Tuesday, June 30, 2009


A darling orange kitten with white paws sleeps in the window of a Japanese teahouse (my kitten, Loki, was the model). Steam rises from a purple ceramic teapot with a bamboo handle. Teacups rest invitingly on a tray. Outside, the rising sun illuminates bright green Spring bamboo. Inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony. This zen landscape is offered as a print on my website
Got my newsletter done: http://zenbreeze.com/newsletter/2009_07_news.html

Monday, June 29, 2009


Crow in Gingko Leaves Original Oil Painting up for auction on eBay

This is my last art auction for a couple weeks.

Owl in Maple Leaves print from my original painting: http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/ZenBreeze/items/Owl_Tree_Branch_Yellow_Red_Maple_Leaves_Landscape_Art_Print

Saturday, June 20, 2009


Have an etsy shop? Marketing professional Jessica Schope has written an excellent publication to learn the ins & outs of growing your etsy business. See http://jessicaschope.com/ for information on ordering a copy, and for free hints. Even long-time etsy sellers will benefit from having all this information in one place, and carefully laid out. And, for new sellers, this is an invaluable resource.

We went to Yosemite on Thursday. Due to one thing after another, I didn't get to see much of the park, but I did get to see the amazing "tunnel view" of el capitan, half dome and bridal veil falls off to the side.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009






Today, we went on the Land's End trail in San Francisco (California). This trail by the sea was said to offer beautiful views and it did not disappoint, providing much inspiration for me. We started the trail through a field of cypress trees and flowers (yellow lupines, California poppies and many others).

The Golden Gate Bridge soon came into view. The fog was just lifting. We wound around the trail to Eagle's Point.

From Eagle's Point, we passed briefly through a beautiful neighborhood on our way to China Beach.

Coming back, we took the road which led past the Legion of Honor Museum and a golf course.

A lovely visit--one I'm sure we'll do again.
New pendant, "Moon Glow, Lantern Glow":

Moon Glow, Lantern Glow
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A Siamese cat sits on the roof of a teahouse watching the full moon. Beneath, a wrought iron lantern glows orange and yellow. Both illuminate the tree branches, covered in pink cherry blossoms. Some of the petals are dancing in the night sky, which is in shades of magenta and purple. This feng shui 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). 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).

Thursday, May 21, 2009


Loki in my "studio" (the dining room table). I was currently making pendants so the clay is out, with the brushes & palette on the side, blank canvases in the back.

Monday, May 18, 2009



Loki's been keeping me busy. Here are a couple new pics of him. One is of him & Salem playing and the other is more of a close up to show his fantastic markings.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

We adopted a kitten yesterday :-). I had gone to the pet food store in search of catbox liners. There wasn't a sign out for adoptions so I didn't think there'd be any kitties there today. I made my way to the back of the store to find a bunch of kittens.

I'd always wanted an orange kitten with white paws but, for one reason or another, had ended up with other wonderful cats (we'd recently lost our cat, Megan, to cancer and Salem (my 10-year old cat) had been lonely).

Salem took to the new kitten, whom we named Loki after the trickster god in Norse mythology, right away. They seemed immediately in sync. They played together...
Then had a nice meal together. Loki had fallen asleep in an inaccessible area under an easy chair but came out when we had dinner. I showed him the food dishes and he tucked right in, finishing Salem's dinner. Salem didn't mind at all.
Loki adapted easily and I was surprised at how independent he is. In no time, he was fearlessly exploring. After several rounds of playing, eating and napping, he jumped up on the back of the couch and purred himself to sleep. An excellent first day.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

"Nevermore in Denim Blue" pendant:

Nevermore in Denim Blue
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Tree branches in silhouette frame a luminous full moon, a lone raven perched on a branch. In tones of denim blue, this haunting landscape was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's poem. This monochrome silhouette, part of the Zen Mandala series, is offered as a fine art pendant, hand crafted by the artist. Made from polymer clay with the print fired onto it, then sealed for protection.

Suitable for a man or woman, 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). 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, May 09, 2009

Panda in blue pendant, "Moonlit Snack":

Moonlit Snack
Click Here

Carrying a bamboo shoot, a panda climbs into the arms of a Japanese maple tree to contemplate the luminous full moon. The night sky is in shades of blue. This visionary landscape, part of the Zen Mandala series, is offered as a pendant, handmade by the artist from my original painting. Made from polymer clay with the print fired onto it, then sealed for protection.

Suitable for a man or woman, 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). 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)

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Here is my latest painting, "Moonlit Snack":

Moonlit Snack Panda Bear Original Painting
Click Here

Carrying a bamboo shoot, a panda climbs into the arms of a Japanese maple tree to contemplate the luminous full moon. The night sky is in shades of blue. This visionary landscape, part of the Zen Mandala series, is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" staple-free sides are finished off in indigo acrylic).

Size: 10" x 8"

Thursday, April 30, 2009

I thought I'd try an ebay auction on the new crow pendant, "Raven in Red":

Raven in Red
Click Here

A silhouette of a raven, or crow, sitting on a tree branch, gazing at the full moon. The night sky is in shades of orange, deepening to a rich red. This gothic fantasy 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.

Suitable for a man or woman, 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). 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)

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Here is my latest painting, "The Last Storm":

The Last Storm Monterey Carmel Ocean California Seascape Original Painting
Click Here

Winter is nearly over with one final storm of the season. Seagulls soar through shafts of light breaking through the dark gray clouds. On the bluff, cypress trees stand among the pink wildflowers, just starting to bloom. Foamy waves break behind a yellow flowering plant with dark green foliage. This California seascape from Pacific Grove (on the Monterey Peninsula) is an original oil painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the sides are finished off in brown acrylic).

Size: 18" x 14"

Sunday, April 26, 2009


Today, we tried a new place, Sunol Regional Wilderness. We took a trail to "Little Yosemite", then looped back along the road. Part of the park is still used as grazing country so we got a nice visit with some cows along the way.

Saturday, April 25, 2009



Went on my annual trek to see the pink/purple wildflowers at Pacific Grove. One of my favorite sights.

Saturday, April 18, 2009




I finished a new seascape in oil paints today. While it's getting dry enough to photograph, I thought I'd post about the wildflower walk I went on today...

I heard of a new open space preserve in South San Jose (new to me, anyway) called Rancho Canada de Oro. We went on a short 1/2 mile loop through a meadow filled with purple lupines, then did the 4.3 mile loop. The first half was all up but not too steep. I was amazed by the flowers, California poppies that went all the way up the hillsides. Truly, a beautiful place. I feel lucky to have seen it at this particular time.

Monday, April 06, 2009


There's a nice park only 20 miles away that has beautiful waterfalls. It's called Uvas Canyon. This was a great time of year to go. Dry enough to hike but still plenty of waterfall action :-).