keeping it simple

President's Day was this week, and two things came to mind.  I need to prune my roses and it's free admission day at the Portland Japanese Garden.  Seeing that it was a damp and drizzly day, I chose the latter. 

I first wrote about this enchanting place last year in this blog post.  I have been meaning to visit in the springtime when the plants and trees are in bloom.  Rhododendrens and azaleas especially thrive in this wet environment, and I love the vibrancy of their flowers. 

handsome koi

 

Strolling through the garden is such a peaceful experience.  And I am reminded how beauty is often in the simplest of things.

This week, I worked on a small linocut of Mt Hood.  It was nice to leisurely work on a project without the worries of deadlines or expectations.  I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the prints yet.  I could leave them as they are or add details to the sky.  What do you think?

portland's garden sanctuary

Perched atop Portland's western slope is a traditional Japanese garden, complete with koi ponds, wisteria arbor,  and tea house.  Some consider it to be the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan.  

We decided to visit Portland Japanese Garden on the busiest day of the year- free admission day.  Even with the crowds, the place was still very tranquil and idyllic.  I loved all the winding stone paths and lush moss blanketing much of the 5.5 acres.  

One of the central features of the garden is the Moon Bridge.  The structure and scenery reminded me of Claude Monet's Giverny estate in France.  My husband and I were there 15 years ago, and I took this photo of the famous foot bridge.

Monet was an avid collector of Japanese woodblock prints.  The large water garden at the Giverny home was inspired by his collection of Japanese art.  He planted azaleas, bamboo, wisteria, and, of course, water lilies- which became the subject of 250 of his oil paintings. 

My favorite spot at the Portland Japanese Garden was the Natural Garden with its stone steps, cascading streams, and fluorescent greenery.  When you sit for a moment and take in the scenery, it's quite meditative and soothing. 

The beautiful and peaceful imagery from the gardens has stayed with me these past few days.  And, with spring just around the corner, I'm thinking I might try to bring a bit of Japanese influence into my own garden.  We don't have a pond, but I can think of a few great spots for some white gravel and moss.  I'll keep you posted with any successful progress!

limited-edition "portland" print

Today, I hand pulled the first 10 prints of my latest linocut.

The paper I used is made from flax straw + denim and t-shirt remnants.  Very cool stuff.

Read more about the new print here.  Then watch this amazing printmaking demonstration . . . so effortless!

Artists I like: Yukari Miyagi

Line is the most basic element of art, yet it takes an adept artist to render a subject using a few simple lines.  I have always been captivated by the organic line drawings of Picasso and Matisse, so it only seemed natural that I would instantly be enamored by the beautiful art of Yukari Miyagi.  Her child-like illustrations have been featured in numerous international magazines and books, including this one based on the Little Red Riding Hood.

 

I always find it exciting when art and product design come together.  This classic tote takes on a fresh look with Miyagi's animated lines and colors.  See more of her product collaborations here.

Inspired by sashiko

My favorite pair of jeans had been stashed away for nearly a year due to an indecent tear on the backside.  Several weeks ago, I finally felt inspired to mend the tear when I came across an image on sashiko stitching.  Sashiko is a Japanese technique of mending clothing using the running stitch.  It is usually identified by cream colored stitching on indigo colored fabrics.  Sri Threads has an amazing collection of sashiko pieces here.

I absolutely love all the geometric patterns!

You can tell sashiko has been on my mind lately, as seen in my most recent art piece, sunset.  I'm also thinking that I'll use sashiko stiching in the border of my latest quilt project. But, maybe a pillow is more realistic? I do love the example below. 

[image sources: This and That From Japan, Tiny Happy, and Fancy Tiger]

I am currently reading The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook as a how-to guide, and The Purl Bee, as usual, has a wonderful tutorial. 

Fashion illustration

In my last post, I featured Tina Berning's illustrations of women.  Fashion plays an essential part in Berning's art, which is one of the reasons I'm drawn to her work.  When I was thirteen, I desperately wanted to be a fashion designer.  So I spent countless hours sketching new outfits and even sewing my own clothes.  (The first article of clothing I ever made was a hot pink jumpsuit!) 

My mother knew that I was really into fashion, and one day, she came home with this amazing Japanese book.  This book full of fashion illustrations became my prized possession.  I studied the drawings and would try to copy every little detail until it was perfect.  I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I drew this face:

Unfortunately, I can't read Japanese, so I don't even know the title of the book or the name of the illustrator.  Here's the biographical page of the author.  Maybe you can help me out?

The forecast calls for clouds

1.  Suppose Design Office, Designtide, Tokyo, 2009
2.  Kecky, Umbrellas in the Rain
3.  Will Cotton, Candy Clouds (Hannah), 2008
4.  Tara Donovan, Nebulous, scotch tape, 2002
5.  A beautiful cloudy day in Portland

The wonders of salt

photo courtesy of The Meadow

Last summer, we toured Oregon's wine country for a day with several other couples.  At one of the vineyards, we stopped for a lunch break and had an Italian inspired picnic.  Our friend Mary- who is the most gifted hostess I know- brought along many goodies, including  a salt block.  She sliced fresh veggies on it, and I was hooked! 

The Meadow is a wonderful little shop in town that specializes in salt, chocolate, and wine.  It's my new favorite place now (thanks to Mary!) to look for gifts for family and friends. With fresh cut flowers by the door and every inch of the space filled with fine edibles, I feel like I'm transported back to France.

From mountains to seas, salt is a natural resource that is gathered by people all around the globe. Recently, I stumbled upon amazing works of art made from sea salt.  The following are installations created by Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto.

Utsusemi.  Toyama, Japan.  2005.

To Remembrance. Ishikawa, Japan.  2009.

Sakura. Ishikawa, Japan.  2008.

close-up of Sakura installation

Seeing spots before your eyes?

Yayoi Kusama started using dots in her art work when she was 10.  She turned 80 this year and has been celebrated as one of the greatest living female artists today.  Her "dot" installations have been displayed in museums and galleries all over the world.  In the U.S., her sculptural works are currently on display at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami. 

Dots Obsession, balloons and vinyl dots, 2000.  

Pumpkins, fiberglass, reinforced plastic, 2008. Gagosian Gallery.  Photo: Rob McKeever.

Fireflies on the Water, light bulbs, water, mirror, 2000. Victoria Miro Gallery (London) and Ota Fine Arts (Tokyo).

Dots Obsession, 2004. 

I would love to see one of her installations one day, especially Fireflies on the Water.  Looks magical!

Fractal art, not your mama's color-by-number

A couple of years ago, a fellow Willamette University alum introduced me to Professor Junpei Sekino's mathematical art.  Sekino, the son of a famous Japanese printmaker, uses mathematical equations to create computer-generated images called fractal art.

For the last 25 years, Sekino has been writing programs and creating images of fractal art.  When he first started working on this digital art form, it would take up to a day to generate a fractal image.  Today, it's only a matter of minutes.

Sekino's computer art is a dazzling display of brilliant colors and intricate patterns.  Many of his works, particularly landscape renditions, are reminiscent of Asian art.  To see more of his beautiful digital creations, visit his online gallery here. 

images: Sekino's Fractal Gallery