Tag Archives: monochrome diary

Flower Journal 2024

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This is a progressive post: I will post floral portraits throughout the year.
Most photos are shot in Pacific Northern Kanto Plane, Central Japan.

Harujion flowers and buds in Japanese field.
Haru jion / Erigeron philadelphicusCurrently in full bloom. Buds facing down as if already withered, but that’s where they begin; as they blossom the stems straighten and flower upward. Edible, according to Wiki. Photographed: 2024.04.21 17:38:48 Published 2024.04.24 at 14:40

A blossoming daisy in detail.
Daisy / Bellis perennis (blossoming)First spotted back in mid March, a few months earlier than usual. Photographed: 2024.04.11 14:48:35 Published 2024.04.22 at 19:21

Monochrome picture of an Iris blossom.
Iris TingitanaFull bloom as of late. Photographed: 2024.04.14 16:23:37 Edited 4.20, Published 2024.04.20 at 19:47

Laurel flowers in detail.
Gekkei Jyu / Laurel / Laurus nobilisScented/medicinal leaves and fruits. Currently in full bloom. Photographed: 2024.04.17 12:40:20 Edited & Published 2024.04.17

Wild Sakura blossoms in full bloom.
Yama Zakura / Cerasus jamasakura“Wild” variety of Sakura. “Zakura” means Sakura, Yama, “mountain”. Blooms together with leaves and flowers longer compared to more popular “Somei Yoshino” variety. Photographed in wild at sunset: 2024.04.14 17:55:35 Edited & Published 2024.04.16

Sakura blossoms in full bloom.
Sakura (Somei Yoshino)Currently full bloom in Pacific Northern Kanto. Pictured is the tree in my yard. If you are planning a cherry visit to Japan, let me recommend Tokyo. Not just well known viewing spots, but literally every street corner / neighborhood park has cherry trees blooming like they mean serious business. Collective energy – of trees and people – during the blooming season I find it to be enlivening. If timing is right, you get to see them fall, usually there is this one day when they – pink petals – fall hard, and the city becomes this ethereal theater, an unforgettable sight to behold. Photographed: 2024.04.11 15:32:54 Edited & Published 2024.04.11

Buds and leaves of a wild flower in spring, Japan.
Hotoke No Za (buds) / Lamium amplexicauleJapanese name literally means, Lotus seat of Hotoke/Buddha, named for the leaves’ likeness to the lotus leaf Buddha sits on. Full bloom as of late. Photographed: 2024.04.11 14:47:25 Edited & Published 2024.04.11

Trumpet daffodil blossoms.
Trumpet Daffodil / Rappa Suisen“Rappa” means trumpet in Japanese. Mediterranean origin. Photographed: 2024.04.08 15:55:08 Edited & published 2024.04.08.

Sakura blossom buds in detail.
Sakura / Cherry Blossoms (buds)The first blossoms spotted on 03.31 (Pacific Northern Kanto Plane). Photographed: 2024.04.02 15:25:19 Edited 2024.04.02, Published 2024.04.04.

Detail of a Camellia blossom fell on the ground.
Camellia (fell)Camellia has a distinctive method of decay: the whole flower drops, instead of petals falling one by one, resulting in the ground carpeted with rouge-fuschia flowerbeds. Photographed: 2024.04.02 14:59:55 Edited & Published 2024.04.03

Van Sion Daffodil blossom, detail.
Van Sion DaffodilPhotographed: 2024.03.31 17:19:22 Edited & Published 2024.03.31

Small spring blossom in Japanese country side.
Ko Hakobe / Stellaria mediaMedicinal. Photographed: 2024.03.22 15:58:03 Edited & Published 2024.03.29

Spring wildflowers of rural Japan.
Hisakaki / Eurya japonicaOriginally “Hime Sakaki”, corrupted into Hisakaki. “Hime”, princess, oft used in names as the “smaller version of”, e.g. smaller version of Sakaki. Scented savory/spicy. Photographed: 2024.03.25 14:46:55 Edited & Published 2024.03.28

Spring wildflowers in Japan.
Hime Odoriko Sou / Lamium purpureumLeaves are edible, high sugar content in nectar. Long side of the flower measures about a centimeter. Photographed: 2024.03.25 15:50:40 Edited & Published 2024.03.25

Pink small wild blossoms in spring time Japan.
Hime Tsuru Soba / Persicaria capitataPhotographed: 2024.03.25 16:00:52 Edited & Published 2024.03.25

Black and white portrait of a Ki Ichigo blossom.
Ki Ichigo /Momiji Ichigo /Rubus palmatusBerries are edible. The first blossoms spotted several days ago. Photographed: 2024.03.22 16:06:11 Edited & Published 2024.03.22

Black and white macro photo of Dandelion blossom.
DandelionThe first blossoms spotted on 03.14. Photographed: 2024.03.16 17:04:39 Edited & Published 2024.03.19

Spring small blossoms in Japan.
Hotoke No Za / Lamium amplexicaulePhotographed: 2024.03.14 16:22:58 Edited & Published 2024.03.14

Black and white macro photo of Narcissus blossoms in rain.
NarcissusScented. Photographed: 2024.03.12 11:43:13 Edited & Published 2024.03.12

Black and white macro photo of a hyacinth blossom in rain.
HyacinthScented. Photographed: 2024.03.12 at11:53:24 Edited & Published 2024.03.12

Black and white portrait of a camellia blossom.
Camellia.Photographed: 2024.02.10 at15:45:54 Edited & Published 2024.03.11

Black and white image of Japanese Apricot blossom.
Ume/Japanese Apricot.Scented. Photographed: 2024.02.10 at15:31:27 Edited & Published 2024.03.11

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Cocoon.

