Girls on Tokyo Subway.

IN LOVE WITH TOKYO .
What an amazing place is this town!
Full of energy, plenty of interesting people, temples, shrines, gardens…I could totally spend more time over without getting bored :)

We have been riding the subway around town a lot yesterday, moving from south to north, then east then back south.
Another quick sketch of people on the subway,  when people are not sleeping they are most likely to text or play with their phone.
Just like back home :) Everywhere is the same :)

Happy Saturday everyone!

Ryonanji Temple, Kyoto. The Rock Garden.

There more than 1600 temples in Kyoto, and all include wonderful gardens. All beautiful and a little bit similar to each otter, with bridges, ponds, trees and a lot of flowers.

Only one was different, we went to see this it yesterday:  the Ryoanji Temple.

The Rock Garden

watercolor and pen ink sketch

The temple was rebuilt in 1499 after being destroyed by a fire and was used as a Zen training temple.

Around 1500 a monk created this Rock Garden, 25 meter for 10 meter. Only 15 rocks and white gravel are in the garden.

To tell the truth….I was a bit disappointed with this garden..i was expecting something larger…but in its own "zen way" it s pretty special.

It was really hot yesterday, over 30 C.

Had the best green tee ice cream ever after visiting Ryoanji temple:)

Back in Tokyo today for 3 more nights, starting to miss home and little Mona!!

 Had an awesome pizza tonight, Italian night in Tokyo :)

People on the subway…. Tokyo

This is a quick sketch I did while on the subway in Tokyo last Sunday.

When talking about the subway and trains in Tokyo, it is often to describe the crowd and people pressed into the cars at peak hours. But outside of these hours of crowds, the subway ride is often a moment of respite and rest in the tiring days of Tokyoites. Japan is a very safe country with very little crime, so you can easily fall asleep peacefully in the subway without being worried about the others.

Planning to do few more sketch on this subject!

Hubby and I spent the day exploring temples and climbing hills around Kyoto today, off again to Tokyo tomorrow for 3 more nights before going back to SF on Monday.

Lovely Kyoto, staying in a traditional Ryokan.

This time in Kyoto we are staying in a "ryokan". Which is a type of traditional Japanese Inn originated in the Edo period (1603-1868). They featured tatami-matted rooms, communal baths and other shared areas.

Our living/ sleeping area:

 Shared garden

And in the evening they move the table…and the tatami appears!

Wearing our YUKATA, which is a casual summer kimono :)

Back to Kyoto today :)

Leaving Tokyo today and off to Kyoto for a couple of days.
This time we ll enjoy properly this beautiful city. No more MBA classes for hubby !!! :)

Kyoto

sketch with pen 

Exploring Tokyo with Marilyn

Marilyn 

sketch with pencil

One of the nice part of this trip was also making new friendship :)

I spent yesterday going around Tokyo with Marilyn, sightseeing and talking.

 A LOT of chatting  and not as much sightseeing maybe :) But it was a fun relaxing day .

Sketching : Tokyo Station

Fot this first part of our stay in Tokyo we are staying in a hotel just ned to the main train station, here is the view from our window. 

A bit grey a now! But that it is how it was yesterday…and today too!

Photo!

Wasn't feeling particularly active yesterday so….after drawing the train tracks I left the hotel, sat down outside and draw the entrance of the station :)

Met up for lunch for lunch with hubby and then we off to Yokohama to see some friends that used to live in California and recently moved back to Japan.

Here we are!

Going to see some art exhibition today, more blogging tomorrow!

happy Monday!

Travel Sketch, Kobe and Kyoto.

This sketches are from Thursday, from Osaka I took an early train to Kobe. Too early maybe….:) 

It was cold, cloud so after  a coffee and a quick sketch of the harbor I jumped once again on the train , this time for Kyoto.

I LOVED KYOTO, my favorite city over here till now.

Very picturesque with the old streets, the canals, temples and gardens.

This is a sketch done at the Shosei-en garden.

Picture of me on the spot :)

In the afternoon I went for a coffee in a cute little place nearby, quick sketch of the typical roof and gate of the house in front.

Loving this trip! Beautiful country, SUPER polite and kind people and amazing food of course :)
Every now then I feel like I am inside one of those Japanese cartoon i grew up watching…. funny feeling!!

Sketches from Osaka ! おやすみ

8 pm in the evening here in Osaka, 4 am California time (…no wonder why I am struggling to keep my eyes open.)
We got here last night around 1am  after a smooth travel of just about 16 hours, not too bad.
And  just to make the whole jet lag situation easier we had an early wake up today --- LOVE LOVE LOVE Wharton study trip! :)

While hubby was busy doing school stuff I busied myself seeing as much as possible of Osaka.

  Osaka castle

sketch with watercolor and pen

 I was sitting on a bench busy drawing the castle and two old men were sitting next to me feeding birds, and talking, talking, talking.
In the end they stood up and came to check on me.
 They liked the sketch. In the middle of a LOOOONG sentence in Japanese one of two men squeezed a beautiful . Hopefully it was referred to the drawing ! :)

Here the two men from the back:

sketch with ink pen and watercolor

This is a sketch of a Japanese garden that was next to the castle.

pen and watercolor

Went to a lot of different places and took a lot of pictures today, will  do more sketches from them soon, time to go to sleep now.

