Fine art, feasting and footpaths in France

Paul and Annette at the ‎⁨Pont Saint-Michel on the Seine⁩ in Paris⁩, May 2025

I’m writing this on the last leg of a trip back home after a rich and wonderful three weeks in France with my husband Paul. Once I get back, I’ll start prepping for North Coast Open Studios this coming weekend, joining twenty other local and international artists at Creekside Arts in Freshwater (details below). But before I get swept up into Open Studios, I want to share some highlights of this inspiring art-filled trip.

Annette on the hike to the hill town of Gordes in the Luberon region of France. Part of the trail follows a dry stone wall built in 1725 to keep plague-ridden people away from the pope.

We did a self-guided walking tour through the Luberon region of Southern France, hiking nine to twelve miles a day through farms, forests and centuries-old hill towns. Instead of having to carry heavy packs and sleep in a tent, our bags were sent ahead to our next inn—a system we loved!

While the wilderness sections were beautiful, some of my favorite stretches of the hikes took us past stone farmhouses, olive and cherry orchards, lavender fields and red poppies.

white hill town
the herder shakes down cherries
for his goats

Least favorite part: huffing the equivalent of 89 flights up a mountainside trail—made of loose rock—on a hot day—only to reach a modest, non-native cedar forest, full of people who had simply driven there. Pretty underwhelming for those of us who live near Redwood National Park!

After the walking tour, we spent five days in the Provençal town of Arles, which we’ve visited many times. There we met an eclectic array of artists during Arles’ first-ever weekend of “Ateliers Ouverts,” or open studios. And we followed in the footsteps of Van Gogh, who lived and painted there.

The Roman amphitheater in Arles at sunset.

Our home base was a lovely Airbnb apartment just steps from the ancient Roman arena, where we happened on a reenactment of gladiatorial combat, and the Roman theater, where groups of children performed hiphop dances. We enjoyed memorable meals outdoors under grape vines or in sidewalk cafes. We stocked up on rotisserie chicken, goat cheese, olives, crusty bread and strawberries at Arles’ vast Saturday market.

sandal tan
the summer
at peak tomato

But the best part of our time there was just rambling through the narrow cobblestoned streets with their faded pastel shutters and occasional wafts of jasmine.

A panel of Les Nymphéas, a cycle of eight paintings by Claude Monet at the Musée de l’Orangerie.

We also spent some interesting days in Paris, exploring new and familiar neighborhoods and having dinner with old friends. Seeing Monet’s water lily paintings at the Musée de l’Orangerie was a highlight—they are truly massive. I was impressed to learn that once Monet had a vision of these paintings, he built a special studio to create them. Now that’s commitment to an artistic vision!

At the Musée d’Orsay, we hung out with iconic works by Cezanne, Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Van Gogh, all housed in a stunning former Beaux-Arts train station.

So weird. Despite all that walking, I came home with a couple extra pounds!

Though we were unsure how Americans would be treated at this time, most of the French people we met were friendly and understood that not all Americans—especially those who travel to Europe and speak decent French—are aligned with the current administration. In some ways it seems frivolous to take a European vacation these days, but as the street art in Arles said, “la joie est un acte de résistance.”

And now I’m looking forward to settling back into our spacious, comfortable home in the redwoods. My aim is to recover from jet lag in time to be coherent for Open Studios this weekend. Hope to see some friendly faces there!

morning rain
blurring the redwoods
his three-note yawn

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Makino Studios News

Midway through the day’s hike, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the hill town of Lacoste.

North Coast Open Studios: On this 25th anniversary of North Coast Open Studios, I’m joining twenty local and international artists at Creekside Arts in Freshwater, CA. It’s a free, public event happening this Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15, from 10 to 5 at 465 Howard Heights Road. (About two miles up Freshwater Road, turn right on Howard Heights Road.) Look for the Makino Studios popup tent, where I will share my art and process.

