This group of paintings and mixed-media works were done this past year after I returned from a trip to Japan. I did not know what works I would create once home, but I began drawing on my small sketchpad on the airplane of the images in my head that I just experienced. I also looked at the small souvenirs I bought to give as gifts, such as small coasters in the shape of kimonos, colorful fans, and handkerchiefs. Once back in the studio, I created dreamlike compositions using some of the most pleasurable aspects of the culture: geishas wearing their kimonos, or the kimonos and fans themselves, along with buddhas, shrines, birds, and fish. I also called this series, "In the Floating World" partly because many of these elements in the paintings seem to be floating, but also because the original Floating World referred to the extravagant and stylish luxury of the Edo period (1615-1868), and I wanted to capture the array of rich sensory experiences through my own designs and flights of fancy.
“The Pond Below the Shrine”
“The Shogun's Wife Sees the Floating World”
“Princess Akane Prepares to Ford the Stream”
“Treasures of the Floating World”
“Lost in the Dream of the Floating World”
“Friends in the Floating World”
“Little Buddhas Dream of the Floating World”
“Fantasia with Birds and Fish”
“So Many Choices for the Fish”
“The Pond Below the Shrine II”
“Friends in the Floating World II”
