May 3, 2008
Paintings Purchased by Art Collector in Phoenix, Arizona:
“Swimming in Love” - was inspired by an illustration by Kitagawa Utamaro (ca. 1753 - 1806). I wanted to see if I could expand on what I saw in his work by creating a yin yang with color in the man and woman. I also wanted to integrate the ocean. In addition to the koi fish a stylized seaweed is in the man’s kimono. In the woman’s dress I first thought I would do coral and then changed it to a rooted tree.
In “Koi Grouping” I wanted to explore different angles and different colors of koi. In the interior the fish swim in a moss green. The exterior is a texture window into their environment.
