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Site updated 03 Feb 2005
05/02/15/22.17
gallery
Mt. Baker &
Waves
( 2002)
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Courtship Dance
(2002)
Size: 55cm x 85cm
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Shadow & Light
(2002) - One day at Elk Lake it became very
clear to me that nature is as valuable as any jewel or treasure created by man.
The interplay between light and shadow caught my eye immediately and I felt
compelled to paint what I saw.
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Hydrangea #1
(2002) - I enjoy experimenting by painting similarly
composed hydrangea but in different colors. Although the flowers (or more
correctly, calyces) are almost identical, their slight and subtle variations are
the secret, I believe, to their attraction.
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Hibiscus
(2002) - I wanted to paint a hibiscus to remind me of two
specimens in particular: a bewitchingly spectacular one I'd seen in Mexico and
the more subtle one that I have growing in my garden.
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Deep Blue Iris
(2002) - The iris is one of my favorite flowers. In
this paining, I was trying to express the beauty of the opening petals which
remind me somehow of people engaged in joyful conversation.
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Cosmos #2
(2002) - The cosmos is perhaps at its most attractive
when blown about on a light breeze. This study of pink cosmos was done on a
light silver background of washi (Japanese paper) and was intended to
suggest autumn. Somehow, whenever I look at cosmos, I'm for some reason reminded
of my mother and they are one of my favorite flowers.
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Irises Laevigata
(2001) - This painting is of a marsh where irises
stand grouped in front of a wooden walkway placed there for the flowers'
admirers. I added crushed gold dust with a sand-like texture to the petals to
give this work what I hoped was a feel of classic, Japanese beauty.
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Cattleya
(2001) - The cattleya is dignified, noble-looking flower.
The contrast and comparison between the red and yellow is nothing short of
wonderful and led me to paint this glorious glower.
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Peony
(1999) - Some say that the peony is the one of the most
regal of flowers and generation after generation, myself included, have found
deep affection for this stately flower. Imported into Japan in the 10th century,
it is dazzling in its range of colors and textures today as it was so long ago.
I have tried to bring out the flower's colors and intrinsic dignity in the
background color since I, too, have fallen for the peony and anticipate that I
will paint many more in the future.
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Moonlit
Hydrangea
(1999) - I awoke one night because of the
brightness of the full moon. As I looked out of the window, I was drawn to the
magic of the moon and the way its light was playing off the ocean's ripping
surface. I felt the moonlight striking me as well and I felt like I was flowing
along with the ocean and the streaming light. I have always loved hydrangeas and
I decided to combine two of my favorite things in this one painting.
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Golden
Pond
Irises
(1999) - This paining is of irises and a
sun-painted golden pond. Growing near the water, the irises stand in magical
clusters. As people stroll along the wooden walkways, the irises are an
inspiration for Haiku poems and recall more classical times. It is this
image that I have tried to evoke in this paining.
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The
Setting
Sun
(1999) - The day is often at its most beautiful as
the sunset nears its finish. This paining of a scene from my studio window was
intended to show the glow of the sun off the water and the golden nature of the
light. The interweaving patters of the day change from one day to the next. The
colors of this piece are intended to show nature's evolving hues and by looking
at this painting from different angles, the work itself also changes.
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Joseph's
Coat
(1998) - The high-fashion color and the eye-catching
design have always impressed me about the Joseph's Coat - also called an
Amaranth - and which led me to do this painting. It's as if the Joseph's Coat
has been purposely dressed in the three primary colors, as it readies for the
autumn, its season in time as well as in color. The later in the fall that it
gets, the brighter its colors, providing us with one last glimpse of
vivaciousness before winter sets in, a mood I hoped to get across in this work.
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Spring
(1998) - This is spring depicted inside a wooded glen.
Although it may surprise you, this scene is from Tokyo, one of the largest
cities in the world. This oasis is shown on a gorgeous spring day when the
chestnut trees' buds had yet to burst forth. At the feet of the trees, the faint
purple flowers all bloomed in perfect unison, calling our attention to them and
rewarding our eyes for the effort. A spring day is surely one of the greatest
treasures we can have. I began this work in Tokyo and finished it here in
Canada.
