When we were in Napa Valley recently, the concierge at Bardessono recommended a local artist for a private in-room art workshop. Karen Lynn Ingalls was an extraordinary instructor with a very engaging teaching style. Her specialty is mixed media in vibrantly charged colors.
This delightful painter introduced acrylic painting techniques...
Hi from Ojai!
We are always looking for a mini-vacation no more than four or five hours drive from Monterey. Several weeks ago we had the wonderful experience of staying at the historic Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, a glorious oasis directly east of Ventura. The wonderful climate of the Ojai Valley draws celebrities and regular folk to rejuvenate their health in...
Inuit Art: Fusion of the Arctic and the Pacific
Inuit art has always had a profound impact on my aesthetics, almost as much as Japanese art. The humor, minimalism, and abstraction in form combine in an original way. On a recent visit to the Musée des Beaux Arts in Montreal, I had the memorable experience of viewing perhaps the best collection of Inuit art in the world.
What is not well...
“In the Moment”–Japanese Art from the Larry Ellison Collection
The current exhibit (June 28-September 22) at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco introduces sixty-four exceptional art treasures, mostly screens and paintings by acclaimed artists from the Momoyama through the Taisho periods (roughly sixteenth through early twentieth centuries). All of the artwork is from Ellison’s Japanese...
“SaltWorks” –Return to the Sea
Last Sunday, August 25, the Monterey Museum of Art was filled to capacity. See the YouTube video clips to get a feel for the community response , both here and in an older YouTube video of Charleston, North Carolina where Yamamoto teaches , if you didn’t get a chance to be there yourself! The line went out the door to see the the...
Japanese Art as Metaphor: “Return to the Sea” and “Hanga Reinvented”
Japanese contemporary art can be a wonder to behold, as evidenced by the current exhibit at the Monterey Museum of Art. These two ongoing exhibits are not to be missed. The first is a 300-pound salt installation that covers 1800 sq. ft. of the gallery floor, now roped off so that the observer doesn’t inadvertently step on the salt....