Koi

And now the end is near so I face the final curtain. Wow, This is it, the end of year 2010. Do you know that next year is Rabbit year by Chinese calender?  So, let's hop,hop and jump toward our dream.

Memory of Japanese Summer

I use to study a sumie painting (Japanese Ink painting). I painted this purple flower with the sumie technique.

Sunrise

I couldn't believe it. Black out? I don't remember when I had it last time. I have to admit I was a little excited about it because I can play with a candle light. Since I was kid I always like to play with the fire. LOL . The black out ended about an hour.

June lake

Wow, It's such a heavy rain in Southern California. The storm will be with us until next week. I hope it get better before Christmas. Meanwhile, I went to Little Tokyo to join our breakfast meeting early in the morning, and it was more than enough driving in the rain for today. I stayed home rest of the day and painting.
 Subject of the painting was Yosemite scene which one of my students brought me last watercolor class. It was against my rule to use a someone else's photograph. But it was just fun.
 My imac rebelled against me last night. Suddenly, it lost the control of everything and blacked out. I frantically looked for the manual and tried to find the solutions.  It said check the batteries push three keys on same time and all kind of things not working. And the end it said "pull the power plug off and reconnect and push the power button. Hey, why didn't you say so at the first time. But thank you, my imac is working now.

Hydrangea

I went to Torrance library to pick up my painting. It had been exhibited there for last two months. It was easy thing to do but weather was awful, We had the unbelievably heavy rain in the morning. I had to drive in the middle of it. Fortunately, I survived the storm.

Lily of the Nile

I have finished the painting I started yesterday. It was a portrait of my friend, or should I say figure of my friend. Because I painted it very loose style. I have been try to break my tightness, and just recently,  I feel that I am doing more loose style than before.

Cabin in the Wood

I teach watercolor for a week in Yosemite National Park every year. Every time I go up there I take a lot of photographs because I paint watercolor from photograph most of the time. This painting I did by same way. There are a lot of cabins like this in the wood. They are the facilities for park workers stay during the season. Surprisingly, many young workers in the park come from another country. Sometimes I become a good friend of some of them but I don't see them a year after.

Hotel Room

One of my watercolor class students made me a tool box. I noticed that he asked me a lot of questions about my old tool box, but I didn't know he was making a new one. One day at the class, he showed up with the new box and he said that this is for you. It was a such surprise, I didn't know what to say. However, I was accepted it happily. LOL. My students are such nice people I am lucky to have them. So, I put a photograph of my old and new toolbox side by side. I believe you can tell which is old and which is new.

Spotlight in the Back Yard

Finally, some of the tree leaves are changing color to red and yellow. Even though there are not bright color as my home town, I still enjoy the autumn leaves. In the early morning during the morning walk I saw red and yellow leaves against the sunlight.

Yellow Flower Pot

Friend of mine and I went to a Japanese restaurant. I haven't been this restaurant for a log time. I like their lunch special. They change a menu for the lunch special every day of the week, such as Monday is a tempura, Tuesday is sukiyaki and so on. Today's special was a combination of tempura-soba and mazegohan. We both had the lunch special.  My friend likes soba,  so I believe he enjoyed it. soba is vary healthy food, it's buckwheat noodles.

El Capitan

During my morning work, I do Tai-Chi exercise three times in a little park on the way. However, I had to stop it middle of the first session this morning because the rain started dropping. I rushed to back home.

Cleaning Man

 I took a photograph of I am painting. This is for a local paper where I am going to a watercolor demonstration next year.  I set up lights and camera and took photograph of myself. Now, I have all the materials I suppose to send out. Oh, I almost forgot that I have to tell them what kind of subject I will paint. I need more time to think about it.

Laundry Room

I have been painting landscapes for log time. I am getting tired of it. I like to paint some thing ales for change. Then I found a new subject. I am going to paint a scene inside of a house such as the painting above. So I started to taking a photograph of inside the house. Not only my house but my friend's house, too. If it's possible, I like to take a photograph of my neighbor. So, it will be my next project.

A Chapel in a valley

Thanksgiving day is over. Soon,  Christmas and New Years. Then 2010 will be over.

Birch Tree 2

My friend Noel and I went to a dim sum restaurant in China town. It was my second time of the dim sum adventure. Coincidentally,  my friend told me it was his second time, too. Or did he said it was second time to be that restaurant but not for the dim sum adventure. any way it was an interesting experience. Also, things went rather quickly. All that pushing food carts activity made me feel I have to eat quickly. I think that was good idea to rotate customers quickly. So they can take care of a lot of customers for a day. When we got the restaurant, waiting room was packed with people, but we didn't have to wait more than ten minutes. The most impressive thing was size of the restaurant. It was large enough for a gymnasium. I think Chinese people like a big things. 

Birch Trees

It was dark outside and raining. I hated to get up from the warm cozy bed. But I had to. I was expecting to have some companies early this morning. So I forced myself to get up. I quickly checked e-mail and I found that they will not come because of rain. It's sad to say that Californian don't know how to drive in the rain. Fact is,  I felt relieved more than a little disappointment. Only thing I could do time like this was go back to bed and be lazy.

