I have a lot of nice memories with my father.

He was a professor, so he had spring break, summer vacation, winter break, same time we had them when we were students.

When he was young, he used to climb high mountains, like Japanese Alps. And he loved to take us hiking. My brother and I enjoyed hiking very much. Now my brother is a photographer of mountains including wildflowers, rivers, ……nature.

I remember my father took my brother and me to a mountain hut for climbers where was in Japanese Alps to stay in summer vacation. I believe it was when I was a middle school. During us staying, nobody came to the mountain hut.

My father didn’t like a car, so he didn’t have driver license.

We lived in Tokyo.  We had to carry everything we need during staying from Tokyo.

We took a train, a bus and hike up to get the mountain hut. We left home very early morning, and get there almost sunset time.

Then my father put all food in cans and hang them for saving from eaten by some creatures.

There was no shower nor bath tub, so we went to the river.

In the morning, we were above clouds. It was fantastic.

I remember that I didn’t have paint with me, but I had a sketchbook and a pencil. I did a lot of drawings of scenery.

During staying, we almost run out food, my father wanted to just continue reading books, so my brother is seven years younger than me and I had to go climbing down two mountains to do grocery shopping. I felt a great adventure. But when we got back home and told my mother, she didn’t like that.

Now I know what my mother felt. We could encounter bears or some.

Some how he had never took us to any beach.

“668. Waiting for Waves” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

The location of this painting “ Daddy & daughter” was in San Diego. It was a warm day in January.

This painting recalled my child food with my father.

What is your story?

“668. Waiting for Waves” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This scene was in San Diego on warm day in January.

Weaves were smaller and smaller. So it made peaceful atmosphere. But for surfers it’s not so fun. Probably they were having a daydream for riding a big wave.

“243. Water Fall in Hakusyu” Watercolor by Mariko Irie

I painted this “Water Fall in Hakusyu” in watercolor in 2007. This waterfall is a part of Ojiro River.

Every year after I finish business in Tokyo, I stay in the mountainside, which is surrounded by the South Japanese Alps.

This Ojiro River is very close to there.

The water of the area is famous as one of best tasty water in Japan.

So Suntory, which is the best Whisky maker in Japan built their factory there, because the water quality. They have a museum and gift shop on the property. They sell their special whisky only at the shop. It’s very mild and has wonderful flavor.

Of cause there are Sake makers as well. One of Sake maker, Shichiken is the gold medal winner. Every year they have a celebration week of opening their casks, and open to public for tasting middle of February. My friends, who love Sake, get together and go there to have variety sake during the week. And stay over night at his second house and drink more. Good thing, one of them can’t drink, so he is a driver all the time. Anyway my friend e-mailed me that they got too much snow, so they are afraid, if they go there, maybe they might be trapped by snow, and then they can’t go home. So they decided not to have the party this year.

They didn’t have so much snow, which is 150cm deep for over 30 years. People forgot or no equipment to deal with snow? My friend told me several villages were isolated by snow.

I e-mailed to my other friend who has a second house in the village. I wrote that it might be so beautiful scene. Then the wife e-mailed me that her husband has shoveled snow for five days already. Wow. Just think about doing that, my back started sore.

I found a beautiful video along the Ojiro river: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2wyTTafL8I

I hope you enjoy it.

My painting “Water Fall in Hakusyu” is displaying at the Northcoast Artists Galley through April 2^nd.

“667. Light on the Earth” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

We are going to have a collaborate show with College of Redwoods, Edgewater Gallery, Partners Gallery and us/ Northcoast Artists Gallery in Fort Bragg, in March 7 – March 30.

I’m going to participate the show with this painting “Light on the Earth”.

The theme is “Back To Basics”.

My “back to basic” is that John Lennon sang the song for us in 1971.

 “Imagine”

Imagine there’s no heaven      It’s easy if you try
No hell below us      Above us only sky
Imagine all the people      Living for today…

Imagine there’s no countries      It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for      And no religion too
Imagine all the people     Living life in peace…

You may say I’m a dreamer      But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us      And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions      I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger      A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people      Sharing all the world…

You may say I’m a dreamer     But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us       And the world will live as one

 All of us know that we are a part of nature, universe, isn’t it?

