"Narrative" show at Coastline College this fall

O C Fair

Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji

A few years ago, we hiked back to Avalon on Catalina Island and came across a 'herd' of feral cats, eating at dusk. It reminded me of that Hiroshige print.

Art for sale at OC Fair

So I'm selling a number of paintings, prints and posters at the Fair. The least expensive is a signed, framed poster (20" x 16") of 'Raijin Tiger' for $60.



The most expensive is an original watercolor painting, 'Ravens', at $1,500.

There are about 25 works in my show; most are under $300.

Los Angeles painter and print maker Barbara Thomason has an exhibition on view at the Pacific Asia Museum.









Thomason has mirrored the 19th century Japanese master artist Utagawa Hiroshige's Oban aspect ratio, gradients, color and other design devices of classical Japanese landscape Ukiyo-e in portraits of urban Los Angeles, from the well known to the funky and obscure. Felix Chevrolet...Tommy's chili burgers...the Art Deco style 'Coca-Cola' bottling plant. It's all there, and much more.

Her media, appropriately, is cartoon cell vinyl paint, yet one wouldn't guess it to view her luminous paintings, which look more like woodblock prints or perhaps gouache (opaque watercolor) paintings.

Wonderful ideas and craftsmanship, well worth a visit to the beautiful museum. While in Pasadena, you can also catch an inspiring show of the Hiroshige landscape prints Thomason modeled her works after at the Norton Simon Museum.

So I have a painting or drawing in this show at the Long Beach Museum, I think it's in the show "A Light in the Shadow- Decades of Art by Women". I'm not sure which work is in it, the museum has purchased a couple, but will attend the reception this evening and find out.

We buzzed by the Norton Simon Museum to see a retrospective of Utagawa Hiroshige's mid-nineteenth century woodblock prints. I'd seen originals from the series '53 Views of the Tokkaido' and '100 Views of Edo' before; it was nice to see them all together.

I responded most to the last room, views of birds and flowers.

Perused the museum book store, picked up a recent (2006) volume of (mostly historic) Japanese prints focused on kites.

The museum has a lovely garden. Observed several species of dragon flies flitting over the lotus pads. Perfect place to sip an iced tea on a hot day. Or paint.

O C Fair

If you're interested in seeing my show at the fair, just look for the ice cream and frozen banana stand...it's quietly tucked into the visual arts gallery behind the concession!

Here's Doug's side, which was a little less obstructed on last observation.



The Fair (and show) were hives of activity two days ago, when I dropped off the art. The crew that runs the art gallery are the best. Enjoyed working with them. Thanks Kirk!



The first hour of the OC Fair today, opening day, is free. I've heard attendees will abandon their cars on the freeway in the traffic, just to get in on time. I wonder how that squares with the bill for their car getting towed? At least they can chill with a frozen banana, perhaps wander into the nearby art gallery to stay cool.