“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.

I have painted Albion River Bridge, “263. Albion River at Sunset” in 2008. The view was from the harbor.

“263. Albion River at Sunset” Watercolor painting by Mariko Irie

Now I was curious about the view of the bridge from the Albion River Inn restaurant yard.

I copied about the bridge from Wikipedia below.

The Albion River Bridge is a wooden deck truss bridge crossing the Albion River in Mendocino. It is the only remaining wooden bridge on California State Route 1

In 1944, the present span was opened.^[6] It was built during World War II, and because concrete and steel were in short supply during the war, it was built of salvaged wood,^[2] treated with a copper azole Preservative.

” 660. From Albion River Inn” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

It was sunny and clouds are so exiting. It was in December, but it feels like spring weather and flowers were blooming.

I heard that some people have wedding ceremony on the green on the Albion River Inn restaurant yard.

Today it’s a gloomy day in Santa Rosa. It’s nice to see a sunny day painting, isn’t it?

Though we are waiting for rain.

When I was painting “Valley on Xmas Day”, a person stopped by and asked me “Do you want to see better view?”

I couldn’t figure what he ment. But I said “Yes”

Then he told me that he own the property bihind me. He ask me whenever I want to see the view of the top of the hill, I can call him to take me there.

A few days after, I went to there and called him. The property is a ranch. And the edge of the property is the top of the hill.

“659. The valley at Sunset Time” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Can you see the white fence on this painting bottom? I painted “Valley on Xmas Day” from there.

It’s breath taking from the top. First hour I just stared and enjoyed the view. I told myself that my painting panel was too small.

After I finish this painting fot that day, when I was driving by their house, his wife wearing cowboy hat was walking towards my car with their dog. We chatted. It was a nice greeting. She continued to walk toward the hill in the sunset. It was a beautiful scene.

I hope that you like this painting as I do.

“658. The Valley on Xmas Day” oil painting by Mariko Irie

That was on Xmas day.

I was eager to paint a picture outside.

Because it was sunny and nice warm and my energy was just right for painting.

I parked on side of the road. I started painting.

A lot of joggers, bicyclers were passing by. The neighbor stopped by in Santa Clause outfit.

When I was finishing this painting, my friend passing by accident and took me to her family Xmas party in Novato.

It was very different Xmas day.

I didn’t plan anything just let it to be.

I really enjoyed.

I’m looking forward in 2014.

Keep warm.

Mariko

www.mariko-irie.com

“656. After Rain at the Lighthouse” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location is Point Cabrillo Lighthouse CA.

When it’s sunny day, this place doesn’t talk to me.

But after rain, look, it offered so charming scene.

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?