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A few sketchbook faves from Japan

Japan is full of artful touches and design inspiration in every nook and cranny. It was fun to get lost and wander, and observe all the little details everywhere. I especially loved the intricate woodwork in the temples and all the colorful shrines. From cutting edge architecture, gorgeous interior design, and amazing textiles to artful food—I was just soaking it all up! Even the manhole covers were fancy! I carried my sketchbook everywhere to capture all my favorite things.

Below: acrylic marker sketch of Enoshima, pen and colored pencil sketches of a takoyaki shop in Osaka, a Kyoto temple, and a dumpling mannequin in Yokohama’s Chinatown.

Japan inspired paintings

I’m back in the studio now full of fresh inspiration, and painting more than I can keep up with sharing online. (The story of the last several years, really). Below is a small glimpse of some of my Japan inspired pieces. Can’t wait to share the full collection with you!

Wishing you all colorful days and lots of coziness as we head into the holiday season!

Live painting at Lululemon this weekend was so much fun! A BIG thank you to everyone at Lululemon for this wonderful opportunity to do such a cool art collaboration!

And a warm thank you to all those who stopped by, as well as those who couldn’t make it in person, but are always super supportive of my art journey! Especially @tyson.midnight, who worked so hard picking up all the slack when I got super busy with all the art shows this year! 😘

This was my first time doing a live painting session, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect—but it was a blast and I even managed to complete 4 paintings from scratch!

I wasn’t sure how distracting it would be to paint in public...but I didn’t find it hard to concentrate at all. It was just like being in a shared studio space, or sketching at a crowded museum—even though people come up and talk to you, the art takes over and you get into the flow and do your thing.

In a few ways, I actually found it to be less distracting than it can get sometimes in my home studio when one of my kids needs something urgently and I’m trying to manipulate fluid inks and high-flow acrylics that I know just aren’t going to be in the same state by the time I get back!

For those of you in San Francisco, or visiting soon, I still have a bunch of pieces up at Lululemon (on Fillmore Street) until November 10th, so pop in and check it out if you are in the area!

“Just like being in a shared studio space, or sketching at a crowded museum—even though people come up and talk to you, the art takes over and you get into the flow and do your thing.”

— Gayle Midnight

Inspired by Japan

Happy October friends! Hope you’ve all been having a wonderful fall season! I’ve been busy working on a bunch of new work inspired by recent travels to Japan!

A few sketchbook faves from Japan

Japan inspired paintings

My Art is up at Lululemon! Oh, and Live Painting is Awesome!