New Stamps

Ferret for Pyar
handmade stamp on paper

Pyar has good memories of his sister's pet ferret. He especially liked how slinky their bodies move. I tried to emulate that movement in this stamp for Pyar. He likes it.

Otter Fun
handmade stamps on paper

Crossing Wires
handmade stamp on paper

This was inspired by a sweet card Danielle made for me. I love male cardinal's color. They remind me of my Grandmother Matilda. Thank you Danielle.

Clouds for Jessica
handmade stamp on paper

One of Jessica's shirts inspired me to make dots on clouds. Thank you J!!

Ranking in Japan (not raking)
Cloud, Cardinal, Ferret, Deer, Rock Garden

To Tim and Lindsay,

This story from Japan is about the rock gardens that dream when blue dotted cloud like shapes drop things onto them so that the gardener would have to rake everyday.

Koyasan Temple Stay

Snow in Tree
pencil in sketchbook

Renegejoin Temple in Koyasan is one of our favorite places in Japan. We stayed there again for a weekend in February just to see the snow. The temple is stunning in any season. I gave myself ten minutes to work on this one after warming up with other sketches. I wanted to render snow without anything behind it in order to indicate the tree's isolation.

Sketch of Middle Rock Garden with Shadow
pencil in sketchbook

This sketch was done from across our room in order to frame a section in the windows.
I sat under the kotatsu (heated table) and tried to see the white on white while the snow continued to fall.

Sketch of Middle Rock Garden
pencil in sketchbook

On our second night, we had a wonderful large room that overlooked the central rock garden. Since it was so cold and snowed all weekend, the stillness was mesmerizing. It was difficult to find the difference between the snow and the branches.

Bird Resting
pencil in sketchbook

There were many screens and doors with paintings in the temple. This sketch was done in our room on the second night. We made voices for many of the birds, they all seemed to have flamboyant personalities, especially the ones with the red feet.

Sketch for Rock Garden stamp
pencil in sketchbook

This is a small sketch of the front rock garden. Idea for stamp making.

Stamps on Origami Rabbits

Cabbage Rabbits
stamped origami paper rabbit
I have enjoyed making origami with Jessica's wonderful guidance. Here I stamped the rabbits after I folded the paper, a different look from prior attempts when I stamped the paper prior to folding the origami designs.

New Stamps and Drawing in January

Tree at Misu Elementary School
ink in journal

I went to Misu E.S. on Friday by bus. Usually, I ride my bike a distance that the bus travels in about 30 minutes. The bike ride helps me clear my head and prepare for the day. I took the bus due to the extremely cold weather. Luckily, I met Carolina, my colleague on the bus whose smile lifted my spirits. Now, two reasons to take the bus to Misu E.S. The day was superb, unusually so, not sure how to describe it exactly, just that God was at work and I did not get in the way. This drawing was done in about ten minutes waiting for the bus after school. The tree is isolated at the end of the playground field fence. I think it is an Ume tree. (plum) I really loved the shape in the branches and the textures and light from my vantage point.

Nezumi Birthday Card for Tamai Sensei
stamped postcard

Counting Sheep Library Card Series
especially for Kennis
mixed media on recycled library card

New Stamps made in January

Sadou (Tea Ceremony) with Haya Elementary School
stamped postcard

I had the pleasure of enjoying tea ceremony with members of Haya E.S. The ceremony was hosted by teachers in kimonos. It was very formal and beautiful. This is my thank you note.

Sheep for Kennis
stamped postcard

Lotus and Cabbage
stamped postcard

Whirlygigs and Higanbana
stamped postcard

Rabbit Omedetou 2011 Library Series
stamped library card with ink drawing

December Artwork Continued and Happy New Year

Study of Long Tails, Koh Nangyuan, Thailand

pencil in journal

December 29, 2010

Our vacation in Thailand was amazing, no less. I do not know how to describe the experience in its entirety just yet. Overall, heartbreaking and stunning. Here are some studies that I did while we were on the island Koh Nangyuan. I am looking down from our balcony for all three of these studies. Long tails are colorful boats with outbound motors, usually used as taxis. The bay was filled with them through the day. The front of the boats had a variety of colored tassels and flags. Because they moved quickly, turning around with new passengers, I had only seconds to capture the gestures, a great time for study.