おやすみ !!!!

Leo is here :)

Do you all remember this post from the 7th of March?

http://lauradallagata.blogspot.com/2014/03/waiting-for-leo.html

There is something funny to add….I started this drawing thinking that Leo would make his appearance the day after, on Women's day :) as for his parents' plan.

In the middle of the drawing I got a text from Sabrina telling me that he was out already!!

What a beautiful surprise :)

This is a gift to this little tiny tiny man, he is soooo very cute!!! Got the best out of mom and dad . 

 

    

9x12 inches

oil on canvas board

Leo is here.

Leaving for Japan tomorrow morning : Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto are our stops.

 DO NOT WORRY  I will post sketches!!! 

Have  a good evening everyone! 

Kisses from Ocean Beach, another day of summer here :)

Two more sketches from the beach!

Two more sketches from the beach, not as hot as the past few days but still nice and warm. 

This is first one is done with brush and ink

 This second one is done with pencil:

This is girl was looking for not broken shells…very cute!

I liked her dress especially…

Happy Sunday from Ocean Beach!

Red shoes and jeans.

24x12 inches
oil on gallery canvas
Red shoes and jeans.

Taking this painting to school today, last day of class and last still life homework.

HAPPY ME.

Here you can see pictures of the work in progress:
http://lauradallagata.blogspot.com/2014/05/skateboard-red-shoes-and-jeansalmost.html

Happy Friday everyone!

ciao ciao

FREE TO PAINT WHAT EVER I LIKE NOW:) let s the summer begin!

Yellow and Sunflowers

9x12 inches

oil on canvas board

quick study

Yellow and Sunflowers

This is my quick study from yesterday afternoon,  I love the colors, the brush strokes, the composition …I am actually VERY pleased with the result :)

I might do a larger painting based on this study later in the summer.

I mixed too much color for this painting, still plenty to yellow and ochre on my palette!! I might have to paint some more sunflowers today or tomorrow!

 Another very beautiful sunny summery day over here in Ocean Beach….

ENJOY !!!!

Ferrari driving test

9x12 inches

oil on canvas board

quick study

Ferrari driving test

Today I called finished my long still life project for the Academy ( will post it here soon) and as reward to myself I got to paint WHATEVER things I like. 

Here a pictures of the work in progress:

Looking forward to the summer break to do some free painting !

Last week of school this one :)

Feeling very excited  for the holidays ahead :) Feeling  15 years old again!!!

On a legs suntanning mission, sketch

sketch with pen and colored pencil

I couldn't take a picture go this lady! The whole pose was just shouting me: PLEASE SKETCH ME ;)

Here is a picture of the lady:

We are enjoying some wonderful weather once again here by the ocean, planning to walk up and down the beach with my camera in the afternoon :)

Have a nice day everyone!!

Sketch, today is summer and I am not going to the office

sketch with black/red ink and pen

 Today is summer and I do not go into the office

As you guys know we had a week with a couple of VERY hot days over here in San Francisco,  and Ocean Beach turned into an Italian Riviera kind of beach .

Mona and I had a long long walk and I took tons of pictures of people I found interesting in a summery way. I am going through those pictures now and translating them into drawings. This is the first one of my series of people out on Ocean Beach when out there is summer.
I liked this lady pose immediately, especially how she was keeping her legs.

Loads of people  on the beach, doing every kind of summer beach activity .

It was awesome :)

During one of those two days ( 30 April) I took out my summer gear and for a couple of hours, maybe even three! it was like a dream come true :)

Seeing a lot of people into the water I tried to go in myself, it was SUPER COLD! I was out of it in less than a second.

But on the beach it was hot indeed, check out the HOT DOG

La mela di Dante ( Dante's apple)

11x14 inches

oil on canvas

La mela di Dante.

For school we were supposed to paint some cloth with pattern…here is my work ;)

Dante is having break and eating an apple while starting the final chapter of La Divina Commedia ( The Divine Comedy) .

Off to the beach now for a nice walk with hubby and doggie :)

Happy Sunday everyone! and happy mother's day! 

AGURI MAMMA!! 

TI VOGLIO TANTO TANTISSIMO BENE!

Romance in the air, part two

The story continues….the two sweet guys holding hands also kissed :) woooow:)
And I was following behind, shooting pictures :)
I love especially his expression…
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151966653851580&set=a.10151966653661580.1073741846.529606579&type=3&theater

Some people around were looking at me like with a WTF she is doing kind of face… but who cares!
I knew they would make an awesome drawing so I kept taking pictures .

sketch with pencil on paper

 And here is the drawing the tracing paper with color on top:

 Working on some others pictures taken on  the that hot day…. I totally love taking pictures of strangers and adding them to my works.

 We are getting  two other summer day this week, happy me! The camera is already ready .
 Be aware of one pazza papparazza walking around ocean beach ;)