On Saturday from 2-6 p.m. the venue will also host their annual Creekside in Bloom event, with snacks, wine and live music by James Zeller and Katie Belknap of Ponies of Harmony and Blasé Bonpane and Stellar Jays (Soul to Swing).

Books and cards restocked: I was down to two copies of my award-winning book of art and haiku, Water and Stone, but just received a shipment of 100 more—these make nice gifts! And I’ve also just gotten a big printing of my cards, which you can browse here.

Summer break: I’ll be on a creative retreat at the Klamath River July 12-19 and won’t be able to ship orders until my return. Sorry for the delay!

Free shipping: You can get free shipping on Makino Studios orders of $35 or more with code FREESHIP35, entered at checkout.

Thanks: I always appreciate your feedback, whether by email, in person or as an online comment.

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Publication credits: “white hill town” - Presence; “sandal tan” - Acorn; “morning rain” - Hauling the Tide: Haiku Society of America Members’ Anthology 2024.

A haikupalooza for Haiku Poetry Day

Today, April 17, is International Haiku Poetry Day, which falls in the middle of National Poetry Month. As it happens, I have four upcoming public events focused on poetry and art: a haiku festival, an art opening, a poetry reading and an open studios weekend. All very exciting—see below for dates and deets!

Every day last month, the Mann Library Daily Haiku site at Cornell University featured one of my haiku, selected by editor Tom Clausen. To celebrate Haiku Poetry Day, here are a dozen of my favorites. You can read all 31 poems here along with publication credits.

“maybe we too” is an 11x14 mixed media collage made with paper, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil and glue on cradled birch panel. © Annette Makino 2024

for better or for worse
our lights and darks
tumbling together

home from errands—
a hero’s welcome
from the dog

our easy silence
every puddle
sky-deep

fog-shrouded coast
we listen
to the view

art studio
a full day’s work
under my nails

hunger moon
a descendent of wolves
licks our plates

lights out—
we discuss
our extinction

maybe I too
have softened with age
moss-covered stones

long before language the S of the river

cowlick
some part of me
still wild

what remains
of the mountain
sand between my toes

redwood time
the steady journey
from earth to sky

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Makino Studios News

ukiaHaiku Festival: The 23rd annual ukiaHaiku Festival takes place on Sunday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. at the Grace Hudson Museum’s Wild Gardens in Ukiah, CA. I’m honored to be the keynote speaker this year, a cool twist for a Ukiah High grad! The organizers write, “Join us to celebrate Ukiah’s palindrome with readings of past haiku contest winners from various local luminaries followed by an all-ages open mic for those who wish to read a haiku of their choosing.” It’s free and open to the public. I’ll have a Makino Studios table with some books, calendars, prints and cards.

A dozen artists ages 36 to 92 will show their work at “Ten Thousand Gates - A Humboldt Celebration of Asian Artists.”

Ten Thousand Gates - A Humboldt Celebration of Asian Artists: This art show at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA will feature a dozen local artists of Asian descent. The show opens during Arts Alive on Saturday, May 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibition runs April 26 to June 8. The art ranges from traditional landscapes to contemporary street art. Techniques include Chinese brush painting, ceramics, photography, spray paint, junk art, airbrush, collage and digital art. The artists are Karla Kaizoji Austin, Cate Be, Jeremy Hara, Ted Hsu, the late Suk Choo Kim, Ali Lee, Thao Le Khac, Amy Leon, Annette Makino, Yoshiko Skelton, Amy Uyeki and Libby Yee.

Six poets will share their work at “Ink to Paper - A Reading by Asian American Poets of Humboldt.”

Ink to Paper - A Reading by Asian American Poets of Humboldt: This is the first public reading by poets from our local Asian American community. The event will take place at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA on Sunday, May 4 at 2 p.m. Poets include Tony Wallin-Sato, Mark Shikuma, Daryl Ngee Chinn, Annette Makino, Libby Yee and Amy Uyeki reading poems by her grandmother, Shizue Harada. Three of us will show slides of our art with the poems.  

