapot sits on. Inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony. This zen landscape is offered as a pendant, hand crafted by the artist from my original painting. Made from polymer clay with the print fired onto it, then sealed for protection.

An adjustable knotted cord is included so the piece is ready to wear and will fit most sizes (these are adjusted by sliding the knots and don't have a metal clasp). As they go over the head, these tend to hang long, although you can sometimes double them up once they're on. If you would prefer a cord of a particular length with a clasp instead, let me know at the time of the sale (no additional charge).

Plum Blossoms in Pale Moonlight pendant, from my original art:


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An Abyssinian and a Siamese cat sit on a branch in a blossoming tree, illuminated by the full moon. The night sky is in shades of mauve and plum, deepening to purple. Some of the petals are dancing in the air among the stars. Leaves in shades of lime green, teal and turquoise blue add a touch of brightness to the palette. This piece, part of the Zen Mandala modern art series (botanical visionary landscapes in a contemporary Asian style), is offered as a pendant, hand crafted by the artist from my original painting. Made from polymer clay with the print fired onto it, then sealed for protection.

An adjustable knotted cord is included so the piece is ready to wear and will fit most sizes (these are adjusted by sliding the knots and don't have a metal clasp). As they go over the head, these tend to hang long, although you can sometimes double them up once they're on. If you would prefer a cord of a particular length with a clasp instead, let me know at the time of the sale (no additional charge).

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Dragonflies in Violet pendant, from my original art:


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Dragonflies flit among the cattails, beneath a luminous full moon. The night sky is in shades of green. The reeds and dragonflies are in purple tones. This piece, part of the Zen Mandala modern art series, is offered as a pendant, hand crafted by the artist from my original painting. Made from polymer clay with the print fired onto it, then sealed for protection.

An adjustable knotted cord is included so the piece is ready to wear and will fit most sizes (these are adjusted by sliding the knots and don't have a metal clasp). As they go over the head, these tend to hang long, although you can sometimes double them up once they're on. If you would prefer a cord of a particular length with a clasp instead, let me know at the time of the sale (no additional charge).

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

New raven pendant up for auction on eBay:

Raven Pendant

Comes on an adjustable cord and will fit a man or woman.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Finished the new painting:

Peace Tree with Orange Dragonflies
Peace Tree with Orange Dragonflies

The full moon illuminates orange dragonflies and blossoming tree branches, covered in cherry blossoms. The tree branches have arc'd to form a peace sign. Some of the petals are dancing in the night sky, which is in shades of teal, deepening to turquoise blue. This hope-filled piece, part of the Zen Mandala modern art series (visionary landscapes in a contemporary Asian style), is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" sides are finished off in black acrylic)--no need to frame. It has been lightly varnished to protect the paint and preserve the lustrous colors. The copyright watermark does not appear on the actual painting.

16" x 20" original painting on canvas (prints and pendants are available too).

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Finished the new fantasy painting of a mermaid at Pacific Grove (Carmel/Monterey): http://zenbreeze.com/store/mermaidpg.htm:

Springtime Mermaid
Springtime Mermaid

16" x 20" original painting on canvas (prints are available too).

Thursday, March 11, 2010

I usually don't do work in progress shots but, since I find other artist's fascinating (and it's taking me so long to finish this piece), I thought I'd give it a try. Here is the mermaid at Pacific Grove painting in progress:

Pretty far, really. The bluff will have those lovely pink flowers and cypress trees. I may lower the water line on the rock the mermaid is sitting on to allow for showing more of her tail. My current plan is to do the mermaid with wavy blond hair, which I think will complement the spring-time colors of the piece.

Sunday, March 07, 2010


Went for a nice walk today at Arastradero Open Space Preserve in Palo Alto. We thought we couldn't get a parking place at first but found one left at this small auxiliary parking area at the other end. Wasn't too muddy either :-). A few poppies were blooming, like this painting I did from there last March.

I only saw one lupine on the trail but a few clusters of them along the road. The sky was grayer today. I took a few photos but haven't downloaded them yet. I hope the ones of the hawk came out. I saw a jackrabbit too, and some other birds, but no other wildlife.