Best Koi

During my regular morning walk, I saw a beautiful, cute, clean rabbit a couple of morning ago. It has a cocoa colored soft fur and big wide ears dropping like a beagle. It must be a someone's pet. I felt the temptation to catch it and bring it with me. But I resist the temptation. And then, I saw an another rabbit this morning. This time it was just an ordinary white rabbit, it's still cute as well. Now, I am looking forward to see more rabbit. I wonder there is a rabbit farm around my neighborhood.

Bishop Creek

Our watercolor class is very busy. I don't mean we are busy painting but We are busy chatting. I should change our class name to "Advanced Chatting Class". So, I am getting better talker than a painter.

Apples and Bananas

One of my friends and I had a nice lunch at a food court in Japanese market. For some reason, I was craving for ramen today, so, I had a ramen combination. It came with a special rice bowl. My friend Noel had a salad. He is an American but he loves to do shopping at Japanese market. There are so many interesting goods which he can’t find at American market. I can’t blame him that he attracted to Japanese market. At the end of our meal, we had a cream-puff  for a dessert.

Azalea 2

I went to a gym this morning where held a Tai-Chi class, and only to find the door into the gym was locked. I didn't know why.  So, I went to an art supply shop instead. I wanted to get watercolor papers. On the way home, I turned on a car radio. And I found that today is labor day. Since, I am a self employment, and single I don't pay attention to the holidays.

Azalea

One of my friends and I went to a Chinese restaurant. When we made this lunch out plan, he asked me that what kind of food I like to have. We tried Japanese food last time, so I suggested him to pick up a place. But he insisted that I can decide. Finally, I said "How about Chinese?" And he agreed. However, he had no idea where is a nice Chinese restaurant around his area. Since, I supposed to come his area this time, he should find a place in his area.  After a little silence, he said "I know, we can go this restaurant at corner of Robertson and Pico street. I forgot the name of the place, because I went to that restaurant a long time ago.

We found the place easily and enjoyed meal. The name of the restaurant is 'Twin Dragons" It was not great Chinese food, but it was fairly good. However, It was not good enough to I can come back here again.

Autumn Road

I had nothing to do today. But that’s all right because this is Saturday, I am supposed to take a nice rest. So, I painted a little, I watched TV and I played Tai-Chi. Waite a minute, come to think of it, it’s no different from any other day.

The First Snow in Aspendale

This watercolor painting is one of art works I sent to Japan last April for my first group show.

Yosemite in Early Spring

It was hot day today. I had watercolor class to teach in the afternoon. At the class, one of the students brought us a lot of persimmons. So, we painted them and ate some of them. such a wonderful time we had.

Yosemite in Red

I had gone to a park after I picked up my medicine at a pharmacy. I use to come here often during my morning walk. But I stopped it because it takes over one hour walk. There is a big pond in the park. and small island in the pond. There are a lot of waterbirds and rabbits for some reason. To get the island I have to use a little bridge but the island side of the bridge has been closed for long time. Fact is I never seen it open for public.

I took walk around the pond and when I came to the bridge, I saw a old man fishing there. I stopped and looking at him, because I saw a cute rabbit behind him standing with its hind legs. It seems to asking some food to the man. I was so curious about the rabbit, So, I asked the man that if the rabbit is his pet. He said no. He even didn't know there was rabbit right behind him.

I started taking picture. It was very friendly thing, it wasn't afraid of me at all. I even took a video, too. I am going to edit it and upload to YouTube. It had such a joyful time there. I should come here more often.

Late Afternoon in the Park

I enjoyed Tai-Chi class at a senior center this morning. Simultaneously, I am studying Tai-Chi movements with DVD which one of my friends gave me. And finally, after four months, I can do the entire movements all by my self now.  However, there was a little problem that There are some different movements  between the DVD and at the class. should I learn two of them as a separate Tai-Chi. It is confusing.

Snow in Hokkaido

Yosemite Valley 3

I cut my hair this afternoon. I did it myself. In fact I haven't been a barbershop for over thirty years. I don't have an enough hair to bother the barbershop, that way. I am getting it so good, I can shave back of my neck, too. If I keep doing this, I would be good enough to open a barbershop someday. Then I will retired from watercolor artist. Hahaha,, I am joking. 

Tuolumne Meadows

I have been painting a lot of new watercolors. I took photograph of them today. This is a preparation of art images for my blog. So, you can expect to see a lot more art works in my watercolor blog in near future.

Yosemite Valley 2

Rain, Rain, Rain. We are having the rain for last five days. I staid a studio painting, painting, painting and I made a watercolor video. Do you want to see it? OK here it is: click here

The First View of Yosemite Valley

Out of the blue, my Japanese friend called me this morning. He said "I am going to Japan the day after tomorrow."  He lives at a gated community in Orange county. He has just retired officially from his long time CPA career. "I am going to stay there two and half months this time." he said.  I think he likes to live in Japan and U.S.A half and half. Good luck! my friend.