Asian and Pacific American Month: The art show and reading are among several Humboldt County events in May held in conjunction with Asian and Pacific American month. See the Humboldt Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI) site for details. Events also include a chorale opera about the Eureka Chinatown expulsion and a Chinatown street festival. 

Open Studios: After several years off, I will be able to share my art and process during the 25th anniversary of North Coast Open Studios. I’ll be joining half a dozen international artists-in-residence plus local artists at Creekside Arts in Freshwater, CA on the second weekend, June 14-15.  

Mother’s Day and graduation: Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 11. Cal Poly Humboldt commencement is Saturday, May 17, and local high schools hold graduation in mid-June. See my card collection for these occasions and others.

Travel plans: I will be on vacation May 20 to June 8, and Makino Studios orders will go out slowly while I’m gone. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Free shipping: I offer free US shipping on orders of $35 or more. Just enter promo code FREESHIP35 at checkout.  

In memory of my mother

“the shape of a life” is 11x14, made of acrylic paint, paper and glue on cradled wood. The original has sold but the image is available as a greeting card and is also part of the Makino Studios 2025 calendar.

My beloved mother, Erika Makino, passed away a month ago at age 96. I was by her bedside, holding her hand, and my two sisters had been with her in recent days and hours.

From growing up in Switzerland during World War II to traveling the world, teaching special education, writing stories and making art, my mom led a fascinating life, as described in her obituary. Also see “An Adventurous Spirit,” a much longer version of her life story with more photos.

I’m learning that no matter how old you are and no matter how inevitable it seemed, it is still really hard to lose your mom. Who else could love you like your own mother? It was not always easy to grow up as the child of a free spirit: money was tight, and somehow we were always moving. By age 16 I had lived in three countries, eleven cities and 20 homes, including two stints in campgrounds. But through it all, I never doubted my mom’s unconditional love for me. What a huge loss. What a huge gift.

Over the past month of mourning, I’ve found comfort in knowing that my mother led a long and full life, getting to do most everything she wanted even into her 90s. And she had the kind of death we all wish for: at home in bed, with loved ones near, in no pain, at peace. I’m also grateful for the ability to grieve, laugh and reminisce with my sisters.

Annette Makino, left, with mother Erika Makino in Santa Barbara in 2013.

Since then my mother has visited me several times in my sleep, a loving and comforting presence. Even in scenarios that involved corpses and coffins, the dream character of my mom conveyed that these were merely the outward trappings of death, while her spirit lives beyond. Other dreams have echoed our close bond: in one I asked her if she needed anything, and she replied simply, “hug.” In another I was washing her dear face with a washcloth, very tenderly, just as I did while caregiving for her in recent years.

My mother not only gave me unconditional love, she modeled how to live an authentic life. As one of my sympathy cards reads, “those we have loved are always with us.” I am truly blessed to be my mother's daughter and to carry her in my heart.

the shape of a life
one sparkling wave
returns to the sea

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Makino Studios News

Debut in Rattle poetry journal: This month I am honored to have my first appearance in the print version of Rattle, a general poetry journal with a 0.2% acceptance rate, one of the toughest poetry journals to get into. My haibun (prose with haiku), “Migration,” connects the monarch butterfly stopover near one of my childhood homes to my father’s absence.

Anniversary sale: To celebrate Makino Studio’s 14th anniversary on March 18, and in thanks for your years of support, I’m offering 14% off everything in the shop through Tuesday, March 18 at midnight. Enter code 14YEARS at checkout.

Featured poet at Mann Library site: I’m pleased to have a haiku featured every day in March on the Mann Library Daily Haiku site at Cornell University, curated by Tom Clausen. You can follow along on the site daily and find work by many other terrific haiku poets in the archives.

