Art by Akiko

1st Place in Art in Miniature, FL

2011-12-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Title: Snow Leopard
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Illustration board

This miniature painting won the 1st place in "Art in Miniature" hosted by Art & Antique Studio Fine Art Gallery in Florida!
I entered three paintings: two new and this old one. I almost didn't enter this one because it is an old painting done in 2007. Now I'm glad that I did. :)

Another great news!!

2011-11-18T22:31:00.001-08:00

Title: Angel Light
Size: 2.75 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

This miniature painting of our Cassie has won the 2nd place in Acrylic in the 36th Annual International Miniature Art Show hosted by MASF (Miniature Art Society of Florida). This is a very prestigious show for miniatures. I still can't believe it!

Newbie Award in Cider Painters of America

2011-11-11T22:32:00.001-08:00

Title: King of Sumatra
Size: 3 x 3 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Illustration board

This week, I received a phone call from Cider Painters of America saying that this tiger miniature has won the Newbie Award, awarded to the best new miniature painter, in the 2011 Cider Painters of America national miniature art show, Dallas PA.

I am so honored to win such a prestigious award!!

Honorable Mention in MPSGS Juried Show

2011-11-01T00:38:00.001-07:00

Title: Peaceful Afternoon
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic

Yay!! This miniature painting won Honorable Mention in MPSGS's (Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society) annual juried show this year.

I started this painting about three years ago and left it unfinished all this time. Finally got around to finish it this summer. The models are Einstein (left) and his mom Kitty (right) who recently passed on at the age of 17 (or older).

My First Canvas Print

2011-09-01T13:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I have received my first canvas print from Easy Canvas Prints. It is my black panther eyes with a size of 8" (H) x 24" (L) x 3/4" (D), the same size as its original. As you can see, it looks fantastic (although this photo doesn't do it justice) and I also like the quality!!

I have painted eight different animal eyes just like this Panther on gallery wrap canvas sized 8" x 24". This is the perfect size for the space above doors. I have an original leopard eye painting above my office door. There seems to be several different sites offering canvas prints, but many (if not all) of them offer only the standard sizes, such as 8x10, 11x14, 12x16, ..., but Easy Canvas Prints also offers any custom size you want. Their prices are competitive and ordering process is very easy to go through, and shipping is lightening fast. All you need is your high-res image.

I am very satisifed with their products and services. Now, I'm considering offering my artworks in canvas prints.

Custom Canvas Prints

New Miniature Landscapes

2011-08-26T16:17:00.001-07:00

Linda Mar Beach
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Art Board

Yosemite
Size: 3 x 4.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Art Board

I have been working on miniatures for the last month or so to create enough paintings to get into upcoming shows before I get busy again, which would be anytime now.

Landscapes are not my favorite subject, but I actually enjoyed working on these pieces. Hope to do more in the near future.

The support I used is Strathmore 400 Series Smooth Art Board, which is made up of two thick smooth paper mounted on both sides to reduce warping. I bought it a few years ago to do an 8"x10" painting and left the remaining part in my closet. I decided to use it again for these miniatures and really really liked it. So I went to Dickblick and several other big online art stores to order more, but couldn't find it anymore. Just can't fint it anywhere. Strathmore must have discontinued this art board. What a shame!

A Tiger Face

2011-07-31T23:38:00.001-07:00

Size: 11 x 14 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

About a year ago, I did an ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches) of a tiger face as a study, hoping to do a larger piece. And here it is!

Panther Eyes

2011-07-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

Panther Eyes
Size: 8 x 24 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

I originally painted this 6 years ago, but was never satisfied with the eyes. I finally got around to rework the eyes. I applied gesso to the entire eye balls to start over. This is the result. I like how they turned out this time.

Three 1st Places!

2011-06-30T10:51:00.001-07:00

"Stars of Heaven"
8 x 10 inches, Acrylic
Domestic Animals

Orange
5 x 5 inches, Acrylic
Still life

First Grandchild
3.5 x 3 inches, Acrylic
Miniatures

I am pleased to announce that in this year's San Mateo Country Fair, these three paintings won 1st st place awards in domestic animals, still life, and miniature categories. In addition, two of my raven paintings were sold at the fair!

Sleeping Otters

2011-06-17T17:03:00.001-07:00

Title: ?
Size: 3 x 3.75 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

I probably spent about 20 hours on this little piece. These otters belong to San Francisco Zoo. They are very playful and always swimming around in their pond, but I caught them sleeping together. They looked so cute and I just had to paint them!

Birds in Miniatures

2011-06-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Golden Eagle
Size: 2.5 x 4.25 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Size: 3 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

Red-tailed Hawk
Size: 2.5 x 3 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

I had been working on these miniatures. Birds are not easy subjects for me, but I have tons of bird pictures from the San Francisco Zoo and my backyard, so decided to do some from them. I had to really concentrate, otherwise I lose track of those feathers.

Still Life Painting

2011-05-21T18:02:00.001-07:00

Size: 5 x 5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This one will be exhibited at San Mateo Country Fair along with some other animal paintings. This is my third still life painting. I almost tossed it halfway through, but I'm glad that I didn't. It came out OK, I think. There is so much more to learn about still life paintings.

New Miniatures

2011-05-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Title: Angel Light
Size: 2.75" x 3.5"
Medium: Acrylic

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches

Medium: Acrylic

Last week, I have finally finished my work that had been keeping me very busy for three months. As you can tell, I couldn't wait to paint. I really enjoyed painting these minis. The lions don't have titles yet. I am glad to hear if you have any suggestions.

I finally figured out with my Photoshop how to put these transparent pennies on the images so people can tell how small the paintings are.

Now I have to prepare to enter some of my paintings to the annual San Mateo county fair!

