February 27, 2008

Chinese Lantern Dream Mini Painting, originally uploaded by plasticpumpkin.
Lately I’ve been playing with a Japanese Niji water pen (a portable, almost-sumi style brush, with a body which can hold water). It’s a very different animal from the Chinese brushes I’m used to, and it’s been fun to expierment.
I love Chinese lanterns. I love Japanese lanterns. Heck, I love lanterns of any size, shape, and origin.
The soft glow of an illuminated paper or silk lantern, set against a night sky is enchanting–yet so is the soft glow of a red lantern against the fresh, sunny sky. The glow is not quite as prominent, but it still whispers.
I’d have my entire house filled with lanterns, if my cats didn’t also enjoy them.
View the ACEO art card on Etsy.
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art, painting a day | Tagged: aceo, atc, chinese lanterns, chinese painting, collectible art, glowing lanterns, lantern painting |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
February 21, 2008
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art, painting a day | Tagged: albuquerque, albuquerque art, cityscape, drawing, duke city, figurative cityscaoe, lomas, new mexico cities, ren adams, sumi pen |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
February 15, 2008

Watercolor & ink on white mat board. A lonely Taoist temple sits atop a winding path of stone stairs.
This is a very small painting (only a few inches), done on recycled mat board.
What is loneliness?
View this painting in my Etsy shop.
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art, painting a day | Tagged: art for sale, artwork, etsy, mat board, painting, shrine, steps, taoist, temple, watercolor |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
February 13, 2008
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art, painting a day | Tagged: aceo, aceo card, acetsy, artist card, atc, daily painting, drawings, oahu, one painting a day, original art, original drawings, palm tree art, tropical |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
February 12, 2008

Amitayus Buddha is the Buddha of long life, good fortune and wisdom. Buddha Amitayus is the samboghakaya “enjoyment body” of Buddha Amitabha who is the “emanation body.” He radiates love and immortality wherever he goes.
He is painted using traditional Chinese brush painting techniques, on soft, white rice paper.
I did Amitayus with the traditional Taoist method of a single subject, against a crisp white background.
The thing I enjoyed doing most was his playful smile.
View Amitayus in my Etsy shop.
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art, painting a day | Tagged: amitayus, buddha, buddhism, buddhist, buddhist new mexico, long life buddha, love, meditate, meditation, original art |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
February 11, 2008

Growing up in Southern California, I had access to fascinating geologic formations caused by local earthquake fault lines. The massive, twisted structures that had been formed by the constantly moving San Andreas fault were among the most powerful I saw.
This freeform landscape was done, while thinking about a narrow, yellow earth valley near Palmdale, California–where the low hills, and higher mountains in the distance, formed a folded route, which seemed to cut right through the planet.
This painting was done with Chinese brush painting techniques and a Japanese KOI water brush, on white rice paper.
9″ x 12″
View the painting on Etsy.
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art, painting a day | Tagged: buy art, california landscapes, chinese brush painting, fault line, gray mountains, grayscale, hand painted, high desert, high desert art, hills, juniper hills, lancaster, landscape art, mountains, original art, painting a day, palmdale, ren adams, rocky, san andreas, san andreas fault |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
February 10, 2008
Sometimes we have to alter our path, to make way for obstacles–but they never have to stop us completely. Even the wild plant, potted and contained, can flourish–if it works with its environment and adapts.
This painting is done using traditional Chinese brush painting techniques, with a Koi water pen, on white rice paper.
View this little slice of Tao in my Etsy shop.
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art, painting a day | Tagged: brush painting, green, nature, one painting a day, painting a day, plants, potted plant, tao, taoism, zen |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
September 12, 2007
Painting a Day -8/29/07
The Yellow Emperor (yes, on Magenta).

The Yellow Emperor, originally uploaded by plasticpumpkin.
This is a traditional Chinese brush painting using inks and watercolor on white rice paper. The paper is slightly textured with mulberry fibers (it’s actually a Japanese Unryu paper).
The Yellow Emperor is an important figure in Chinese religion, folklore, and history. He is the legendary, immortal emperor–thought to have brought all kinds of civilized practices, skills, and arts to the people of ancient, prehistoric China. He is one of the Taoist immortal beings, a powerful deity who rules with wisdom, kindness, skill, and strength.
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Posted by plasticpumpkin
September 12, 2007
The Plumbing
9/11/07
Painting a Day project

The Plumbing #2, originally uploaded by plasticpumpkin.
This piece, called “The Plumbing” was done using watercolor pencils, water, and brushes on September 11th, ‘07. I am fascinated by machinery, especially old industrial revolution-era contraptions and abandoned, obsolete equipment. These tanks and pipes were done from scratch, from my mind. What do they do? I feel as though they’re part of a bizarre pumping or distillation system… unkempt.
Size: 11 x 15
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art, painting a day | Tagged: art blog, artist blog, gears, machinery, old factory, one painting a day, original art, painting a day, pipes, ren adams, the factory, watercolor pencil |
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Posted by plasticpumpkin