Red Moon Anthology: A haiku sequence I wrote last year about caregiving for my mother, “Shorter Days,” is included in Telling the Bees: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku 2024. I’m delighted to be included in this annual collection of the finest haiku published around the world.

Ten Thousand Gates: A Humboldt Celebration of Asian Artists: The Humboldt Arts Council will host a show by a dozen Humboldt County artists of Asian descent, including myself, at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA, opening from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 during Arts Alive.

Ink to Paper: I’m organizing an accompanying poetry reading and slide show of haiga (art with haiku) by Humboldt-area Asian-American poets at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 4 at the Morris Graves. There are several other interesting Asian heritage events in Eureka in the works for that weekend; stay tuned . . .

To kneel and kiss the (soggy) ground

“this small corner” is an 8x10 mixed media collage made with paper, acrylic paint, colored pencil, ink and glue on cradled wood panel. It is part of the 2025 Makino Studios calendar of art and haiku. © Annette Makino 2024

I’m normally a pretty upbeat person, but I’ve been feeling heavy and down of late. The election results have left me grieving for the alternate future I’d hoped for and dreading the changes under the incoming regime.

election night
slowly unclasping
my pearls

Meanwhile, the bomb cyclone and atmospheric river here on the Northern California coast have kept us mostly housebound for the past week, with brave forays to jump-start the generator or take brief walks between storms.

cold winter rain
the swollen creek also
rushing home

Combined with ceaseless rain, the short, dark days of late November are not helping one bit. Who decided it was okay for the sun to set before 5 p.m.?! The daily loss of light only deepens my melancholy.

mourning dove
the ancient sorrow
in my bones

To combat this gloom, I’m making a conscious effort to focus on everything that’s still good in my part of the world. And what better time to cultivate an attitude of gratitude than Thanksgiving?

this small corner
of the universe . . .
twitching whiskers

It really helps to list all my blessings. For one, though my hair is grayer now, in many ways I feel healthier and fitter than I was fifteen or twenty years ago when I was working full-time and raising two children. Back then it was a challenge just to get dinner on the table, let alone work out and walk in nature every day. Now I take pleasure in my improving strength and balance in tricky yoga poses. And I appreciate that my legs willingly carry me for miles.

Annette Makino and husband Paul W. Blank on the Oregon Coast, October 2024.

I’m also thankful for Paul, my beloved mate of 33 years, a brilliant, funny and kind partner through weather fair or foul.

shore pines
bearded with moss
his laugh lines

We are very fortunate to have warm and easy relationships with our two adult kids. They are interesting and delightful young people who actually seem to enjoy spending time with their ancient parents (within reason). I’m also blessed with a close-knit extended family (hurray for tension-free holidays), a comfortable home and a vibrant community in a beautiful part of the world.

And I’m especially grateful for the gift of meaningful work. In the past I’ve held positions where I felt valued but not essential, meaning someone else could step in and do the same job. And the work, though worthwhile, wasn’t my personal passion. But as Chief Cook and Brush Washer at Makino Studios, I now create art and poetry that no one else could make because it is an authentic expression of my being, borne of my unique life experience.

It means even more that my art resonates for others, providing a bit of beauty and insight in a world that sorely needs both. With zero paid advertising, I sell more than 15,000 cards a year. Though that is barely a rounding error for Hallmark, I see each card as a little spark between two people, helping them express their caring for each other. My calendars, prints and books, often given as gifts, play a similar role. I’m honored to be a vehicle for those connections.

My poems also seem to speak to people: a recently published haiku sequence about losing our dog Misha, called “At the Exit,” garnered heartfelt responses from readers who took the time to email, comment on social media or tell me in person how much it meant to them.

So this season, I give special thanks to you, my supporters, for giving me a sense of purpose, for the gift of right livelihood. As the Sufi poet Rumi said, “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Makino Studios News

Calendars, books and notecard sets are among the Makino Studios items offered at 15% off through this Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 with code THANKS2024.