Study, edge of Koh Tao, Turtle Island

watercolor and pen in sketchbook

Rocks Along the Dock at Koh Nangyuan

pencil in sketchbook

I made this drawing after three pages of long tail studies. The studies got me warmed up and I found the rocks to be wonderfully intriguing. The water lapping the edges and the sun defining the lines along the water made for an interesting afternoon of study. Rocks are one of my favorite subjects along with trees, now rocks with water ranks as a favorite. Just the day before the water of the Sea of Thailand and I had met each other in the Lomprayah High Speed Cadamaran meant to take people to paradise from Chumphon City. Usually it is a fast and comfortable one and a half hour ride. This one was eternity since my aneron (nausea medication) had worn off after the six hour bus ride. The sea was rough, very rough. During this drawing session from our balcony, I once again revered the water. Luckily our ride back to the mainland was a beautifully smooth aneron filled two hours.

December artwork

stamped totebag for Mayumi
handmade stamps on canvas bag

I combined several stamps using an ink pad made especially for other surfaces. After stamping, I heated the pattern with an iron for making the design permanent. Mayumi is the assistant at one of my Elementary Schools, she is great.

Happy New Year
hand made rabbit stamp and letter stamps on note card

2011 is the year of the Rabbit. I used a star punch for the top of the
note cards to tie presents with ribbon.

Dragon
Chinese Zodiac Series
handmade stamps and cut out paper

I made this one for Kimura Sensei's birthday.

New Works

Library Card Series for Vidhi The Lotus, Turtle and Dolphin Stories

stamps on painted library cards

Our friend Vidhi asked for a Lotus, Turtle and a Dolphin on the recycled library cards. Thanks for your inspiration Vidhi. I hope you enjoy.

Library Card Series 555

stamps on library card

Snail on Lotus with Turtles

stamps on wood disc

Drawings from Koyasan

Okunoin Study

pen on paper

While walking through the famous graveyard, Okunoin in Koyasan, I took some time to do some sketching. The day was great for taking photographs too. The graveyard is about 2 kilometers long and has some interesting sites throughout.

River Scene Study II at Takahara

pen on paper

Pyar and I spent time at the river on Saturday, November 20 at Takahara. It is a short walk from the Bed and Breakfast where we spent my wonderful birthday celebration weekend.

River Scene Study at Takahara

pen on paper

Study of Rocks at Okunoin, Koyasan

pen on paper

Paintings

Trinity UMC, Savannah, Georgia
watercolor on strathmore
5" x 12"

I made this watercolor for Trinity Church's new website banner.
http://www.trinity1848.org

Trinity United Methodist Church is located on Telfair Square in Savannah, Georgia. I wanted to capture the glow of God's work here and its amazing members. It is situated between the Jepson Center and The Telfair Museum of Art. Trinity Church's members and the Pastor, Reverend Enoch Hendry made Savannah my home for many years. It is one of my all time favorite places in the world because of the people. It was the first Church I visited in all of my life that welcomed me in the most heartfelt way. I was not asked my age or if I was married or why I was there, simply loved. They are a big part of my family and life. An arena to work out your faith, a must see and do when in Savannah, Georgia.

Sketch/Study for Trinity UMC watercolor

Takahara Kirinosato
watercolor

We have many favorite places in Japan, and this beautiful place is in the top three. Kirinosato is a beautiful bed and breakfast in the mountains along the Kumano Kodo, only about a 4o minute bus ride from our home. This scene is from the outside deck looking down a short distance. The leaves are a lovely golden yellow and many shades of red. I tried to capture the season and mood through color and gesture.

Circle in Blue with Lotus
mixed media

I used the painting Circle in Blue to experiment with the platinum stamp pad and
my new lotus stamp.

