Here's Loki playing with this handmade catnip toy:

We tried a new park today, Almaden Quicksilver County Park. When we set out, the morning was overcast and cool but had burned off by the time we got there. Still, the trail we took uphill, New Almaden Trail, was mostly shaded.

The trail had passed through a grove of these lovely red-barked manzanita trees:

Upwards...

Finally made it to the top. I made the mistake of sitting down on the trail for a few minutes and needed help standing back up! My legs were like jelly--couldn't make them go.

On the way down, more oak trees, such as this interesting one:

20% off sweatshirts & hoodies in the cafepress store. Today only!

Take advantage of my temporary insanity. 50% off original art, paintings & jewelry. 5 days only in my eBay Store

Got several new pendants made. Just waiting for it to get sunny enough to put on the resin. My new resin "UV cures" but I found that the sun has to be nice & bright. Tried it in the late afternoon once and it didn't set. You can buy a gadget with a UV light to cure it but my house is so filled with gadgets and I figure I live in California. It's not sunny here every day but it doesn't typically go more than a few and, this time of year, it's no problem at all. And I can always go back to my original varnish if need be.

Finished a new painting, African Sunset Meditation:

A leopard watches protectively over a woman in turquoise meditating on a glorious sunset in shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. This African landscape, from the Zen Mandala series (visionary landscapes in a contemporary surreal style), is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" sides are finished off in purple acrylic)--no need to frame. It has been lightly varnished to protect the paint and preserve the lustrous colors. The watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual painting. Prints and pendants are also available.

This is my first painting with a big cat. I hope to do more (tiger next, maybe a white one).

New pendant, A Raven Remembers Spring:

A raven, or crow, gazes at the setting sun in the yellow sky. Ghostly, transparent cherry blossoms light on the tree branches. This visionary landscape, part of the Golden Glow modern art series, is offered as a fine art pendant, hand crafted by the artist. Made from polymer clay with the print baked into it, then sealed for protection with resin, giving the image a glass-like quality.

A couple years ago, I started making pendants of my paintings out of polymer clay. I should say, several years ago. That's when I got the idea to do it but it took a year to learn how to use the clay properly and do the image transfer with an inkjet printer.

I just got different transfer supplies for this, and here's one of the first pendants (the first to use both the new transfer material, and a resin coating). One wonderful thing about the new transfer materials is that I can do different shapes, such as this oval of my painting, "A Raven Remembers Spring."

I wasn't sure at first about the resin because it's so shiny...nearly blinded myself setting it out in the sun to cure (this type cures in direct sunlight). But I love it. For one thing, it's fully waterproof, fog proof, all that stuff. And it's thick enough to compensate for any little bumps or such in the image. As these are hand-sculpted, some degree of "handmadeness" is a good thing but you don't want to go overboard ;-).

Finished a new fantasy painting, Mermaid at the Golden Gate Bridge:

A red-haired mermaid with a green tail watches the twinkling lights of the Golden Gate Bridge. The luminous full moon shines down upon the San Francisco scene, through a break in the clouds. The night sky is in shades of deep blue. This California fantasy seascape 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 watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual painting. Prints and pendants are also available.

Finished a new fantasy painting, Crimson Mermaid:

A dark-haired mermaid with a red tail gazes at the luminous full moon, shining through a break in the clouds. The night sky shades of gold, rose, crimson, burgundy and dark blue reflect on the water. This fantasy seascape 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 watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual painting. Prints and pendants are also available.

Working away on the peace tree painting. The plum background is in and most of the tree branches. I've started on the orange blossoms and thinking about the dragonflies.

We thought we'd beat the heat today and head over to Half Moon Bay. Unfortunately, there was a bicycle marathon of some sort going on down Highway 92 (not really wide enough to accommodate it), so we decided to go a little further up the coast to Rockaway Beach in Pacifica. It's been quite awhile since we visited this lovely spot. As is often the case, hot weather inland translated to cool fog along the coast.

This area, in general, always has interesting foliage growing in the sand dunes:

I liked this dramatic view of the beach from a bluff with wildflowers:

This looks like a good spot for a mermaid painting :-):

We walked as far as this wonderful cypress tree, which I'd spied from the road as we went past:

You can expect to see it in a painting at some point soon :-).

New painting:

Wishes by a Stone Lantern

The full moon illuminates dandelion globes. On a distant hill stands a twisted pine tree. On a closer hill, a Japanese stone lantern casts golden light over the scene. The night sky is in shades of lavender, lilac and purple. This visionary landscape is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" sides are finished off in purple 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. Size: 14" x 11"

Offered at $500 and prints and pendants are available.

New .99 ACEO print listing, Dragonfly in Teal Moonlight. The original painting is sold but you can pick up one of these collectible, limited edition prints--once the edition is sold out, it's gone.