Thanksgiving sale: Cards, notecard sets, calendars, books and prints are all 15% off in the shop through this Sunday at midnight. Enter discount code THANKS2024 at checkout. Good on orders of $20 or more while supplies last.

2025 calendars: For the 12th year running, my mini-calendars of haiku and art are still just $12 each (or $10.20 if you catch the Thanksgiving sale). These beautiful little calendars make great gifts for friends and family!

Notecard sets: Browse several designs of holiday and everyday notecard sets. These come eight to a box with eight kraft envelopes.

Greeting cards: You can find 70 single cards in the card section of the Makino Studios site, including some holiday designs. Note that some designs are almost sold out at the moment.

Holiday shipping deadlines: For arrival on or before December 25, please place your order no later than December 17. The mail has been slow these days, so even sooner is safer.

Made in Humboldt Fair: For Humboldt County folks, this event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA is running now through Dec. 24. There you can find my book (Water and Stone: Ten Years of Art and Haiku), signed and matted prints, 2025 calendars and notecard sets.

Arcata Holiday Craft Market: This fair takes place Dec. 14-15 at the Arcata Community Center in Arcata, CA. This is my only in-person event this season. Look for the Makino Studios booth on the lefthand side of the main hall.

“It’s complicated”: A year ago I wrote this post about the uneasy history of Thanksgiving, which is relevant again.

Thanks: I always appreciate your feedback, whether by email, in person or on social media.

Credits: Haiku in this post were first published in tinywords, The Heron’s Nest and Wales Haiku Journal.

Taylor Swift and the Trope of the Tortured Poet

“dawn’s early light” is 8x10, made from Japanese washi papers, metallic gold paper, book pages, paint and glue on cradled wood panel. It is the February art for my 2024 calendar. A card version reads, “you light up the room.” © Annette Makino 2023

I must admit I ignored Taylor Swift for years, thinking a pop star with such mainstream popularity, a pretty blonde beloved by teenage girls, would not be my cup of tea. But with the 2020 release of her folk-pop album Folklore, I took another listen—and became a fan. I belatedly discovered she is a gifted songwriter who writes original and interesting lyrics.

As you’ve probably heard, Swift has announced a new album called The Tortured Poets Department, to be released April 19. So does Swift consider herself a tortured poet? As evidence, there is a hand-written poem she recently posted to Instagram that includes lines like “my muses, acquired like bruises” and “my veins of pitch black ink.” Another subtle clue: it’s signed “The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department.”

And yes, her lyrics often convey suffering. In “All Too Well” she sings, “you call me up again/Just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest.” And on “Cardigan” she sings, “You drew stars around my scars/But now I’m bleeding.”

But the pain she describes is just one element of her persona; other songs talk about falling in love or tell colorful stories about fictional characters. I suspect Swift’s use of the “tortured poets” label is at least partly tongue-in-cheek, offered with her trademark combination of confession and self-deprecating humor. I guess we Swifties will just have to wait until April 19 for further clarity on this burning issue!

Meanwhile, the album title raises the question: do poets need to be tortured to write good poetry? The poster child for this stereotype is Sylvia Plath, a brilliant poet of pain and despair who took her own life at age 30. For awhile I found that my darker haiku had higher acceptance rates than my neutral or upbeat poems—proof that such poems are inherently stronger or more compelling? (See my anonymous 2013 letter on this question to the Haiku Maven advice column.) But of course, one can write about hard times from a place of acceptance rather than agony.

Despite the trope of the tortured poet—a corollary to the trope of the starving artist—there are plenty of life-affirming poets. Consider Mary Oliver’s lines, “When it’s over, I want to say: all my life/I was a bride married to amazement.” Maybe it comes from spending a lot of time in nature and learning to notice small details, but haiku poets in particular really seem to appreciate life’s gifts.

