Baby Animals

Baby Elephant

Baby Hippo for Suzuki

Watercolor Studies of Tanabe

River Study
watercolor

Big Tree on River Study
watercolor

I shot some great photos the other day of the river. I prefer to work on location but with these studio studies, I am learning quite a bit about watercolor. I also feel like I have to reevaluate some compositional ideas.

New Works

Crevasse for Pyar

Snow study done in Ashland Oregon.

Pair of Pandas

I have been creating studies of animals, baby animals and animal faces for sometime now. Recently, I have used the studies to make stamps out of a rubber that I carve. This study turned out to be a kind of interesting play on gestures with the different expressions that I was drawing. I think the faces and blankets says it all.

Chicken

I drew this in Ashland Oregon. I spent a lovely afternoon at the Shangria La Spa and talked to the owners about their new lives working out of their home. They let me know that they have four chickens and how they compost and generally have less waste now. I began to imagine what it might be like to live with chickens and get to know them. Here is my depiction of one thinking about living with me.

Birds in Ink washes

I have been exploring this method of using inks since arriving in Japan. I pool some water on the watercolor paper in a shape that I have drawn lightly in pencil. Then I drop in amounts of ink with a brush and allow it to reticulate in a pattern that I sometime manipulate further.

Tree Studies

Trees at Timberlake Drive

During our visit, Lewis encouraged me to explore the top of the yard and pointed me in the direction of some great rocks. I did draw the rocks. I then later settled to do some more studies of the Pacific Madrone trees. They have the most amazing red bark underlying moss and other dark shades of growth during the winter. Thank you Lewis.

Study along the River

This beautiful tree seems to be two trees next to each other at first glance from the bridge in Tanabe. We soon determined, it is a huge trunk with two very distinct branches that seem to create two trees. I have since documented it with photos with hopes to revisit and complete a drawing in its entirety.

Studies from Tanabe

Riverbed Study at Kawayuu
It turned out to be a beautiful Saturday for our second visit to the onsen on the river. This time of the year the river is dammed to create a larger soaking pool. We ventured with friends, Todd, Nick and Carolina. The day was wonderful. I took a few moments alone to sit in the sun and make a sketch for a later painting idea.

Roots Study
At the edge of the river in Kawayuu

Study of Sawabe's Trees from the ride to work

ink on watercolor paper
This painting is from my recollection of the trees that seem to zoom by me on the hill going down from our apartment. I often look over to my right at a certain turn on the way down and see some great shapes, this is my attempt to capture them from memory.

Crow Painting for Lewis

Crow for Lewis

sumi ink on watercolor paper

6" x 9"

This painting was done in December, 2009 especially for my Dad, Lewis Anderson.

He and I share an affinity for many things in nature, specifically its preservation and the beauty of its trees and crows. Pyar shared this image on his website www.rockthetoilet.org December 30, 2009 as Crow Revealed - part of his Crow and Puppy series that I love. Tanabe has a large population of crows and there are some rookeries by our home that we can watch from our balcony. The city of Tanabe uses the image of the crow as a symbol of the Kumano Kodo. The bird is usually featured with three legs, symbolizing the three pilgrimage routes.