When I was staying in San Diego in 2008, at that time I was not living in San Diego yet. I couldn’t find my scene for painting in San Diego. Then I started to think about human’s beauty and I wondered if people forgot human is a part of nature.

Japanese woodblock, Ukiyo-e influenced to design this Girls’ series.

I’m always interested in lines.  When I was Art university student in Tokyo, figure drawings of Hokusai Katsusika fascinated me. Beautiful floating lines of Aubrey Beardsley, Alfons Maria Mucha. Ben Shahn’s lines are very unique. I love his “Cat’s cradle”. It’s only lines. Two hands with many strings.　 http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/pess5547/diary/200806160001/

I love lines of Katazome, which is Japanese stencil dye technique. They brush persimmon juice onto rice paper and steam. They repeat the process to make very strong and crispy paper for Katazome stencil. Cutting the Katazome stencil with very sharp blade creates beautiful unique and fascinating lines. My favor artists of Katazome are Keisuke Serizawa, Toshijiro (Nenjiro) Inagaki and Isa Toshihiko.

This original of “233. Woman’s Back” was only line drawing in Gouache with brush on Rough Watercolor paper. Rough surface and brush stroke create very fascinating texture to the lines. Also brush makes thick, thin, variety lines. I use the character to look like three dimensions. Who bought this work, loved the way came out. And she purchased “232.Woman sitting” as well.

There is a cooperative gallery in Fort Bragg CA, which is named the Northcoast Artists gallery. It’s a professional artists’ gallery. I’m so proud of being a member for 20 years.

When we had a show which theme was RED at the Northcoast Artists gallery in 2008.  I put red on the background of “233. Woman’s Back” in a computer to make Giclee print. This kind of Giclee Print is my new printmaking. I used to do printmaking. I did Etching, Monotype, Serigraph and woodblock. I love graphical design. All of printmaking are very interesting media.

Women who are so different shape of bodies, came to me and told me that “233. Woman’s Back”. looks like them. I love to hear that, because I think that they love the design, feel to close to the image. And a lot of women purchased prints of  “233. Woman’s Back”.

In 2010, I painted “348.Woman’s Back in Red” in Oil on 24” x 24” Gallery Wrap Canvas. It’s same design as “233. Woman’s Back”. But this time I designed to be red on background. I painted yellow first, and Magenta and Cadmium red to create slightly texture. It came out marvelous. When a painting came out very good, I don’t feel like I painted the painting, just it’s done. It’s a big painting. The person purchased this painting for his wife’s birthday. They are a beautiful couple.

My Girls’ series is at my website www.mariko-irie.com under Figure.

I love to watch the ocean. Waves come and go, and the more I stare into them, the faster time flies away.

I heard that when a wave comes, at that time a baby is born and when wave goes, at that time a person dies. I don’t know if it’s true or not. But it makes sense to me visually. And when baby is born, at fist baby breathes out and when a person dies, probably he/she breathes in.

Some people goes to ocean to pray for the year at Sunrise on New Year’s day in the East side of Japan. Watching the sun comes out from the ocean, it’s very special and splendid feeling.

Before I painted these paintings, I watched waves for hours as sketching, because when I sketch, I remember a scene better. Also as sketching, I design my painting, and I want to paint everything as deeply as I can, including all atmosphere which I felt there.

161. Ocean - watercolor, 11" x 30"

I painted “161. Ocean” in watercolor in 2003. It’s more difficult than in oil, because I can’t just add more paint to cover up mistakes. So, I planned carefully and painted, wet into wet, and sprayed water on the painting to create fascinating texture.

306. Ocean 2 - 36" x 12"oil on wrapped canvas

Oil is different. It’s very forgiving. So when I painted “306. Ocean II”, I painted more freely, and painted till done. After I painted, I felt so good. The result was the oil painting had a more spontaneous and realistic appearance than watercolor one.  Their quality and nature are different.  I love both of them. Watercolor is much finer pigment than oil paint. So, it’s too bad that it looks faded on the screen and fine details don’t show up as clearly. Whenever I run into the man who bought “161. Ocean” in watercolor, he mentions that he enjoys the painting every day.

I took me a log time to decide to start a blog, partly because of my English. I came to this country (U.S.A) from Japan in 1982, and my English is still not “English.” My friends called my English MarEnglish. Or some nice people say,  “Your English is like poetry.” Probably Japanese Language is like poetry.

Anyways, I really want to communicate with you.  So I’m going to start… “All for the simple purpose of sharing” ~Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales.

I’d like to announce that my painting “ Highwater” is juried in “Outstanding Visual Artists” of the region, and my other painting “Lonesome boat at the Tuna Harbor” is juried in First Paint Out Juried Competition.

Both of the shows are at the San Diego Art Institute/ Museum of Living Artist at the Balboa Park.
Shows run from December 10, 2010 to January 16, 2011

320. Highwater - 30" x 40" oil on wrapped canvas

I love the painting “Highwater” very much. I collaborated with my son, Ray on this painting. Ray photographed an old barn after a flood, with his cell phone, and e-mailed it to me. The photo inspired me to paint this painting. It’s very simple and good composition… I’m always amazed by his composition. It’s at Sunset in winter in Northern California. It’s soothing and some kind of feeling touches my heart. Some artist said at the opening party, “This painting needed to be this big.” I was so happy to hear that. This painting is oil on 30” x 40” wrapped canvas.