“scattered feathers” is 5x7, made of watercolor paper, an airmail envelope, washi paper, a vintage Janaese stamp, feathers, paint, thread, ink and glue on paper. © Annette Makino 2021

Tortured or not, I think the most effective poems come from being present and attuned to the world around you. You don’t necessarily have to suffer to write good poetry, but you do need access to depths of feeling and the gift of observation. This helps you write poetry that is accessible, involving some experience readers can relate to even if they have never gone through that exact event. An example:

dawn’s early light
the neighbor’s peacock
tunes up

Poetry—and I include Taylor Swift’s lyrics in that category—helps us make sense of this shifting world, the major triumphs and tortures along with the small moments that, strung together, make up our lives.

scattered feathers
the weight
of being human

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Makino Studios News

Red Moon Anthology: I am thrilled to have the following poem in Upside Down, the 2023 anthology from Red Moon Press of the best English-language haiku of the year. Editors nominated more than 3000 poems for the latest edition, and I’m honored that mine was one of the 146 haiku that made the cut. My thanks to the anthology editors.

alone at the beach
someone else’s dog
brings me a stick

Mother’s Day and graduation: I’ve stocked up on these cards for Mother’s Day (May 12) and graduation (Cal Poly Humboldt commencement is May 11). Browse all 70-odd card designs.

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Publication credits:
“dawn’s early light” - Mariposa; “scattered feathers” - Modern Haiku.

The reality of the artist life

“dream journal” is 8x10, made from book pages, newsprint, junk mail, vintage Japanese letters, washi papers, acrylic paint, glue, charcoal and white ink on cradled wood. It is also available as a card reading, “happy birthday to an extraordinary being.”

When you picture the life of a working artist, do you imagine days filled with sketching ideas or brushing canvasses in a paint-splattered studio? Maybe mixing buckets of paint and experimenting with colors and textures? That was certainly my impression before I became a full-time artist myself!

That picture may be true for some artists, but for me the reality is that actually creating art is just a small part of my work. You might say it's just one arm of the octopus. To give you some idea, here are a few things I’ve been doing these past few days.

• preparing a Zoom presentation and workshop on creating haiga (art with haiku) for a haiku group this Saturday afternoon (and you’re invited! Details in the Makino Studios News section);

• co-editing a conference anthology for the Seabeck Haiku Getaway I attended in October;

• updating my CV and submitting materials for a proposed show of local Asian American artists;

• shipping Makino Studios orders (especially 2024 calendars) and restocking stores (especially cards); and

• working on year-end accounting and tax prep for my business.

Oh, and I wrote several haiku. (As per usual, they are mostly bad, though I think there are a couple with potential.) I also went on several long walks at the beach, woods and marsh, which ultimately inspires most of my art and haiku.

While I sometimes feel frustrated that I don’t have more time in my studio, the reality is that most of these other activities are enjoyable too. For instance, I’m learning a lot about the editorial process by co-editing a publication for the first time. But I definitely do not enjoy bookkeeping!

year-end accounting
I try to reconcile
the past

The truth is that while most of my other commitments are ongoing throughout the year, I tend to create art in concentrated bursts, especially during my summer retreats on the river. My collage papers are just gathering dust right now, but the time will come when I dive back in to art making, tearing paper and splattering paint with gusto!

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I did dip into art-making when my two sisters visited recently. We had fun creating plant prints using leaves and grasses on a gel press, which I will use in future collages. (Photo: Yoshi Makino)

Makino Studios News

Haiga presentation/workshop: In this Zoom event for Komo Kulshan Haiku, a group based in the Pacific Northwest, I will present a selection of my haiga (art with haiku), talk about how to create haiga, and then lead a workshop on pairing haiku with images. You are invited to join this free meeting, which takes place this Saturday, January 20, 1-3 p.m. Pacific. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89424637034

2024 mini-calendars: I still have some of these calendars of art and haiku for sale, which feature 12 colorful Asian-inspired collages with original haiku.