Front Cover on Best of Worldwide Book

2011-05-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

Cover of the book
Artists (from top: Carol Andre, Akiko Watanabe, Linda Rossin, Szabolcs Kokay)

Early February, I was invited to submit some of my artworks for the upcoming publication "BEST OF WORLDWIDE Wildlife & Animal Artists Volume I." Last week, I found out that one of my artworks will be on the cover page along with three other artworks, two of which belong to the artists I admire so much - Linda Rossin and Carol Andre.

This book features 100 wildlife and animal artists. I am so honored to be in this book with the artists with such amazing talents. The book will be going to print soon. I can't wait to see the book in person.

Merit Award at Spanish Moss Miniature Art Show

2011-04-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Title: Cougar #12
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Today I received a package of my paintings returned from Spanish Moss Miniature Art Show in Alabama. As I was opening the package, a check fell out! It's a prize for my Merit Award!! This little cougar painting won this prize. What a nice surprise! I had no idea because I was unable to go see the show. This was my first entry to this show.

I painted this one back in 2009, hoping to enter some miniature shows, but I never did because I didn't think it was good enough. I'm glad that I did enter it to the Alabama show. :)

Another good news is that one of the miniature paintings I sent to Fredlund Gallery in Florida was sold and the rest remain in the gallery for now. Yay!

My Heart Goes out to Japan

2011-03-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Title: Jack
Size: 11" x 14"
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

As you might all know, Japan was hit by a huge earthquake, followed by large Tsunami, resulting in a nuclear disaster. I have been following the news through live TV broadcasts from Japan and newspapers available through the Internet.

I am so fortunate that all my family is fine in Japan. One of my cousins live in Morioka, one of the areas hit hard by the earthquake and tsunami. According to him, he has not been able to contact 400 to 500 people who work with him. They are missing and most likely dead. My heart goes out to the people in Japan. I hope they will get through this as quickly as possible.

Since early February, I have been very busy with my work. No time to paint or even go out to take pictures. The above commission portrait of a sphynx cat was done right before I got busy. Hopefully, I will be able to go back to painting sometime in May.

Snow Leopard (miniature)

2011-01-30T22:27:00.001-08:00

Size: 3 x 3 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

I have not painted miniatures for a while, but worked on this little piece over the weekend. This will be one of the paintings to be shipped off to Fredlund Gallery in Florida that invited me to participate in their upcoming miniature art show.

Since the rule of a miniature is 1/6 scale or under, I really have to learn to paint on smaller supports and "breathe" while painting. lol

Blackie and Bubbles

2011-01-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

Title: Bubbles
Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

I've been wanting to paint something like this for a long time and I finally did it. I used my airbrush for the bubbles. I think they give some surreal atmosphere to the painting and some colors to this very dark subject.

Commission Portrait

2011-01-13T17:58:00.001-08:00

Title: Maverick
Size: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

I just finished with the portrait of this beautiful doberman named Maverick. He was a very special dog as Deb (his owner) describes "he was such a wonderful ambassador for his breed and he never met a stranger that he didn't want to go home with." He passed on suddenly last year. I'm sure he is now with Phoebe who passed on earlier, and watching over his mom and his friends who were also rescued by their mom.

Cozy Friends

2011-01-04T00:09:00.000-08:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

This is my latest painting from a reference photo by my friend Karin in Switzerland. The models are beautiful Siamese cats named Kyra and Kalima. They are the models for most of my Siamese cat paintings. I have never met them in person, but can tell how sweet they are from Karin's photos.

Another feral cat at Rockaway Beach

2010-11-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

This is Izzy. He is a beautiful gray cat, blind in one eye. In this painting, he is looking straight at us with a beautiful sunset sky behind him. The caretaker told me that Izzy and Reece are the only cats still living at the beach. Finding a forever home would be a great Christmas gift for them.

Back from Japan

2010-11-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

I'm back from Japan. Autumn leaves were beautiful there. These are some of the pictures I took in my hometown:

Feral Cats at Rockaway Beach in Pacifica

2010-10-30T22:29:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year, I found out that my city (Pacifica) issued littering citations to a lady who has been feeding and taking care of the feral cats in her neighborhood (Rockaway beach). She actually helped reduce the feral cat population from 150 to eight. The city was calling her compassionate acts "littering." Needless to say, I was very upset about the city wasting our precious tax dollar in this harsh economic times for going after a good sommaritan instead of catching "real" criminals.
At the court hearing held in September, the judge found her not guilty! "Feeding cats is not littering." Hooray!

Stripes and Reese are two of the cats at Rockaway. Today, I found out that Stripes is at least 13 years old and lived at the Rockaway beach all her life, but about 4 months ago, she found a forever home! This news made my day. :)

I am planning on doing one or two more paintings of Rockaway cats, then show a collection of my cat paintings perhaps at our local library, if everything goes well.

Stripes
Size: 8 x 8 inches
Support: Hardboard

Reese
Size: 8 x 8 inches
Support: Birch wood panel

Great News!!

2010-10-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today, I received a letter and a check from The Miniature Painters, Sculptors, & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. (MPSGS) saying that my "Lynx" won Third Place in Birds & Animals category. Yay!! This was my first entry to the show. It made my day! :)

Title: Lynx
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
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Fuchsia and Hummingbird

2010-10-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Title: Fuchsia and Hummingbird
Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

I have been spending a lot of time in the backyard sitting in front of our fuchsia plants, trying to take pictures of the hummingbirds that show up there. I must have taken hundreds of pictures, but only a handful of them turned out to be good reference for painting.

When you take a look at the hummingbirds closely, they are so beautiful and amazing. I will definitely do more paintings of them.

My Mom

2010-09-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

My mom passed away on September 23rd. She was 86. Because I live so far away from Japan, I was unable to attend her funeral which was held on 25th, but I will be going back for her 49th day memorial (which is a Japanese tradition).

She was such a loving and kind person who appreciated everything she had and came across in her life. None of my family has ever seen her quarrel with anyone or even in a bad mood. She was truly a special person and I'm honored to be her daughter.

She is now united again with my dad, her father and mother, and all of her brothers, two of whom died in the war at a young age. I know that she is watching over me now and can visit us and our cats at any time she wants. Mom, thank you for always being there for me.