Finished the ginkgo leaf triptych:

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It's hard to show the scale on a small screen. It is a set of three 16 x 20 canvases (total size is 48" x 20"). I went with a morning/noon/night theme.

Worked away on the ginkgo leaf painting (the first in the triptych). The water is done and I gesso'd in the basic form of the leaves. I thought that would be best, yellow paint being varying degrees of transparent. When the gesso dries, I'll put in some shading of vermillion & raw sienna, then top it off with yellow ochre & cad yellow. At this point, I'm thinking I will also put in water drops on the leaves. It's been years since I did a painting with water drops.

I've been planning this one for months. Ages ago, I picked some ginkgo leaves then went home and took various photos. I dropped them randomly, arranged them, all sorts of stuff, then looked at the photos and chose one. This one has five leaves.

Still working on the gingko leaf triptych (I'm going to call it that, in the hopes that I'll finish it ;-)). So far, I only have the first one started, with circles in the gray water. The other two will have rust/dark red and purple backgrounds. I may have to get more 16x20 canvases. I also promised a lovely person I'd do a painting with her two gray tabbies (probably a blue background on that one). It was a busy week...lots of print & pendant orders, which I am grateful for. Hopefully, more time to paint over the weekend.

New painting:

Shinto Lantern in Bamboo Forest

Gray stones lead around the Kanju-ji Lantern in the bamboo grove at Hakone Japanese Gardens (in Saratoga, California). Dawn light streams through the bamboo, in shades of lime green deepening to emerald. This zen visionary landscape is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" staple-free sides are finished off in green 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. Size: 14" x 11"

Offered at $500 and prints and pendants are available.

We went to Pinnacles National Monument today. It's not as far as I thought it was (we made it in about 2 hours). It's a bit more strenuous a hike than the usual gentle walk we do but worth it.

Finished the gothic mermaid painting:

The Gift of a Red Rose

A raven brings a red rose to a dark-haired mermaid with a red tail. Cypress trees stand on a bluff on a stormy day. Seagulls fly through the shafts of light breaking through the clouds. The rocky shore was inspired by Monterey Bay. This California fantasy seascape is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" sides are finished off in gray acrylic)--no need to frame. It has been lightly varnished to protect the paint and preserve the lustrous colors. The watermarks on the image do not appear on the actual painting.

Offered at $800 and prints and pendants are available.

Took a little trip to Santa Cruz yesterday. It was pouring here so we knew we were taking a chance but it was just fine there. Perfect for my purposes (stormy, dramatic skies but not raining). It did rain right near the end of our walk and it was a bit cold for someone coming down with a cold (like me) but worth it :-). We parked in Lighthouse Field:

Then saw a seal on the rocks:

Walking back, we took the other side of the street and passed Darling House, a Bed & Breakfast (which is up for sale). Beautiful garden blooming in the front, including these black tulips:

Started the gothic mermaid painting. I thought I'd start with a thin layer of red oxide, which I'm hoping will warm up the grays. I roughed in the sky, water and sand. Then I thought I should let this layer thoroughly dry (this one is in acrylics and it tends to lift up).

Stayed up late to get the new pendants online:

Today, we went to a little known park in San Jose, Rancho Canada del Oro. It's a nice park with a great loop that's around 3.5 miles (first half is uphill, leading to spectacular views).

As you get near the top, you pass through a cattle gate and we came eye to eye with a small herd.

This California Condor (OK...vulture) circled us up at the top, although I assured it I was doing just fine ;-).

On the way down this time of year, you can see many surprisingly little waterfalls.

The trail finishes with this phenomenal display of flowers. Poppies cascading down hillsides, lupines, buttercups and all sorts of ones I can't name.

Went to Pacific Grove (California) today for my yearly trek to see the pink/purple flowers blooming. I can't imagine a nicer day. It was beautiful!

Finished the new painting:

Balinese Cat at Hakone

Lady Sky, a gorgeous Balinese cat with a little white spot at the end of her tail, sits on a rock, watching the koi fish swim by. Behind Moon Bridge, the cherry blossoms and brightly colored foliage of Spring, a wisteria branch in the foreground. A turtle rests on a distant rock. This landscape, from Hakone Japanese Garden (in Saratoga, California), is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" sides are finished off in brown 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.

I've decided to keep this one, since it's the first portrait I've done of Lady Sky, but prints and pendants are available.

.99 ACEO auction :-)

Bent Pine Tree at Moonrise pendant, from my original art:

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A bent pine tree on a mountain top, illuminated by the full moon. Clouds drift across the blue night sky. This feng shui landscape, 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).

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 :-).

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).

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).

New raven pendant up for auction on eBay:

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

Finished the new painting:

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).

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

Springtime Mermaid

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

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.

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.

My two kittens (nearly cats--they'll be 1 year old next month), Loki and Sky