Sakura . 36x78 inches . 2010

The second of my Gen Kai series. This piece is done on three separate 24x36 inch canvases. Click each series to enlarge it.

1. natural lighting (near a sunny window)

2. artificial lighting (regular interior lighting)

3. combined uv and artificial lighting

4. uv lighting only (with a black light)

5. no light (glow in the dark)

I'm very proud of this one.

It's interesting that I began work on what I've been calling my "Japanese Fusion Paintings" the year before visiting Japan. We're specifically aiming to be in Japan during Sakura 2011, for all the cherry blossom festivities. Cherry blossoms are only peaking for about 2 weeks a year, so our timing involves a lot of hoping and estimating. Either way, I'm thrilled to experience them. They look like feathers or cotton candy or faery dust or something. I'm sure I'll want to paint more of them after seeing such fluffy pink magic in real life. In the meantime, I'll just have to dream about it.

This was not an easy painting to complete, and was entirely out of my comfort zone. Colin helped me a lot, and I jokingly referred to him as my "apprentice" because of the dirty work I put him through. I think he enjoyed it though, it's fun to get your hands all covered in modeling paste. Well, maybe not, but he was happy to help me. On many days, after working 12 hours on it, my hands simply wouldn't function anymore.

What's hard to see in these pictures is the way I made the blossoms to sparkle and glimmer as you walk past it through the room. I wanted it to be reminiscent of the way cherry blossoms flutter in the breeze.

I've been told that people eating in the dining room have been taking pictures of my art with their cell phones. Rad. :o)

Gen Kai Japanese Restaurant

34143 Pacific Coast Hwy 
Dana Point, CA 92629 

(949) 240-2004‎

Shoji . 36x57 inches . 2010

The first of my Gen Kai series. :o) This piece is done on four separate 12x36 inch canvases.

1. natural lighting (near a sunny window)

2. artificial lighting (regular interior lighting)

3. combined uv and artificial lighting

4. uv lighting only (with a black light)

5. no light (glow in the dark)

Oh, Gen Kai. :o)

This would be my first white painting. I'd been wanting to do something all white for a long time.

Before the fire burned down the entire front room of the restaurant, there had been a shoji window on this exact wall for decades. The head sushi chef mentioned this to me when we were there to hang the art, but of course I remembered. It was my inspiration for making this piece. Now there are shoji windows on both sides of the lobby. :o) (I didn't get a picture of the one facing the outside.) Also, the lobby area tends to get a bit dark (and romantic) at night, so I wanted something to brighten it up. It kind of feels like an outdoor space now. Maybe that's because I adorned their wall with a gigantic moon.

I've been calling these my "Japanese Fusion paintings" although Colin reminds me that in all likelihood I will make more like them outside of this series.

I have one more to show you this week, and then a few others later on. Make sure to stop by Gen Kai in Dana Point to see them in person!

Gen Kai has really great lunch specials and it's super crowded on weekends. They even had a sake tasting last Friday that I desperately wish I could have attended. Very happy they're back. :o)

Gen Kai Japanese Restaurant

34143 Pacific Coast Hwy 
Dana Point, CA 92629 

(949) 240-2004‎

Adventures in Sushi

So we went to Gen Kai again last weekend. :o) It started out simple enough.



But when you order Omakase, you never know what will happen. This would be mackerel sashimi:


Honestly, it was some of the best sashimi I've ever had. And what a [mildly alarming] presentation!

Here's Colin eating the fish head, after it was sent to the kitchen to be deep fried.
(P.S. I ate a fish eyeball. Yep.)

Sashimi Roll:



Then... Jun-san brought out the squid. The whole squid. A whole squid, I tell you:


I hadn't eaten a whole squid before. It was... squid-like. I also hadn't tried salmon roe either! (the orange stuff.) It's like inflated, balloon-like caviar.


And that's my story.

:o)

Nami - 36x60 inches - 2009

1. natural lighting
2. combined uv and artificial lighting
3. no light (glow in the dark)

Ingredients: acrylic, beach sand, crushed sea shells, crushed glass, phosphorescent pigments, varnish, water & light on canvas.

Nami is the word for Wave in Japanese. :o) The "sky" is made with thick layers of sand and shells. Already today, I've had 3 people ask me if that's the sun or the moon.

I'm leaving that one up to you.

A story: One day I had a vision to do a wave painting, although I wasn't exactly sure what that would look like, since I hadn't really done waves before. Squiggly lines, yes, but no waves. I sketched a few things out and quickly had a concept for something that I was really excited about. The sketch was put in a drawer for later, until my birthday rolled around, when the fam and I were eating at THE BEST sushi place in Orange County (that's right) and I had another idea.

Yada yada yada, I suddenly had a project to do a painting for Gen Kai (Dana Point), my favorite restaurant ever, which I've been going to for basically half my life. Of course, my immediate thought after I got home and the shock and excitement wore off a bit was: My wave painting!! How perfect.

Ta daaaa:

Nami now hangs on the wall in the lobby, the first thing you see when you walk through the door. There's bright filtered sunlight in the room all day, and then dim, romantic lights in the evening. Perfect to show off the light reactive fun. I equipped them with a blacklight flashlight to show anyone that's interested how brightly it glows.

I have to say, in my totally biased opinion, that it looks AWESOME there, and I'm absolutely giddy about this whole thing. Sushi and Art! Together!!!

If you'd like to see Nami in person (!!) stop by Gen Kai.

34143 Pacific Coast Hwy
Dana Point, CA 92629

(949) 240-2004‎

Their weekday lunch specials are incredible, and the sushi bar is second to none. The chefs are amazing, the fish is the freshest, and the whole place just rocks. I'm truly honored, and completely thrilled. I have a feeling we'll be spending more time in Dana Point in the future.

Yay!