Commission Portrait

2010-08-11T00:10:00.001-07:00

Title: Buddy
Size: 12 x 12 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas
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About a couple of months ago, I received a commission request to paint a very cute black pug named Buddy. I didn't post the image until now because it is supported to be a birthday present. I think it came good. My client liked it!

Happy Birthday, Kim! I hope you like this painting of your Buddy.

Baby Barn Owl

2010-07-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Size: 8 x 8 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Canvas panel
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I found a picture of an adorable baby barn owl on Wetcanvas and just had to paint it. Barn owls have such an adorable face. I have to say they are my favorite among all the owls, although I have never seen them in person.

I am getting pretty busy with my work. Probably won't have any time to paint until the middle of September. :(

Have a great summer, everyone!

Serval

2010-07-02T19:46:00.001-07:00

Size: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

I painted this Serval from a reference photo by a wildlife painter David Stribbling. He is an amazing artist. One day, I hope to be able to paint like him.

Another miniature

2010-07-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

Title: Stillness
Size: 3 x 4 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

When I visited my family in Japan, we went to several temples. This is one of them. It was such a peaceful place and a raven was resting on top of the statue. The actual background is not like this, but I think it goes well with the statue.

Gorilla ACEO

2010-06-27T17:25:00.001-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard

I have several pictures of Gorillas from San Francisco Zoo. They always look so serious.

Miniature Portrait

2010-06-19T19:06:00.001-07:00

Title: The First Grandson
Size: 3 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is my brother-in-law with his first grand child. I was going through my pictures and found a delightful picture of my brother-in-law that was taken during a family trip about three years ago. I just had to paint from this picture and like how it came out. I haven't shown it to him yet, but am sure he would enjoy it.

Miniature Paintings

2010-06-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Title: Clouded Leopard #3
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Support: Multimedia artboard mounted on card stock

I have been working on a couple of small paintints for the upcoming miniature shows. This is one of them. I think it has turned out ok. A 1/6-scale is difficult for me to achieve, so I try to pick a large subject. lol

The next one will be a human potrait. Needless to say, it will be a HUGE challenge for me, and then followed by a gorilla. Wish me luck.

Needle Felting

2010-05-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

I have been very curious about needle felting for about a year. A few weeks ago, I finally picked up a book at the local library and ordered some materials. These are my first three little creatures I created.

It took me a long time to create each one, but was fun. I feel I can get addicted to needle felting.

Sheep: 4" (L) x 2" (W) x 3.5" (H)

Lion: 4.5" (L (including tail) x 2" (W) x 2.5" (H)

Tuxedo Cat: 7" (L (including tail) x 2" (W) x 5" (H)

Still Life Painting

2010-05-07T17:40:00.001-07:00

Size: 5 x 5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Drafting film (mounted on watercolor paper)
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Inspired by Karen and Deb, I decided to use a drafting film to do this still life painting. The drafting film provides a smooth surface which is great for realism painting. I enjoyed this support very much although it required several layers of paint to get a solid background. I think it has great potential in achieving many more interesting textures than my usual support (multimedia artboard and canvas). Will definitely experiment more with this support!

I will post some of the pictures of my trip as soon as I finish processing hundreds of photos that I took in Japan. Hopefully there are some good ones to share with you. :-)

Pacifica Pier

2010-04-23T22:51:00.001-07:00

Title: Dusk at Pacifica Pier
Size: 12 x 12 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

This is a pier in Pacifica, a city on the coast about 10 miles south of San Francisco. People gather here for many different reasons, such as fishing, dog walking, picnic, watching big waves and sunset. It's just a beautiful place to be at anytime of the year. I often go there to take pictures of crows.

I did this painting for the upcoming county fair. This is my second seascape printings. It was a big challenge for me as I expected. The difficult part was getting the right colors. I was staring at my reference photos for days. lol Well, I think it turned out okay.

My next project is a still life painting. Hopefully I will be able to finish it after I come back from Japan. Yes, I will be visiting my family next week. :)

More ACEOs

2010-04-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

Title: Tiger #13
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Title: Lion #6
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Reference photo by David Stribbling

These are my latest ACEOs. The tiger ACEO was my study for a larger piece (11 x 14 inches) and the lion for a smaller piece (miniature art).

I like how the tiger turned out, so probably will be doing the larger piece next. Lions are always hard to paint because they do not have any special markings. This lion ACEO needs more improvements, but I don't want to spend more time on this piece, so will have to try another one that is a bit smaller.

New ACEOs

2010-04-04T19:20:00.001-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

I just had to paint this cute face last night.

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Mixed media (colored pencil and acrylic)
Support: Stonehenge paper

Once in a while, I get an urge to use my colored pencil. This white tiger is the result of my recent attempt. As I spend more time with this medium, the image gets blurrier, maybe because I am too lazy about sharpening the pencils frequently enough. As a result, I end up using acrylic for the final touch-up, including whiskers.

Sunitha

2010-03-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

This is Sunitha. Isn't she beautiful? She has strikingly beautiful eyes. This is also from a photograph by Nicolaas Marckmann. Thanks Nicolaas for letting me use your beautiful photos!

Painting of a Sphynx Cat

2010-03-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

Size: 9 x 12 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched Canvas

This is a beautiful Sphynx cat named Electra. Sphynx is also known as hairless cats. I have never seen this breed of cats in person, but fell in love with them when I saw their pictures.

This one is from a photo by Nicolaas Marckmann, who kindly gave me permissions to paint from his photos of gorgeous Sphynx cats.

Commission Portrait

2010-02-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched Canvas
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This is a commission portrait of a beautiful Siamese cat named Murphy. A few weeks ago, I received an email with several pictures requesting a portrait of a cat. This lady was also telling me that she was the person who purchased the miniature painting titled "Mountain Lion"at the MASF (Miniature Art Society of Florida) show.

