It was a fogy morning. I was going to the Northcoast Artists Gallery in the morning and parked my car at the parking lot of the Skunk Train. The train was just about leaving.

501. Skunk Train in Fort Bragg oil painting by Mariko Irie

When my sons were little, we took the train. It goes over the pudding creek, which is so beautiful and going into woods in Willits.

When I was a little, going to my grandparents’, we used to take trains, which were steam engines.  It was a long ride from Tokyo to Kanazawa. It was very enjoyable. There were mountains, ocean, villages, towns, and cities along the ride all day long. Every stations offered special lunch boxes, and vendors carrying lunch boxes to windows of trains for sale. So we didn’t need to get out from train. In Japan, every country has own special food. It’s a part of highlight for traveling.

And tunnels. After going through tunnels, some of them brought to different world. For example, after through the tunnel, it was a snow country.

Several years ago, we took train to Kanazawa. It’s much faster, nice seats, interior, and room temperature was perfect. But tunnel, tunnel and more tunnels. I couldn’t enjoy view. It was a big disappointment.

Riding Skunk train in Fort Bragg has nice scenery.

By the way, coming Saturday, June 23, 10am -5 pm, will be Mendocino Art Center’s 20th Anniversary Mendocino Coast Garden Tour.

I will be painting one of the gardens, Garden at Harmony Woods in the afternoon: http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/MyLasso/AnnualShows/GardenTour12/Harmony_Woods.html

Please join us. It sounds very beautiful and interesting gardens. I’m looking forward to painting there and seeing you.

I have painted every day after I came back from Mendocino Coast.  I have been so busy painting, I don’t make digital file of these paintings yet.

In Santa Rosa, it’s so warm now days. I love it. I have painted waves, fogy scene…..

399. Wow oil painting by Mariko Irie

I painted this painting “Wow”, when I was in San Diego.

I missed what the surfer did. But from these audiences, I guess that he did some awesome action.

The other surfer is giving the surfer “Cool” sign. The girl’s armed dropped from surprising her and the body of other girl in mother’s arm moving forward exited.

It’s a nice scene of warm day at the beach.

After we finished our show in San Diego, I got home in Santa Rosa.

The rose plants by my window of bedroom, which got so tall and roses were blooming.

Before I left to San Diego, they were all buds. It was only 17 days ago,

By the way, thank you for coming to our show at Gallery 21, Spanish Art Center in San Diego.

I got new friends. And some of them remembered my paintings at the Museum of the Living Artist and even I won the best prize.  That pleased me, because I was over whelmed by so many people and good painters in San Diego. I didn’t expect anybody remembered me beside my friends in San Diego.

It was fun. Especially my grandson played with me.  I know that pre soon he loves to play with his friends and he will not play with me.

I got bad flue one week after I got in San Diego. So my energy level was so low and lost voice one day…………

During our show, one gentleman came to see me and he brought me tickets of San Diego Museum. He was so generous and thoughtful. He thought I might like the Kimono show. I was so pleased, because one thing, I didn’t know Kimono show ”Dyeing Elegance” at the museum. And the show was excellent.

This museum brings very good shows. If you are in San Diego, check San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park.

After I painted this “Red Rose”, I had to go to Mendocino Coast to take care galleries with my bad flue. It was drug. But I was so happy to see my friends. Even I said that I had flue, they said “So what” and hugged me.

500. Red Rose Oil painting by Mariko Irie

I went to Mendocino Art Center. I met the manager of the gallery.

She offered me my solo show in July 2013. She told me “ How easy it is, because we know you.” I’m very appreciated.

I’d like to mention that no rental fee and I don’t need to be gallery sitter neither. In San Diego, at first jurying, then always artists pay rent for showing space.

So I can announce that I will have my solo show in July 2013 at Mendocino Art Center.

I love this painting so much.

401. Surfing Oil painting by Mariko Irie

It’s almost sunset time, but still surfers are surfing and even a surfer is going to waves. It was cooler than in daytime. It’s still enjoyable to be out side and watching them. It was in San Diego.