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Winter
Camellia
(1998) - Waiting for spring, the winter camellia
holds out against the bitter cold of the longest season. As if refuting the
cold, the winter camellia keeps its blossoms and even blooms anew and every time
I look at one in winter my admiration grows. Its life force is strong and for
this reason it has long been a flower much respected and as I apint it, I hope
that I can be as strong as resilient in my own life. As a flower that evokes a
feeling of poignant sadness, the camellia is a fixture in the tea ceremony, in
flower arrangement, and Nihonga.
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Pier
(1998) - This is the scene I see every day from my studio
window. The blessings we receive from the sun, the ocean, and the mountains are
not merely physical but spiritual as well. As we look at them in awe, we receive
from them strength and feelings of wonder as we recognize in them the power -
and sometimes severity - of life and nature. As I looked out on this scene, I
realized that nature is our teacher. As I was painting this picture, these
thoughts went through my mind and I felt like I was in a dialogue with these
monumental works of the earth.
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Mt.
Baker
&
Cosmos (1998) - The subject of this painting is
Mt. Baker, as seen from Sidney, and cosmos flowers. In Japan, the cosmos is
often referred to as "the cherry blossom of the autumn." It also
thought that when the cosmos bloom forth all at once that we suddenly recall our
childhood and the nostalgia is piquant and almost tangible. These flowers evoke
gentleness and an almost fragile loveliness. When we look at them, we can almost
feel ourselves caught by the gentle wind and blown about like the flowers
themselves.
Iris (1998) - The iris is one of my favorite flowers because it
always seems to put my heart and soul at rest. The colors of the iris, falling
somewhere between purple and blue yet encompassing all the traits of both hues,
speaks of the flower's understated elegance. My objective as I painted this was
to show that elegance and to somehow honor the flower and my love for it.
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Rain
Hydrangea (1998) - This flower moves through subtle color
changes, from a gentle green to pink and bluish purple and shades in-between. It
is this gradation that I love, and its detail. I have chosen to include rain in
this piece because the Hydrangea s well-suited to the rain. The image of rain is
depicted with silver, a color created with ground mother-of-pearl.
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Sea
Iris (1998) - I arrived in Canada in the summer of 1997. Our
house overlooks the ocean and I noticed irises blooming here and there in
gardens and elsewhere. Irises are very popular in Japan and I decided to combine
this much-loved flower with the spectacular ocean of the Gulf Islands region.
Here, in one piece that I painted in one 24-hour burst represented both my old
and new homes. I painted this for the 1998 Sooke Fine Arts Festival and it was
pre-sold before the exhibition even opened.
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Morning
Glory (1997) - When I see a morning glory, I am reminded
of the summers I spent as primary-school child. With the long summer days ahead
of me, I use to rise early and was rewarded for my efforts by the morning bloom
of this radiant flower. Like the rose, the morning glory is said to symbolize
love but I have always thought it should include other qualities like generosity
as well.
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Fragrant
Rose (1997) - The velvet yet glossy petals of the rose
have always reminded me of the dresses worn by noblewomen in times gone by. Although
it is impossible to paint a fragrance, by using variations in the background I
hoped to provide a scent for the eyes and have the viewer recall some past,
memorable roses they once gave or received.
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Silent
Solitude (1996) - The title of this painting is Japanese is Jakujo, a Buddhist term relating to a particular state of the heart after
a time of sadness. I painted this after an event of sadness had visited my own
life, the passing of a loved one. This painting represents the ability of humans
to transcend pain and sadness. Mountains stand firm and unyielding despite
whatever harsh conditions natures chooses to bring. At the foot of the mountain,
lovely spring flowers bloom, telling us that life - whether for humans or other
beings - is a cycle that repeats and repeats itself, regardless of whatever has
come before. Silent Solitude was awarded first place (Mayor's trophy)
among the approximately 250 entrants at the Tokyo Kodaira Art Show in fall,
1996.
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Canadian Goose
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Crimson Forest
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Dappled Morning
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Sparkling Golden
Sea
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