Needless to say, I was delighted to hear that because I had no idea that my first-time entry for the show was sold! Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the show. I wish the show were closer to where I live.

Another Frog Prince

2010-01-11T01:03:00.001-08:00

Title: Waiting for the Kiss
Size: 5 x 7 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord
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This is my first painting of the year 2010. My friend Gabe sent me several new pictures of this adorable frog that lives in her pool. He is so cute that I just had to do another frog prince. :) THANKS Gabe!

I've been busy again with my work since December. Sorry if I can't visit your blogs as often as I want.

Wish you all a wonderful year of the tiger!

Another Person Painting

2009-12-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Magdalen
After Jean-Jacques Henner
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Medium: Oil
Support: Stretched canvas

This is my submission for "Favorite Master Artists" in the Following the Masters blog.

The original painting is in the art museum at Standford University. I took several pictures of it, so I can use it as my reference. The original is much larger, maybe about 30" x 40". It would be a fun project to do a large one like the original.

Happy New Year, everyone!!

DSFDF Year-End Portrait Assignment

2009-12-16T17:48:00.000-08:00

Size: 5 x7 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

This is my entry for the year-end portrait challenge hosted in the blog Different Strokes From Different Folks (DSFDF) by amazing artist Karin Jurick. I decided to participate this year because I had a great time last year and ended up with beautiful portraits of myself, which are on the wall of my studio and have given me a great joy throughout the year.

As you all know, I paint animals, not people. In fact, this is my first and last person portrait for the year. My inexperience in this field makes me very insecure and nervous. It took me a week to encourage myself to start the painting. Once started, it actually went smooth. I just hope that Edward would like it.

New Treasure Seeker Paintings

2009-12-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Title: Treasure Seeker #19
Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

As a rainbow appears, our Treasure Seeker immediately flies toward the rock. He has been patiently waiting for this moment near Uluru in Australia because only the rainbow can show him the location of the mystical moonstone hidden away in the rock.

Title: Treasure Seeker #20
Size: 10 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

The Treasure Seeker takes out the moonstone he collected at Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia. Light from a blue moon is said to infuse mystical power into the moonstone.

These are the latest paintings of my crow series called "Treasure Seeker." They started out as ACEO paintings, but have gotten bigger starting with #18. It's about a spiritual journey of a crow. Yes, I know how silly it sounds, but it sure is fun creating them.

Yay!! Entries Accepted by MASF

2009-11-27T19:01:00.001-08:00

Title: Mountain Lion
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic

Title: Merle Great Dane
Size: 3 x 3 inches
Medium: Acrylic

Today I received a letter from Miniature Art Society of Florida saying that both of my entries have been selected for the upcoming 35th Annual International Miniature Art Show, January 17 - February 7. It made my day!

Sleeping Hunter

2009-11-25T14:59:00.001-08:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

Details:

This is our Hunter sleeping on his favorite blanket. Several years ago, I painted him from the same reference photo, so this is another version and I like this one better. Doesn't he look happy?

Older cats sleep a lot, maybe 20 hours or more a day. Hunter is now 14 years old. I'm thankful that he is quite healthy other than his chronic asthma for which he uses his inhaler twice a day with my help.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

New Fox ACEO

2009-11-20T15:40:00.001-08:00

Title: Fox #7
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard
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I found many beautiful photos of red fox pups at Flickr.com. This painting is from one of them. Thank you, Mike, for allowing me to use your photo. The original photo is here.

Two New ACEOs

2009-11-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Title: Tuxedo Cat #3

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
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This is one of the stray cats that has been showing up in our backyard lately for food and water. We call him Skunky because he has a skunk-like marking. According to our mail carrier, this guy has been fixed by one of our neighbors. We are glad to know that because otherwise we would have unnecessarily taken him to our vet for neutering. (We are thinking about adopting him....)

Title: Raccoon #3
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Bunch of raccoons also show up in our yard at night for the leftover food. This is one of them. He is still young. Isn't he cute?!

The Most Beautiful Piano Music

2009-11-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

I love piano music whether classical, new age, or jazz. Last night, I borrowed a CD from Curt (my husband). It turned out to be the most beautiful piano music I have ever heard. Just wanted to share with you. It's called "Sicroff Plays Gurdjieff." His music is an interpretation of spiritual leader Gurdjieff. I'm not familiar with this spiritual group, but the music on this CD is out of this world.

I found this short clip on Youtube; although it's not from this CD, if you watch it, you will know what I mean.

New ACEOs of a Calico Cat

2009-10-26T20:09:00.001-07:00

Title: Calico #3
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
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Title: Calico #4
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
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When I was checking MorgueFile.com the other day, I came across the pictures of this calico cat. She has such intense eyes and beautiful expressions on her face. I just had to paint her.

Calico #3 is currently on eBay. To see the listing, click here or the picture above.

Crow Raven Halloween Painting

2009-10-16T00:18:00.001-07:00

Title: Treasure Seeker #18
Size: 5 x 7 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched Canvas
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About two years ago, I started a series of crow paintings in the size of ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches) called "Treasure Seeker." I have painted 17 ACEOs so far, and this one is #18 although it is not ACEO. #17 was created in October last year, so I have been suffering from a lack of creative juice on this series.

I hope to do at least two or three more ACEOs in order to help this character "Treasure Seeker" reach his enlightenment. Yes, it is sort of a spiritual journey of a crow. lol

"Paint Me, Protect Me" Wins 1st Place!

2009-10-12T21:22:00.001-07:00

Size: 11 x 14 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

I've just found out that this tiger painting has won the first place at 2009 Wildlife Art Competition at Irving Art Association in Texas.

Last Saturday, I received an email asking me to fill out a W9 form for my "cash award." I was excited about it, but had no idea what my painting won then.

Apricat

2009-10-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

This is Apricat, a 5-year old girl, spayed, front-declawed, and looking for a forever home at the feline rescue Cast-A-Way Cats in Hobart, Indiana. Most of the orange tabbies are boys, so Apricat is a rare girl. I hope she will find a loving home very soon.

