1118. Sun behind Fog

This location is Jug Handle State park, CA.

After sunny, hot and windy days, fog dims the light, releases the tension, and relaxes our body and mind. It’s soothing.

And it take us to wonderland, doesn’t it?

A customer who purchased my painting “545. Peace at Jug Handle Beach”, sent his photo with “I was driving from Mendocino to Fort Bragg in November 2018 and out of nowhere fog started to rush in. I pulled into the parking lot at Jug Handle, ran down the steps to the beach and captured this on my cell phone. It was not a peaceful fog—actually tumultuous—but it left peace in its wake. We think alike.”

It inspired me to paint this painting. It’s not gloomy fog. This fog atmosphere helps release our stresses and strains. Sparkles dancing on waves makes us smile sweetly.

Thank you Larry for sharing the nice moment.

1117. Love at Mendocino Headlands in Winer

Happy vast Love Day!!

“1117. Love at Mendocino Headlands in Winer” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This painting location is Mendocino Headlands CA.

I painted another oil painting of heart shape puddle at same location in 2007.

Deirdre Lamb posted her beautiful photo of the heart puddle at same location recently in her Facebook.

I’m so happy to see this heart puddle still appears in winter.

Hope to see nice smiles with vast love all over the world.

http://www.mariko-irie.com/lovemendoheadwinter.html

1103. Peaceful Gorgeous Sunset

“1103. Peaceful Gorgeous Sunset” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location is at Mendocino Headlands, CA.

Every time I see beautiful sunset, I get exited. It gives me a big smile and sparkling eyes.

I feel I can expect a marvelous day tomorrow keeping this colorful world in my mind.

What a wonderful world we are living in😊❤️

After I wrote this we watched Joe Biden’s inauguration on TV.

A virtual “Parade Across America” on inauguration afternoon, hosted by actor Tony Goldwyn. 

While watching all ethnicities in this country, including native americans, blacks, hispanics, and more, are dancing, performing, happily celebrating Joe Biden’s inauguration, my heart was warming, smile on my face with the Earth Wind & Fire and the New Radicals were singing, my body started dancing. 

I didn’t have this feeling for long time.

I’m so happy, from the bottom of my heart, to be in this country which is a leader of Democracy.

Mariko

1102. Positive Energy

Happy New year 2021!!

What a strange year 2020 was.

Luckily nothing was harmful to me and around me.

Now year 2021, it was horrible event happened at the Capitol, but it

sounds like it’s going in a good direction, I hope.

I have good news to share with you.

I’m going to have a solo show at the Northcoast Artists Gallery in May.

Date: May 5 – 31, 2021

Artist Reception: Uncertain, because how long Covid-19 will impact us.

Place: Northcoast Artists Gallery, 362 N. Main St. Fort Bragg CA 95437

I will let you know when closer to show’s opening.

I am participating in an Annual Sale through February 1 at the Northcoast Artists

Gallery.

Still under Coved-19, the gallery opens Friday through Monday, 11am-4pm.

If you are interested in a purchase, you may contact me at mariko@mariko-irie.com as well.

I discounted my original oil & watercolor painting a lot, almost half to half price. Please visit at Sale 2021 http://www.mariko-irie.com/sale2021.html, and

hope you enjoy them and find your favor paintings, I painted some of

them long time ago.

One day I did my shift at the Northcoast Artists Gallery, it was foggy

and cold all day. Not many people came in the gallery. After I closed a

gallery I felt so tired.

Along the way going back home, toward Mendocino, I was so surprised it was

sunny!! So I decided to stop by the Mendocino Headlands.

There was a gorgeous blue sky and exciting blue ocean. I stared at ocean for a

“1102. Positive Energy” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

while. I felt nice energy coming from ocean to my body. What a wonderful

feeling and time I had.

I love to have a great energy from universe so I’m trying to get closer to

nature more this year.

Let’s look forward to having a marvelous year 2021.

Mariko

1101. Wave meets Waves

Happy thanksgiving!!

This year we can’t have a big physical gatherings because of Covid-19.

So let’s release our good energy to universe.

Share our positive energy to create happy, cheerful, lovely, fabulous, positive days.

Good energy meeting other good energy expands to super good energy😊

When I was looking at this painting, I got this idea.

It made a big smile.

The location is Mendocino Headlands in Mendocino village, CA.


“1101. Wave meets Wave” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Have a positive colorful day.

1093. Margaret Trail to Ocean


“1093. Margaret Trail to Ocean” Watercolor painting by Mariko Irie

This location is in Little River CA.

It’s north on Hwy 1 from Van Damme State Park Beach, turn left on Paterson Ln, at the corner of the Inn at Cobbler’s Walk Mendocino.

In front of a small charming house there is a parking spot, from which there’s a walking path to an ocean beach. 

You may see Van Damme Beach from there.

When I was there, nobody, so felt like my private beach😊

Along this part of the trail white Margarets were blooming, toward the ocean fuchsia blossoms were blooming quietly.

Probably park rangers maintain the trail not much used, so plants are a growing a bit wildly which I enjoy.

Not a jungle, to my eyes it’s charming scene and makes me feel warm and smile, a secret garden.

