"Blue Poppy Fairy" (watercolor on paper; 8.5" x 8.5")

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Blue poppies surround a beautiful, green-eyed maiden. Is she a fairy?

"Spring Garden" (oil on stretched canvas; 12" x 16")

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Take a walk with me in the enchanted garden of white roses, May snowballs, and azaleas. The air is thick with the perfume of flowers. Time has stopped. Let's linger.

"Hearts and Roses" (oil on stretched linen; 10" x 10")

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How would you like to receive from your sweetheart a heart-shaped chocolate cake frosted with three colors of rosy swirls of icing on a golden plate? That is what happened to me on my birthday in February. Aren't I lucky? I would like to add that eating the cake was A LOT EASIER than painting it!

"Easter Eggnest Cupcake" (oil on linen; 5" x 4") sold

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An Easter egg nest made of coconut flakes and jelly beans, then piled on top of an frosted cupcake. That's what I call an ideal Easter treat!

"Tower Bridge Sunset" (oil on stretched canvas; 11" x 14") sold

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The Tower Bridge, one of the iconic images of London and the United Kingdom, looks even more glorious against the sunset sky.

"Chesapeake Bay Sunset" (oil on stretched canvas; 12" x 12")

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The sun is setting in the Chesapeake Bay. Tundra swans are flying over the dock pilings. It is an altogether peaceful scene.

"Serenity Reigns" (oil on stretched canvas; 22" x 28")

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I have been working on "Serenity Reigns" for almost ten years.  Its complicated, Frank Lloyd Wrightesque architecture; the confusion between the inside and outside images; and some one's casual remark that the painting was neither here nor there got in the way.  I finally worked out the design and other problems and was able to finish it yesterday.  I cannot be happier.

The painting depicts a Chinese wooden sculpture from around 1100, a part of the fabulous Chinese art collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  The sculpture is not Buddha, but a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who has delayed entering paradise in order to help others attain enlightenment.  In China and Korea, Guanyin, his/her Chinese name, is widely worshipped as a “goddess of mercy and compassion". In popular folklore, reciting the bodhisattva’s name during disaster would bring relief. I grew up in a devout Buddhist family, so am quite familiar with Guanyin's importance and popularity in the Buddhist milieu.

Seated in the lotus position, this figure wears the silk garments and gold jewelry befitting a bodhisattva. The gesture of both hands turned up with thumbs touching the middle fingers is perhaps that of discourse or argumentation. Carved during the last creative epoch of Chinese Buddhist sculpture, it expresses the gentle, benign calm of near enlightenment. (The information was collected from the MIA's website.)

On a personal level, I achieved my own calm and near enlightenment as I was working on the painting in the past few days. Let go of anger, frustration, and other emotions that interfere with the inner peace.  Don't let others determine what you should paint as well!

"Paris Bridge of Love" (oil on stretched canvas; 11" x 14") sold

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June 1, 2015 was the day the love died. That day an estimated one million padlocks, dubbed “ love locks,” were removed from Paris’ famed Pont des Arts bridge—connecting the Louvre and the Institut de France across the Seine. Love locks may be gone, but the romance of Paris lives forever!

"SF Palace of Fine Arts" (oil on stretched canvas; 11" X 14")

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If you live in the the San Francisco Bay Area, you don't need the explanation for this painting. It depicts the Palace of Fine Arts on a fine day. In addition to hosting art exhibitions, it remains a popular attraction for tourists and locals and is a favorite location for weddings.

I had a lot of trouble painting "SF Palace of Fine Arts" so much so that it took several weeks to finish it.  It all had to do with the dumb idea of working with at least three photos: one for the colors of the main rotunda; the second for the colonnades; and the third for the lovely shadow shapes on the rotunda, and so on!  I was a nerve wreck.  Eventually, I redid the drawing and finished the painting based on one photo.  Aargh.  I hope it was worth all the trouble.

"California Beach Kids" (oil on stretched canvas; 18" x 24")

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The family vacation to California back in 2007 concluded with a few days spent in San Francisco.  This trip led to so many paintings; "California Beach Kids" is the latest.  The setting is the beach at the Maritime National Historical Park, which includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, and a maritime museum.

After checking out the historic ships, we were people-watching.  Some brave souls swam in the cold water.  This group of kids, all decked in bandanas, were testing out how cold the Pacific Ocean water was.  A couple of boys were a bit more adventurous than the others. I hope you feel the fun atmosphere of the day.

"Parrot Talk" (watercolor on paper; 6" x 6") sold

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A pair of parrots perched on a tree branch are talking to each other.  I wonder what they are gossiping about.  Or, is the one on the right (male?) asking the left one (female?) out on a date?

"Mommy and Baby Great Pandas" (watercolor on paper; 6" x 6")

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Since I came back from the family road trip to the Midwest, I have been busy painting large landscapes to get ready for the Art League's annual landscape show in August.  They take days to finesse!  I sometimes take a break to splash water around doing small watercolors for fun.  "Mommy and Baby Great Pandas" is yesterday's output.  Isn't it an adorable piece?

Summer Sale!

Collage of My 2016 Summer Sale

I hope you are enjoying a great summer. I just returned from the family road trip to the Midwest. I have a great news. Many of my paintings--both oils and watercolors--are on sale, 50% or more. Landscapes, cityscapes, florals, animals, and still lifes, you name it! Please click here to go to the sale section on my Etsy shop.

My prices are rising and many exciting things are happening in my studio. As my only child is starting college this fall, I will have more time to devote to, experiment, and deepen my art. It is a perfect time to start collecting my artwork; if you are already a collector, add a few more to your collection!

Thank you for your continuing support and I hope to hear from you!

"Passionate Poppies" (oil on stretched canvas; 12 x 16") sold

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Imagine coming across a field of red poppies.  Your heart leaps with joy!  This is a painting to blast you out of the winter doldrums.