This painting is currently on eBay.

My First Entries to MASF

2009-10-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Merle Great Dane
Size: 3 x 3 inches
Medium: Acrylic

Title: Mountain Lion
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic

Yesterday, I shipped these two paintings to the 34th Annual International Miniature Art Show hosted by Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF). These are my first entries. If either one of them is accepted for the show, that would be a big accomplishment for me.

I would like to thank Mona Conner for her kind help and encouragement. Please visit her blog. It is filled with her beautiful minatures as well as very helpful information about miniature paintings.

On Vacation

2009-09-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for visiting my blog!
Curt and I are leaving tonight to visit his family in North Carolina and New Jersey. Will be back on 29th. After the vacation, I will have more time to paint and blog!! :)

Have a great week, everyone!

New Raven Painting

2009-09-06T17:25:00.001-07:00

Title: Spring Sky
Size: 10 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas
Sold

I finished this one more quickly than I thought. I spent about a couple of hours using my airbrush for the background. It's always messy doing that, but fun because this is usually the only part that is close to abstract art for me.

The model is one of the raven pair I took pictures of at the nearby beach. I want to paint the pair on a larger canvas sometime in the near future. This painting is more like a study for that larger one.

Finally A Week Off

2009-09-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Title: Over the Mountains
Size: 11 x 14 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard

I finally have a week off! My big job will be done in just a couple of more weeks, and then my husband and I will be going to visit his family for a week.

Last month was the annual San Mateo Country Fair. My entries "Eyes of Billy" won the best of show in the oils/acrylics paintings division, "Frog Prince" won the first place in the miniatures, and "Over the Mountains" won the first place in the Birds class in the oils/acrylics division.

I have just started another raven painting, hoping to finish it over the weekend. Will post it when it's done.

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone!

I've been busy...

2009-07-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I have been pretty busy with my work for the last couple of weeks and will be for the next three months. Although my work does not leave me much time to do anything else each day, I feel fortunate to have this work in this economy.

I apologize if I don't stop by your blog and leave comments or update my blog as frequently as I want to. As soon as I finish my current work project, I will be back in painting and blogging and doing whatever I like.

I would like to share with you this painting that I did a few weeks ago.

Size: 5 x 5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

I used my airbrush for the background to get the blurred effects. I can't do anything more than just creating blur with my airbrush, but it's always fun to use it.

WIP of My Pug ACEO

2009-06-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

I took some pictures of my Pug ACEO while painting. Except the final scan, the images are not so great because I used my digital camera, but I think this WIP gives you an idea how I normally work on my paintings.

Two New ACEOs

2009-06-23T21:56:00.001-07:00

Title: Snow Leopard #16
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

Title: Calico #2
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

I painted this snow leopard to try to produce something that is good enough to get into a national miniature show. However, it didn't turn out to be as I wanted, so I decided to sell.

The tortoiseshell (calico) cat is just one of my fun ACEO projects. They are both on eBay now. Clicking the picture will take you to the eBay listing.

My First Egg Tempera Painting

2009-06-19T19:17:00.001-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Egg Tempera
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

I have been curious about egg tempera ever since I visited Mona's blog. She has been sharing information about egg tempera paintings. You will be amazed by the paintings she has been producing with this medium.

Last night, I experimented with egg tempera for the first time. At first, I thought of using my Japanese watercolor pigments, but they were dried up, so I used my gouache tubes instead. Due to a limited supply of gouache, I was unable to achieve the colors I wanted. For the support, I chose multimedia artboard because water will not warp this support.

The finished painting has an interesting luster and the black background looks like a shiny lacquer. I like working in layers of wash; just need more patience. The next step will be to get power paints and spend more time buliding layers of colors.

Sleepy Kitties

2009-06-16T00:49:00.001-07:00

Title: Nap Time #3
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Title: Nap Time #4
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
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These are gray and orange tabbies sleeping together. I'm thinking about entering one of them in the upcoming county fair. Which one do you like better?

Frog Prince ACEO

2009-05-31T15:26:00.001-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Reference photo of frog provided by Gabe Lees.

Inspired by the beautiful paintings of frog prince by my fellow artist Melody Lea Lamb, I did this painting last week. The photo of this beautiful frog was provided by nature photographer Gabe Lees. Thanks Gabe!

I had problems painting the stone, as usual and as you can see. I consulted with my fellow artist Alice Thompson who has recently produced amazing painting of a fish bone and stones. I realize that I need lots of practices on stones and rocks among many other things.

Noblesse Award

2009-05-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

I was given Noblesse Award by my fellow artist Doris Britt whose kindness to all creatures is apparent everywhere in her blog. Doris, I'm so glad that I found your blog, and thank you for this wonderful award.

I've been blogging for about 8 months now and met so many wonderful bloggers. Every morning I can't wait to finish my daily chores (giving fresh water to cats, feeding fish, filling bird feeders, changing water and filling food for outdoor critter
visitors, watering plants, giving medications to a couple of cats, making coffee, and having breakfast; the rest is my husband's chores such as feeding the cats and cleaning the litter boxes), so I can check my blogs.

Blogging has become an important and fun part of my life and has expanded my world. It's like I have all my favorite friends right next door. Thank you all who have supported me and my art by visiting and commenting on my blog.

Details of Noblesse Award:

The recipient of this award is recognized for the following:
- The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervade amongst different cultures and beliefs.
- Their Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage, and offers solutions
- There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Cultures, Sciences and Beliefs
- The Blog is refreshing and creative- The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following:
- Create a post with a mention and link to the person who presented the NoblesseOblige Award- The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post
- Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved, preferably citing one or more older posts as support
- The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions
- Blogger must display the Award at any location at their Blog.

So I'm going to pass this one to:
Mona Conner
Linda of The Briar Rose Gate
Liz Holm

Currently Available for Sale

2009-05-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

These three paintings are currently for sale on eBay. To see the listings, click the images below.