After a narrow trail, the scene changes to expanded ocean view. How exiting!😊❤️

Coming back from Ocean is this view:

“415. A Trail from The Beach” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

Life is a treasure hunt, isn’t it?

1092. Sounds of Ocean

“1092. Sounds of Ocean” Watercolor painting by Mariko Irie

This painting location is at the north of MacKerricher State Park in CA.

It’s very close to the town of Fort Bragg.

When I stand on a beach facing ocean, I feel so good.

Focus on listening to sound of ocean as deep breathing, It’s Mindfulness, isn’t it?

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it’s not something we have to conjure up, we just have to learn how to access it.

And if we are barefoot on sand, then it’s Earthing.

Earthing (also known as grounding) refers to contact with the Earth’s surface electrons by walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems, some of them patented, that transfer the energy from the ground into the body. Emerging scientific research supports the concept that the Earth’s electrons induce multiple physiological changes of clinical significance, including reduced pain, better sleep, a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic tone in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and a blood-thinning effect.

I watched this video:

The Grounded

It’s very interested in and beautiful one.

Just walking barefoot on a beach and listening to ocean, we will feel so soothing.

Let’s do it.

Life is an enjoyable, isn’t it?

1084. Am I late?

My old customer e-mailed me to do a commission work.

He talked a lot in his e-mail.

There were so many options to take from his ideas.

I read his e-mail over and over again as designing painting.

He wants a commission of one of his favorite birds, Oystercatcher.

He loves my bird series.

You may find them at http://www.mariko-irie.com/paintingaday.html.

Especially he likes my painting “857. Pacific Reef-Heron”.

“857. Pacific Reef-Heron” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

I got an idea to paint three panels with Oystercatcher with abstract background.

After I painted three which are 1084. Am I late?, 1085. Oystercatcher 2 and 1086. Oystercatcher 3, I e-mailed the images.

“1084. Am I late?” oil painting by Mariko Irie
“1085. Oystercatcher 2” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

“1086. Oystercatcher 3” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

He was not quiet happy with “1084. Am I late?” original title of which was “1084. Oystercatcher 1”.

He wanted more variety.

So I painted other one “1087. Oystercatcher 1”

“1087. Oystercatcher 1” oil painting by Mariko Irie

This painting changed this trio paintings’ story. 

This bird added positive humorous attitude, don’t you think?

He loved these  “1085. Oystercatcher 2”, “1086. Oystercatcher 3” and “1087. Oystercatcher 1”

After I finished this series, I realized that I had a great fun with them.

I love “1084. Am I late?” also. It has a great movement.

1083. Cyclers in Spring

“1083. Cyclers in Spring” Oil painting by Mariko Irie

This location is Ramal Rd, Carnaros vineyard region, south of the town of Sonoma.

According to “Shelter in Place” not many cars on roads, quiet, very enjoyable ride.

Till May 1, birds sounded like celebrating less cars and cleaner air, with joyful chirping.

I heard we are in the second emotional stage of “Shelter in Place”.

The first one was when we got order of “ Shelter in Place”

We were in shock from an unusual situation with uncertain future.

People stuck inside house, a big stress to human-beings.

Violence inside homes have happened worldwide.

Right before third stage people feel better and think it’s over, but deep depression follows.

We want to avoid this, right?

Our brains have good functions, such as activating dopamine to prevent depression.

Eat food that contains tyrosine such as fish, almonds, soy beans, cheese.

Make a small goal each day. When finishing the goal, our accomplishments feel good.

Walking is a good one.

Laughing is a very good one.

Now parks are reopened, tennis court as well.

We cycled to tennis courts.

We didn’t play tennis very long, as it’s hard to get the sense of distance from racket and a ball. Can you believe it?

So we laugh a lot.

After sweating from cycling and playing tennis, we feel so good.

This I learned from Mizuto Aoto speech this morning. He entered the Department of Neuroscience at UCLA and graduated in 2012. He is a leader in the field of “NeuroEdTech”, which combines brain x education x IT.

According his speech, they found our brain has other functions from which feel pleasure by getting information from unknown world. Otherwise our civilization couldn’t have developed so far.

In neuroscience there is a principle “ Use it or Lose it”.

If you don’t use the part of brain, lose it, like muscles.

Aoto said “We can see muscles grow if you do exercise. But we can’t see inside of brain. So just believe it grows as we continue to use it.”

“Find happiness in Uncertainty.”

Have a fun.

The future is ours.

367. The Sky is the Limit

I hear you:

“Shelter in Place” is too long.”

“I love to meet people to chat.”

“Again heavy clouds over my head.”

“Oh no, it’s raining again.”

“ My energy is so low.”

“How do I get motivation?”

Don’t worry, above clouds, it’s blue sky there.

The last year October, we went to Japan for three weeks.

I expected rain to start in October. But it was hot and no rain.

When we came back, most of my plants were dry and looked dead.

In this spring they came back bigger and stronger.

I’m so happy with them.

Today they are in the rain, looking so happy with wet fresh healthy leaves.

I’m going to start seeds inside the house.

Let’s remind ourselves “the sky is the limit”.

“367. The Sky is The Limit ” Oil painting by Mariko Irie”