Among Friends
mixed media
20cm x 20cm

I reworked this painting from May and finally feel it is resolved.

New Works

Circle of Lotus
stamp on wood disc

I used the watermark stamp pad for this design. Thank you MaryMom and LewisDad.

Sea Life
handcarved stamps on paper

Florida Box Turtle
handcarved stamp on paper

As I mentioned previously, Vidhi asked for a lotus, dolphin and a turtle. My first two pets, Terender and Shoelace were Florida Box Turtles. I was about 7 years old and always dreamed of being small and riding on their backs and feeding them gigantic food.

New Friends

Great Blue Whale
stamp on wood disc

Pyar helped inspire this new friend. I really love the gesture in his expression.

Baby Dolphin
stamp on wood disc

I made this one as a set of three from a request by our friend Vidhi. She wanted a turtle, lotus and a dolphin. I tried to not make her too cutesy.
Hopefully Jewel gives her approval.

Baby Piggy
stamp on wood disc

Lotus and Higanbana
handcarved stamps on purple paper

Chinese Zodiac Sheep Drawing for Mitsuko san

Sheep

pencil on paper

One of our dear friends Komori, Mitsuko is a sheep in Chinese Zodiac. I made her this drawing for her birthday recently. She enjoyed it. She is one of my inspirations for learning Japanese since she is such a wonderful person and I would like to get to know her better.

Some of Our Friends

Bear
pencil on paper

Study of Bear the kitten from one of Pyar's photographs. At this point they were barely two weeks old and oh so sweet.

Oh My!
pencil on paper

Study of the kitten Oh My from a photo taken by Pyar. She was the smallest of the four abandoned kittens that Pyar found only a few days earlier. She is all white with a little gray at the top of her head and oh so sweet.

Works in October

Eggplant Friends
pencil on paper

All of my schools have some kind of garden, usually several kinds that are maintained very well by students and teachers. These eggplants are from Shinjo Elementary School. My teacher, Satake Sensei gave them to me after a visit to her second grade class. When she gave them to me I gestured them toward each other mimicking some kind of conversation since they both seemed to have long noses and odd shaped heads. We shared a laugh and a knowing look, since we mostly communicate through gestures and our mutual limited shared languages.

Wara
pencil on paper

Tanabe is a farming and fishing town. The rice harvest season is over now, but many of these have been built or rebuilt from the rice reeds. Depending on who you ask gets you several answers on what these are called and how they might be used. This one is along a road on the way to Akizuagawa and just before one of my favorite coffee shops, Kirara. To the right of the structure is the rice field and to the left and behind are mikan trees. It is a lovely green space. Further back along part of the river, you can see many turtles basking in the sun along various logs and river edges.

Doodles at Kinugasa
pencil on paper

Many of my schools have great areas to sit outside and think or draw while enjoying a shady corner of the ball field. Kinugasa Junior High School is one of those schools. This was done in a few minutes between periods while enjoying the cooler weather.
I am happy to see that bees are thriving.

Higanbana
doodle on paper

There are many of these around town in red and white marking the autumn equinox. They are lovely signs of a cooler time of year, though the deep red seems very hot in clusters across the many fields around the house here in Tanabe.

Cut Outs for Danielle
paper on paper in Journal

Danielle religiously mails me a letter from the States each and every Monday. Depending on weather and some strange time line created by the Japan Post, I get a wonderful treat about once a week. One reason is, she knows I love it and because she includes a recipe and some cut outs from magazines or newspapers, she fills me with some English reading. The best reason is she likes me, but more than that, she has lived away from her home for two years when in the Peace Corp. She lived in Gabon, Africa. She knows what mail means. What it means to be thought of in such a meaningful way that a friend would spend time to create something so special as to put a stamp on it and mail it to the future. What a special gift and a special friend. I am lucky. I love her handwriting too, this is part of one of her letters. And since she is a designer and artist, she does not at all flinch that I use her envelopes and letters for my own projects.
Thank you, Danielle!