Size: 5 x 5 i nches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard
Sold

This is Ginger Megs who lives in Australia. He is one of the Psycho Kitties. You can enjoy his video here. Make sure you have your sound turned on.

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Illustration board
Sold

This is one of our cats Freddy. He is my husband's office manager. His main responsibilities include: comfortably sit on Curt's desk and watch him work, regularly have Curt throw stringed toys to make sure that Curt gets enough exercise, and occasionally sleep on Curt's lap to keep him warm while he works.

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia artboard mounted on illustration board
Sold

Frog ACEOs

2009-05-13T19:45:00.001-07:00

Title: Frog #6 (Blue-jean frog)
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Title: Frog #5 (Red-eyed tree frog)
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Illustration Board

I love frogs. Visiting James Perker's wonderful blog, I just had to paint one. Yesterday, I worked on this blue-jean frog, the first one shown above. If you are interested in Costarican wildlife, you must visit James Parker Art.

The blue-jean frog is one of the most conspicuous of the Costa Rican frogs, measuring only 3/4 to 1 inch. These frogs eat large quantities of tiny ants that contain concentrations of alkaloids, which are important factors of their skin toxin.

The red-eyed tree frog (the second one shown above) is from 2 to 3 inches on average. Young frogs are typically brown in color and turn greener as they mature. These frogs are not poisonous.

Monty

2009-05-06T21:13:00.001-07:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hardboard
Sold

This is one of the commission portraits I've just finished. The name of this adorable Sheltie is Monty. The reference photo given to me was not good enough to work from, so I researched and found a perfect ref photo at WetCanvas. Yes, it's this sleeping dog because Monty is blind.

My client purchased this commission as a gift to her husband. When I showed the image of the painting, she said "This will bring tears to my husband's eyes ..." What a nice compliment! It's so rewarding to do commissions when the paintings make your clients happy.

Cats-A-Way Cats, one of the charities I have been supporting, is in desperate need for help right now. Their shelter building was damaged in flood and they need funds to rebuild it. Currently they have no place to house their incoming cats/kittens except their home and it is FULL. Any amount of donation will help. This is their website and this is their donation page with Paypal link.

Two New ACEOs

2009-05-02T17:45:00.001-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

I just listed these two ACEOs on eBay. The first one is one of our cats Temmy. I like the intense gaze in both pieces. To see the listings, click the image.

As you can see in these paintings, the pupils of domestic cats are slits while big cats have round pupils like people.

Juried Exhibition and BBC Wildlife Magazine Art Competition

2009-04-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Title: Study of a Raven
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Hard board

Seven years ago, I found out about a juried art competition called "Arts on Fire" in my home town. I sent in my entires, but they did not accept my works for three consecutive years. I gave up and have forgotten about this show. This year, for some reason, I thought about entering a work that is "not my best" sort of as a joke. This raven study is the one I entered.

About a month ago, I received a letter from them saying that my entry was accepted! This was totally unexpected. I just couldn't believe it. The painting is currently in the show.

Today, I received an email from BBC Wildlife Magazine saying that my entry won through to the finals in the World Birds category of the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009 competition. I thought this was a joke and about to delete the email. However, when I saw the actual title "Study of a Raven" and the attached image, realized that this was a real thing. Yeah!!!

A few months ago, Linda told me about this competition. Thank you Linda! Since entries were free, I entered a couple of my paintings. The one I thought was good was not accepted, but they like this raven. There must be something about this raven that I don't see. Now I have to figure out how to get this painting for the final judging in England.

New Cat ACEOs

2009-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Title: Kyra #2
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

Title: Sphynx #2
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

These ACEOs are currently on eBay. To see the listtings, click the image.

Mona's Mini Blog Award

2009-04-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

I received this Mona's Mini Blog Award! Thanks Mona. I'm so honored.

UPDATE: There is a correction to the rules, as indicated in red:

The rules are: Acknowledge via link the artist who passes you the award and pick it up from their blog. Then, name five of your all-time favorite movies. Additionally, name your pick for this year's movie of the year. Then pass the award forward to three miniature or ACEO blog artists you appreciate for their finely detailed art on a small scale, linking them in your post.

Okay, my all-time favorite movies are (not necessarily in this order): Ladyhawke, Somewhere in Time, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Sanjuro, and The Long Kiss Goodnight. My pick for this year's movie of the year is Grand Torino.

I'm passing this award on to Gail Ragsdale, Kathleen Coy, and Vern Schwarz.

French Bulldog

2009-04-14T21:51:00.001-07:00

Size: 11 x 14 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

It took me about two weeks to finish this piece, because I was interrupted by a couple of small jobs (which actually pay bills).

While painting this, I was wondering what this dog was thinking. What makes him look so sad? Do they always look like this? They sure are more expressive than cats.

I Love Your Art Blog award

2009-04-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

I was given the "I Love Your Art Blog" award by wonderful artist as well as wonderful cat person Jala Pfaff. I'm very honored. Thank you Jala!

The rules of this award are: If you are tagged and would like to participate, tell in your post that I tagged you and put a link to my site, and then tag some more people. I'm tagging the following blogs:

Art for the Animals
Art for Critters

Eyes of Billy

2009-04-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Size: 11 x 14 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Stretched canvas

This is Billy. He has the most amazing eyes. We adopted him about three years ago. For some reason, he had no undercoat. All he had was just a single layer of rough topcoat. His doctor thought that he had some kind of allergy that prevented him from absorbing nutrients.

He now has both undercoat and topcoat and gained a lot of weight. Yes, he is one healthy, happy guy!

Beach Girl

2009-03-30T23:47:00.000-07:00

Size: 4 x 4 inches
Medium: Oil
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is my entry for DSFDF Week 27-28 Challenge hosted by incredible artist Karin Jurick. For a change, I decided to use oil. Somehow this medium helps me loosen up and ignore the details.