The color is fantastic. Purplish sky and nuance of sunset, which color is not yellow, it’s Yellow Orchid. It’s classy.  A painting came just right like this, I just stare the painting for looooog time.

Well, Lupine‘s blooming season in Mendocino Coast.

499. Lupine by the River oil painting by Mariko Irie

This one was along the Ten Miles River in Fort Bragg. It was sunny morning, but it looks sleepy. Yellowish sky. Which means a lot of moisture in the air, I think. It’s very typical Mendocino coast sunny morning.

498. Windy Morning Oil Painting by Mariko Irie

This painting is I painted the third day of “496. South of Mackerricher State Park”. It was similar time around 7:30am. The first day and the second day, I went to same spot and painted. Till around 10am there was no strong wind. But the third day was very different. When I got Same spot, it was windy. I couldn’t paint facing strong wind. So I turned around, Wind was on my back. When I was painting, wind got much stronger, then pushing my back on and off. So my brush stroke got jazzy. I wonder if French impressionism was born in very windy day.

Two weeks ago I was house sitting for my friends. It’s walk distance from South of Mackerricher State Park. I love morning light. So I walked with my painting gear to there. Through the bush, somebody trimmed, like a tunnel. Go through the tunnel, it’s open up big field and beach and ocean.

496. South of Mackerricher State Park Oil Painting by Mariko Irie

It was quiet morning waves are coming and going. Blue sky and fogy came in. But there was no hard wind before I finished this painting.

We, Minnie Valero and Mariko Irie are having show at Gallery 21, Spanish Village, Balboa Park, San Diego. Open every day 11:00am to 5:00pm through May21. Closing Reception on Sunday, May 20^th, 3:00-6:00pm.  Special Event during closing reception: 15% discount, silent auctions. Please come to see the painting “Daffodils Glow” in Silent Auction. You may bid through my website:http://www.mariko-irie.com/daffodilsglow.html

After I painted “Daffodils by the Sea”, I love the scene very much. So I painted much bigger, 24” x 24” instead of 6” x 6”.

495. Daffodils Glow Oil Painting by Mariko Irie

During our party, outside was getting pretty color, so I went outside, and then I looked at these daffodils. They were glow in sunset. Background is soft purplish pinkish waves.

What a beautiful evening scene.

Minnie Valero and I met at the paint out in the Balboa Park for three years ago. Coming from completely different cultures.

Minnie Valero comes from Cordoba, Argentina, and now lives and works in the San Diego area and the South of France. I came from Tokyo, Japan, lived in Mendocino for 27 years, lived in San Diego for 2 years and now living in Santa Rosa.

We don’t spend time together much. But some how, since we met, we feel that we’ve known each other long time and feel the vibrations of their artistic passion.

We are having a show “Minie Valero and Mariko Irie 2012” at Spanish Village Art Center Gallery 21.

Our works are very different each other, but they have beautiful harmony.

Both award winning artists, who have been in numerous group and solo shows, Minnie and my art reflects our life journey.

Show Title:  MINNIE VALERO AND MARIKO IRIE 2012

Admission: Free

Date and Time:  May 9 – May 21, 11-4pm

Place:   Spanish Village Art Center Gallery 21

1770 Village Place, Balboa Park San Diego, CA 92101

You may review:

Minnie Valero’s works at www.minnievaleroart.com

Mariko Irie’s works at www.mariko-irie.com

We had a great reception yesterday.

Thank you very much for whoever could come to our reception.

Please come to see our show and us.

320. Highwater Oil painting by Mariko Irie

I’m in Mendocino coast.

Today I sat the gallery all day. It was fun to meet people who are interested in our art. Plus my friends came by. I had a wonderful time with them.

Also it has been fogy and rain, but today it was warm sunny day.

Just like this painting.

485. Mendocino Coast Oil painting by Mariko Irie