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She was a compact two wheel drive in the modest shade of silver.
Previous owner from western Japan left a cigarette burn on the driver’s seat.
Sales man at the lot remarked on my face, said I look rusted like the car’s old engine.
Purchase was made in autumn 2011, the year everything felt like one big defeat.

Thought nothing good would come from this, turned out couldn’t be further from the truth.
Soon there were nights parked on a sand dune, curled up to hear the endless loop of waves.
We’d ride up the hills, into the storm and rest under the trees, wrapped in their unquestionable resiliency.
Most importantly though, she was a shelter with changing sceneries, encased my shedding, the morphing, the reaching for Creativity.

My humble, sturdy sidekick fell silent in the late February 2020.
“Cocoon spat me out” I said, I felt like a cicada freshly out of his, with soft pale green wings that harden overnight.
100 months in my modest silver cocoon, had brought me to where I always dreamt I’d visit.
We took one long ride together, thousands sunsets enclosed us along the way.

A wave on a cloudy beach.
Windshield rain shadows on a journal.
Cloudy sky through a driver seat.
A tree in rain through a windshield.
An abstract drawing in afternoon light.
Night Ocean.
Gardenia blossoms obstructed by leaves.
Artworks in a studio.
A windshield pattern on rainy drive.
Swans against water ripples.
A gardenia bouquet in an artist studio.
A self portrait on a curved mirror.
Textile art work in studio.
A rear view mirror self portrait.
Works in progress in artist studio.
A car parked on a rural road at dusk.

This post is dedicated, an ode to my sidekick, we had parted our ways in early April.
Photos are mostly taken with iPhone, all edited using vsco B5 filter.
All artworks are from the series “Spider Lily Red” (2012 – ).
The second selfie: “one eye” is a happenstance, I am so very much a ‘commoner’.
The sales man did not receive my vendetta; figured him being him would be the punishment enough ;)

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Port view from a car window.
2017.12.31 – FAQ: What took you so long?
Ocean waves in blur.
2015.12.26 – Almost Transcendent Blue – the year in review

Creative Process, September 2018.

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Art studio with spider lilies.
Spider lily blossoms in vase.

Spider lily blossoms and a drawing.
A spider lily blossoms and artwork.

Spider lily blossoms by a Jizou statue.
Swallowtail butterfly on spider lily blossoms.

The project: Spider Lily Red.
In progress is the second of the two piece series called “Flare”.
Images are from this past September, captured moments during the precious three weeks I get to spend every autumn with my favorite lilies, my muse, taking in as much, their familier red to last me for a year.
The photos are in sleepy smoky monochrome, because I am saving up the stored red so as to pour it all into the second piece I will be painting in the coming months.

Thank you for your visit, and Happy Holidays!!

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An abstract flower drawing detail.
Pencil Drawings for Spider Lily Red 2 (2015-2018)
Art works in studio.
2019.03.07 – Creative Process, March 2019.
An artwork in progress.
2016.07.27 – Monochrome Diary, July 2016.

Monochrome Diary, June 2018.

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A leaf on sand at dawn.
Natural objects in studio.

A honeysuckle flower.
A close up of Agapanthus Lily.

A hand painted dress.
Art works in studio.

A coffee cup with found objects on waterfront.
Art studio view.

“No amount of time will erase the memory of a great dog.” – Internet Meme

Images: Late May to early June, 2018. 4th from top is of an agapanthus bud. 5 and 6 are details from Wing Dress (Velocity) and Spider Lily Red (Flare 1), respectively.

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Self reflection on a fish eye mirror.
2014.12.27 – Inspired Moments, 2014.
A dog at a sunset sea shore.
2012.05.21 – Sophia, Supernaturale.
A Walk on the Beach.
2019.12.31 – Trinity.

Monochrome Diary, June 2016

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Everything’s got a little black within it.

Flowers and a sketch book.

A discovery on Swallows: a compact aerodynamic frame was accompanied by the expression of an eagle.

Swallows on phone line.

Crazy, sexy, cool. Naming just a few, start from top: Oxalis (Imo Katabami), Spiderwort (Murasaki Tsuyukusa), Meadow Sage / Salvia Guaranitica

Oxalis flower detail.
Spiderwort flower detail.
Salvia Guaranitica flower detail.

Cast of characters, clockwise from top left: Yarrow, Cherry Sage, Can’t Recall, Salvia Guaranitica (flower only), a cuppa java, my best friend Sofi asleep in the phone, Pentax WG3 in micro-macro mode.

Flowers, a coffee cup and cameras.

Thank you, to the month of June, for all the scents, shades and shapes,
and Thank you! for your visit.

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An Ivory Sea Shell textures.
2014.07.01 – Biofluorescents.
A spider lily petal close detail.
2016.02.09 – Nature as an Inspiration – February 09, 2016
Sumire Violet blossom detail.
2019.05.14 – Creative Process, May 2019.

Grain Haiku

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Ocean with Clouds.
Fishing cormorants.
A yacht at a port.
A gardenia blossom.
Foggy sunset with crows.

All images were photographed with iPhone 4s during the hottest days of summer 2015 at sundown. Grainy textures came, mostly from the lack of light, and a slight bit from editing with vscocam.

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Related Posts:

Ripples on Sea Surface.
2021.03.30 – Spring Song Revisited.
Magnolia blossom over ocean.
2016.03.11 – (there are) things between black and white.
A Fishing Cormorant with Gardenia.
2018.11.30 – Individuation is a bitch!! – a postscript.