Stream of Spring

I don't drive as much as I use to any more. Especially long distance drive.  Therefore, a breakfast meeting in Little Tokyo is a good opportunity to meet people and good for my car, too.

White house on a Hill Top

I am so tired today. I don't know why. Am I tired because I am an old man? Or am I tired because I am sick?  Since, it's impossible to have an experience of an old man's life when I was young, I wouldn't know how I feel like when I get old.

First, one of my friends Jay came to my house in the early morning, and another friend Noel came by right after he left. We went to lunch and we had busy time until three PM. That's only thing I have down  to day. But I am so tired. I am going to bed as soon as I finish writing a diary.

Yosemite Valley

I stayed studio all day today and painted a new watercolor landscape. I have a lot of ideas and energy to paint nowadays.

View of Valley

I bought a new tripod to make watercolor videos. My old one is not good enough to for this job. I needed the tripod with more height and flexible camera angle. The new tripod works very good. It not perfect but it's close enough. I am going to make a lot of videos in the future. 

Winter in Hokkaido

I made a new watercolor video. Check this address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIQPSbobEtE

Tora

We have a breakfast meeting every Sunday at Mitsuru cafe in Little Tokyo. I enjoy the meeting and I am looking forward to meeting other friends. However, I couldn't get to Little Tokyo this morening. Because all the street to reach there was closed. I tried to find any little street to get there but no use. I was upset and came home. I called one of the breakfast friends later. He said that he was there in the restaurant. He went there early and street was still open at that time. I could have parked a couple of blocks away and take a walk. For some reason I didn't think about that. I guess, I was so upset I couldn't think straight. A senior has hard time to change an old habit which is I have park my car on the same spot every Sunday morning.

Hydrangea

Hi guys! This time I would like to demonstrate "How to Paint Watercolor Step by Step." First, obviously apply the first color. Use a large brush to paint light color. Do not worry about a details.

Step 2: Paint dark water of a pond. Do not make a borderline between the water and the rocks too strait like my sample.

 Step 3: Start painting hydrangeas. Use various shade of Purple to capture the shape of the flower.
And then, next step.



OH!!! NO!!!

I forgot to take a photograph of rest of steps. I am sorry. So, I have to show you a finished painting. I feel I did to much work for this. Oh Well.

Tama

My pet cat. Her name was Tama. She had lived for 12 years and went to a pet heaven. I drew her and panted her thousand times.

Quiet Spot

It was dark and chilly outside. We had rain in the late afternoon. Day like this makes me feel down. However,  I have Tai-Chi now. After I do Tai-Chi a couple of times I felt good. I think it helps my physical and mental health.

Sunset

SGFAA show was over so quickly. It was only two days weekend show. I went to gallery and picked up my art works. I am going to have a lot of time after this. that is good thing, because I can concentrate to paint new watercolor.

Nowadays, more and more art show organizers  ask us to use an acrylic sheet for a picture frame for a safety reason. I seldom use acrylic sheet, because I believe its surface is softer than the glass therefor it's tend to scratch easy. Beside I have a large stock of glass sheet, I don't want to waste them. However, using glass for the picture frame will be the thing of the past vary soon, I have to start using acrylic sheet or no more entry to a show.

Water Lily

I took two paintings of mine to SGFAA Fall Exhibition in San Gabriel. This time I had painted five watercolors and I chose two of them. We will have an exhibition this weekend and award winning art works will display at our gallery through October. If you want to come to see our exhibition, you are welcome.

Stormy Cloud

Sprit of a Tree

I had a Tai-Chi class in this morning. People come to the class are mostly senior. I might be a younger one in the crowd. That's just my hopeful opinion. I am a clumsy senior for learning something new. I still have a problem remembering all the Tai-Chi movement after four months of learning. However, I have been doing this at home with YouTube video, too. Fact is it is much easier learning from video. It's explains each movement carefully and slowly. Only problem I found was, there were some different movement between class and YouTube. I suspect, even though basic movement is a same, there will be some differences among different groups. So, I decided to think that I am learning two type of Tai-Chi exercises. One is video and another one is at the class. Any way, this new hobby of mine would be my life long one.

Dancing Stream

It was a hottest day today for this year. It was 112 F in valley and down town 102 F. The day like this I didn't want to go out but I had some shopping to do. I wanted to get pencil lengthener for my sketch pencil, because I want to use it as much as possible. I don't want to waist every bit of it. I am looking for a good drawing pencil.

SG Sunset

Wow, It was hot day.
It was nice and cool in the morning when I went to a breakfast, but it was getting hot in the afternoon. So, I took an advantage of this hot weather, I did a laundry. I don't use a dryer any more, instead I use a drying pole in the back of my house.

Come to think of it, some watercolor artists like to paint clothes hung from a drying pole. I never paint it myself yet, but why not, I think I am going to try.