The location of this painting “Light on the Earth” is in Albion CA. The downtown of Albion is very basic. There are several houses, one market, one gas station and one post office. That’s it. And surrounded by this beautiful universe.

“666. Sunset Surfers” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Here comes!

What a beautiful energy. All of them are exiting as looking for waves and talking about surfing, the sun shining behind them.

Surfing is a fascinating sport.

I tried surfing once long long time ago. When I was getting on a board, a wave took my bikinis. That was it. I knew it was not my thing to play.

But I love to watch surfing movies. First time I watched surfing movies was in Hawaii in 1977. They were shockingly beautiful and exiting. I had never imagined the world before. As surfing, touching inner tube.,,,Oh my mind……

Just recently I watched the movie “Chasing Mavericks (2012)”

The inspirational true story of real life surfing phenomenon Jay Moriarity. When 15 year old Jay discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, is not only real, but exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it. As Jay and Frosty embark on their quest to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives, and their quest to tame Mavericks becomes about far more than surfing Written by Twentieth Century Fox

He learned skills with philosophy/spirit of surfing for being a good human.

Several great surfers’ performances and beautiful sceneries are breathtaking in this movie as well.

When I saw this during the last trip in San Diego, it recalled the movie and I felt what a cool scene of boy’s passion, isn’t it?

“665. Who was on the Chair?” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

I saw many people reading a book at beach.

I used to take a book everywhere I went. But now I take my small sketchbook everywhere I go, with a camera as well.

Last night I saw the quotes of Ray Bradbury on my friend’s Facebook:

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.

You know him right? He was an American fantasy, science, horror and mystery fiction writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and for the science fiction and horror stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles (1950) and The Illustrated Man.

Ray Bradbury said: Love. Fall in love and stay in love. Write only what you love, and love what you write. The key word is love. You have to get up in the morning and write something you love, something to live for.

And In my later years I have looked in the mirror each day and found a happy person staring back. Occasionally I wonder why I can be so happy. The answer is that every day of my life I’ve worked only for myself and for the joy that comes from writing and creating. The image in my mirror is not optimistic, but the result of optimal behavior.

I love his attitude, don’t you?

“664.Hula-hoop Girls at Beach” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This scene was at La Jolla Shore the last middle of January.

It was nice warm day.

We walked the long beach for miles.

Walking on the long beach as looking happy people activities were very amusing to me.

I go to Mendocino coast, but the tempter of the air is too cold to be in swimming suits and jumping around.

But Southern California people visit Mendocino coast for escaping from people, crowd.

These girls were having hula-hoops caught my eyes.

When I was a little, hula-hoops came in Japan from U.S. But after that I didn’t see them for long time.

But my friend told me that she got a few hula-hoops from garage sale recently. The woman, who sold hula-hoops to my friend, makes them. She makes small ones, heavier ones, can put fire ones… a lot of kinds.

And then I googled. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula_hoop

It says: they have existed for thousands of years, they are often misunderstood as being invented in the 1950s.

Native American Hoop Dance was, and is, a form of storytelling dance incorporating anywhere from one to 30 hoops as props.

Now the past few years have seen the re-emergence of hula hooping. An International Holiday World Hoop Day has become the hula hoop holiday celebrating the circle around the world.

Wow! I didn’t know all, and even hula-hoops have existed now days. What a fun.

Thank you for Internet.

“663. Mother & Daughter” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

I saw this when we went to San Diego the last middle of January.

Mother and daughter at the beach.

What a sweet scene, isn’t it?

It was warm day. Gentle waves are coming going.

It was so peaceful in love.

Life should be happy.

“662. Albion River Bridge” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This scene is Albion River Bridge over downtown Albion CA.

I came from Tokyo. So my image of Downtown is so different from downtown Albion CA.

Downtown Albion is located just up from Hwy 1; the bridge is on Hwy 1. There are several houses, a grocery market, a gas station and a post office. That’s all. It’s very sweet.

If you have never been there, I highly recommend visiting there.

“661. Roses by the Ocean” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Another sunny day on Mendocino Coast, it’s from Albion River Inn.

It was not windy, but white clouds were dynamic in blue sky.

I love roses. These roses made me happy.