Portraits

I couldn’t wait to post these precious portraits. The first one is my brother and the second one is my boyfriend. Can you see the resemblance? Pretty uncanny. These were all done by my goddaughter Ayame.

Dirk by Ayame, Age 4

Sam by Ayame, Age 4

And how can you not love this one? It’s so cute! I am always looking forward to see her artwork – they are so special.

“Untitled Piece” by Ayame, Age 4

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music.

~William Stafford

It’s All About the Blue+

I have been obsessing about Blue jays for awhile. I finally saw one in our backyard two months ago – it was collecting some branches from our partly dead dogwood. So, I decided to paint a pair of blue jays but didn’t turn out the way I wanted to. I was going to throw away the painting but chose to save part of it. Here’s the part I managed to salvage– he looks a little bit blue.

And below is my apparent obsession with Charlie Harper.

“How do I get down from here,” she asks.

There were a few things I’ve learned about blue jays. For example, I did not know that blue jays are a member of the crow family or corvidae that includes ravens, rooks, jackdaws and magpies.
Furthermore, blue jays are not really blue – their vibrant blue color is a result of refraction. Once the feather is destroyed, the vibrant blue color disappears. Lastly, blue jays mimic the sound of the red-shouldered hawk when feel threatened or to deceive other birds. If you want to know more about Blue jays and other birds, visit Birdhouses 101.

I LOVE Charley Harper!

I had no idea who Charley Harper was until this week. I read about him from the NWF (National Wildlife Federation) website in the Ranger Rick section while looking for new ideas for our garden. Charley Harper was known for his simplified geometric depiction of wildlife. His work is SO AMAZING! I think he is one of the most brilliant artists who has ever lived – everything he did was a masterpiece. He is now officially my favorite artist of all times. Here are some samples of his work:

Bark Eyes

Catnip

Cardinal

I also found a couple of websites that specializes in Charlie Harper prints: Charlie Harper Art Studio and The Art of Charley Harper. Enjoy!

When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don't see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe.·

~ Charley Harper