A Passion for Painting Award

2009-03-28T00:44:00.001-07:00

I was honored by my friend and very talented artist Lara Harris for "A Passion for Painting Award." Please take a moment and view her beautiful paintings.

Here are the rules:
- List 7 things your love.
- Put a link to the one who picked you.
- Choose 7 others to pass the award to.
- Notify them of the award.

The 7 things I love are:

1. Spending time with my cats. The daily grooming session is the happiest time for our cats and that also makes me happy somehow. Maybe the happy vibration travels through touch.
2. Going to the zoos and aquariums to watch animals.
3. Painting while listening to my favorite music.
4. Going to the museums and looking at great paintings and amazing Japanese miniature sculptures (called Netsuke).
5. Spending time with my family whether here or in Japan.
6. Taking a walk at the park and finding deer, bobcats, and other creatures.
7. Going to the beach and watching the waves.

The 7 artists I have chosen:
- Gail Ragsdale
- Kathleen Coy
- Mona Conner
- Erika Nelson
- R. Garriott
- Douglas Hoover
- Tom Pohlman

Update!
I also received a Passion for Painting Award from my fellow artists Vern Schwarz and the Lemonade Award from Liz Holm. Their works are just amazing. Please take a look at their blogs. You will enjoy. I promise!

Calico ACEO

2009-03-26T18:31:00.001-07:00

Title: Calico
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is not one of ours, but I just had to paint her. Love the light and shadow on her face that is also divided into two colors by the white nose. Very interesting marking for a calico!

This is on eBay. To see the listing, click here.

Another Cat ACEO

2009-03-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

Title: Persian
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is a close-up of a Persian cat. When I saw the picture at morguefile (site providing copyright free reference photos), I was mesmerized by her beautiful eyes. I just had to paint this beautiful Persian cat.

This one is on eBay. To see the listing, click here.

California Roll

2009-03-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is my entry for the Different Strokes from Different Folks blog run by amazing artist Karin Jurick. This is California Roll. It must be born here in California. I 've never seen it in Japan. In fact not many Japanese are familiar with Avocado, which is one of the indredients of this Sushi. My favorite sushi is nigiri with Hamachi.

Tagged...

2009-03-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

Thank you Deb for tagging me! The rules are: go to the 6th photo folder in my computer, take the 6th photo and blog about it, then tag 6 people.

This is Benny. He is 18 years old and the oldest cat in our home. I remeber him as a young cat showing up in our yard with his mom and siblings. When his mom had another litter in our next door neighbor's yard, we took them all because he was about to call an animal control.

Three of the new litter found home at Tracy Chapman's estate, but they came back one month later due to a leukemia scare. Fortunately their leukemia test that was positive the first time changed to negative a few weeks later. This sometimes happens with kittens. Those three kittens found another home at our friend's in San Francisco. We ended up keeping 5 including him. They all turned out to be the sweetest cats. Now he is the last one we still have.

I'm not tagging anyone at this time.

More ACEOs

2009-03-01T20:17:00.001-08:00

Title: Birman
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Title: Kyra
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

I have just posted these two paintings on eBay. Hopefully they will sell. :) To see the listings, click the pictures.

The Winner Is...

2009-03-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Thank you all who sent me cards! As promised, the winner will get my original leopard ACEO shown below. All the others will receive one of my bookmarks!

This is how I did the drawing: placed all the cards in a big bag, took the bag to my hubby's office, blindfolded him, then had him pick one of the cards. And the winner is:

Hillary Miller

Congratulations Hillary! I will ship your ACEO this week. Bookmarks will also be going out this week. Thanks again for participating my 6-month blog giveaway.

Hana

2009-02-24T19:57:00.000-08:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

This is Hana. She passed on in January 2009. About 8 years ago, she started to show up in our backyard and spent all day sleeping in one of my flower pots. Every time we brought food to her, she hissed and tried to bite. One day, we brought her indoor and she immediately turned into a very friendly cat. She had never hissed at us after that. We concluded that what Hana really wanted was a home. Although she never liked other cats much, she loved human contact. We don't know her age. Her vet thinks she was an old cat when she passed.

The Wall

2009-02-22T18:23:00.001-08:00

To answer Mona's suggestion, I took some pictures of our bedroom wall. These paintings used to be more spread out on three sides of the wall, but one night my husband decided to rearrange them. This is the result. It is not the most attractive arrangement, but we can now see them all while lying on the bed. It's nice to wake up every morning being greeted by our cats! :)

(The first picture looks warped because I had to connect two wide-angle pictures to show all pictures.)

(The bobcat and leopard are not ours. I wish they were though...)

Shiro

2009-02-20T20:15:00.001-08:00

Size: 8 x 10 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

This is Shiro who passed on in July 2008. She was 17 years old. It took me a while to paint her for our wall, but I finally started on it this week. When she was just about 2 months old, we adopted her entire family, including her siblings, mother, and grandmother. They were such beautiful and wonderful companions. Now they have all passed away, but left so much lovely memories in our hearts.

I will be working on two more portraits of our cats that have passed away recently. I think I'm ready to paint them now.

Tagged!

2009-02-17T21:55:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by a wonderful artist Melody Lea Lamb. Her animal paintings are the cutest things. If you have not seen them, check out her blog.

The rules of the Blogger's Tag game are:
1. Put a link in your posting about the artist that tagged you.
2. Write 5 to 7 unusual things about yourself.
3. Tag 5 to 7 other bloggers and let them know.

Here are my 7 things:
1. I am my parents' youngest child. When I was born, I was not premature, but weighed only a little over 4 pounds.
2. When I was a kid, I used to take a bath with my pet frog. Needless to say, this practice was not very popular among my family members.
3. I read my favorite books over and over again, probably at least 6 times or until a new book by my favorite authors is published.
4. I go to the bathroom with my cat Hunter. Sometimes he asks me to go with him. :)
5. I lived in Provo, UT, for one year to work for a company to develop a computerized translation system. That was my only 9 to 5 job I have ever had and I hope to keep it that way.
6. I don't like driving, so my husband drives me everywhere, and I go everywhere he goes.
7. I always enjoyed traveling, but about 10 years ago, I developed a fear of flying. This was really bad because I was to visit my family in Japan once a year. I overcame my fear by forcing myself to take flights. So I understand and feel sorry for people who have a fear of flying.

I don't want to break the game rules, but decided to not tag anyone at this time. Instead, I recommend that you visit my blog followers who support me tremendously. Thank you!

Two New ACEOs

2009-02-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

Title: Corgi Puppy
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Title: Cali
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

Both of these paintings are currently on eBay. To view the listings, click the image.

Original ACEO Giveaway

2009-02-06T21:23:00.001-08:00

Title: Leopard #8
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Illustration Board

To celebrate my 6 months of blogging and to express my thanks to those who have supported me by visiting here and leaving comments, I am giving away this original leopard ACEO. The drawing will be held on March 1, 2009. Just send me a post card or note to the following address (don't forget to include your address so I can send you the painting if you are the winner):

Art By Akiko
P.O. Box. 1576
Pacifica, CA 94044

Patch

2009-02-05T19:24:00.001-08:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Medium: Oil
Support: Multimedia Artboard
Sold

This is our newest rescue kitty "Patch." He joined our family right before Christmas last year. He was such a scared cat, but now he can't wait for his daily grooming session. Very sweet cat!

This painting is in oil, not my usual choice of medium, but I enjoyed it for a change. It is on eBay now. To see, click here.

Lemonaded

2009-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you Linda (Briar Rose gate) and Gail (Art by Gail H. Ragsdale) for nominating me for the Lemonate Award for "Positive Attitude Blogs."
I am supposed to name up to 10 blogs that give me inspiration and to which this award is to be passed onto. After reading Deb's post, I also decided to give this award to everyone who visits my blog. Thank you for your support! Grab the award and pass it on!

My Dear Rainbow

2009-02-03T16:16:00.001-08:00

Title: My Dear Rainbow
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is my entry for Windows to the Words (WTTW) Art hosted by amazing artist James Parker. The challenge is to create an artwork that is inspired by the selected piece of writing. This Practice One is from a few lines from The Moody Blues song "Lovely to See You":

Lovely to see you again, my friend.
Walk along with me to the next bend
Tell us what you've seen, in faraway, forgotten lands,
Where empires have turned back to sand

Art Blog Award

2009-02-03T02:51:00.000-08:00

I was given an Art Blog Award from three awesome artists Kathleen Coy, Gail Ragsdale, and Jane Augenstein. The recipient of this award is supposed to list 7 things that she/he loves. Here are my 7 things:

1. I love animals, all kinds.
2. I love bugs, all kinds, except roaches. :)
3. I love my family and friends, including people and pets.
4. I love music, different kinds (rock, pop, classical, jazz, ethnic, and new age).
5. I love gardening. Just wish I had a better back...
6. I love where I live and the view from our house (Pacific ocean).
7. I love good food, especially Japanese, Indian, and Italian.

Now I am giving an Art Blog Award to the following 7 people whose blogs I enjoy so much:

Art By Erika
From Forensic to Fine Art
ARTBYSHEL
Ingrid's Art
Adebanji Alade
James Parker
Mona Conner

San Fancisco Victorian House ACEO

2009-01-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Colored pencil with gouache
Support: Multimedia artboard

From this drawing, I have leaned that overworking KILLS the drawing. I could not get the sky I wanted. After applying a layer upon layer with color pencils, there is no return. :( With oils and acrylics, you can cover up your mistakes. There is still a lot to learn about this medium.

New ACEOs

2009-01-27T18:29:00.001-08:00

Title: Snow Leopard #14
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Colored pencils with gouache
Support: Vellum bristol board

Title: Temmy #2
Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Colored pencil with acrylic
Support: Vellum bristol board
Sold

I have been having fun with colored pencils. The problem is that I end up losing the sharpness of image due to the layering process. For both drawings, I had to use another medium (gouache and acrylic) at the end to touch up the darkest and lightest parts. The next time, I need better planning to keep the lightest areas clean from unwanted colors.

Both of these ACEOs are on eBay. To see, click the image.

Cali's Stare

2009-01-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

Size: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord
Sold

This is Cali. She has such an intense stare. When we got Cali 14 years ago, she was very pregnant. A few days later, she gave birth to four kittens. My husband and I decided to find homes for three and keep one with Cali because we read that it was very traumatic for a mother to be separated from all of her babies. We totally agree; there is no question about that.

The one we kept is Hunter. Yes the one in the painting "My Precious Hunter" below.

Jefferson Memorial at Night

2009-01-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

I painted this ACEO as my entry for the Week 19-20 challenge in DSFDF that is run by amazing artist Karin Jurick.

Sweet Erika

2009-01-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches (ACEO)
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Multimedia Artboard

This is a miniature portrait of an amazing artist Erika Nelson. We are doing an ACEO portrait swap, which was developed from Karin Jurick's year-end DSDF portrait project. I have painted many different animal coats before, but a faux fur was my first attempt. I just hope this painting would not scare someone who is dear to Erika. ;)

My Precious Hunter

2009-01-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

Size: 6 x 6 inches
Medium: Acrylic
Support: Ampersand Gessobord

I have many cats that were all rescued from my neighborhood. This is one of them "Hunter." He is so special to me for reasons that I cannot explain. This connection comes from somewhere deep in my soul.

Ten days ago, he came down with pneumonia. His doctor's diagnosis was partially collapsed lung. It really scared me. But his antibiotics has been working so well that he is now almost completely recovered.

This is such a great news to me. So my blog starts the new year with this painting of him I've just finished with love and respect to all life.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T19:30:00.001-08:00

Thank you all who have purchased my artwork, visited my website, blog, and shops, and commented on my works throughout the year. Your support means a lot to me.

I wish you a new year filled with joy and happiness!