Valentine’s day cards: February 14 will be here before you know it! I have several cards suitable for Valentine’s Day, such as this collage design reading, “you are my heart’s delight.”

Free shipping: Use promo code FREESHIP35 for free shipping on any order of $35 or more.

From the archives: For more about the challenges of being an artist—and my 23 failed attempts to paint a simple frog—see my 2013 blog post, “The truth about being an artist.”

Thanks: I always appreciate your comments, especially the kind responses to the feature article, “Annette Makino’s life in collage” that ran in the North Coast Journal last month.

A few gel press prints made with plants, which I’ll use for collages.

News story on my art journey

I’m excited to share that this week’s North Coast Journal includes an in-depth article about my creative path! My thanks to Louisa Rogers for the lively and well-researched column—it’s a great holiday gift to be featured. Happy solstice and season’s greetings to all!

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Makino’s “Garden rosebush,” a collage of book pages, a letter and envelope from the artist’s grandmother, handmade and Japanese washi papers, painted, torn and glued onto birch wood panel.

ART BEAT

Annette Makino’s Life in Collage

LOUISA ROGERS, NORTH COAST JOURNAL, EUREKA, CA, DECEMBER 21, 2023

Annette Makino has been an artist all her life but it wasn't until 2010 that she became interested in incorporating haiku into her artwork. For her birthday that year, her Arcata friend and fellow artist Amy Uyeki gave her a book of senryu, a poetic form structurally similar to haiku but with more humor and a focus on human nature. The poems were written by Uyeki’s Japanese grandmother and accompanied by Uyeki’s art.

“This lovely book set me on my current path,” says Makino, whose father is also Japanese. She started combining her haiku with simple brush paintings, which evolved to Asian-inspired watercolors and then collages. A year later, after leaving her 20-year career as senior vice president for communications at the Arcata-based nonprofit Internews, she launched Makino Studios, offering collages, watercolors, prints, cards and calendars.

Annette Makino. Photo by Maya Makino

Currently she works mostly with collage using hand-painted and torn Japanese washi papers, which are typically made from the fibers of the mulberry plant. She also uses other papers from different parts of her life—letters, her young nephew’s scribbles, book pages, musical scores and maps. To make sure the pieces don’t fade over time, she uses acrylic paints to color the white paper, then tears it into the shapes she wants and glues it onto paper or wood, a process that typically takes two to three days. According to Makino, a common misconception is that collage doesn't require much skill. “It’s very labor intensive and can involve as much skill as painting,” she says.

Makino’s most productive periods of artwork happen twice every summer, when she and her husband, Paul, a retired Cal Poly Humboldt geography professor, rent a cabin on the Klamath River in Orleans, a place they've visited for 27 years. In that placid location, free from distractions, she can get a lot of work done.

Makino usually writes the haiku first, before the artwork. “The words aren’t meant to illustrate the art,” she says. “You want a bit of distance, so the reader has a new way to think about the theme.” She often starts crafting the poem while hiking in Ma-le'l Dunes or in Trinidad, where she and Paul walk a couple of times a week.

Makino considers herself equal parts artist and writer. Her book Water and Stone: Ten Years of Art and Haiku was awarded Honorable Mention in the Haiku Society of America's Merit Book Awards and her poetry regularly appears in English-language haiku journals, including Modern Haiku, Frogpond and The Heron’s Nest. She has also won awards for her poetry from the Haiku Foundation and the Haiku Society of America.

Annette Makino’s “All that I am” incorporates book pages, a fern print, a vintage Japanese letter and washi paper, as well as asemic, or made-up, writing by her nephew.

Many of Makino’s haiku have to do with transitions. A few years ago, for example, when her two young adult children started the process of leaving home, she wrote about the empty nest, while the loss of her 16-year-old dog inspired many poems last summer. Her 95-year-old mother Erika, a former Humboldt resident and also a writer and artist, lives three hours away in Mendocino County. Makino visits her about once a month and is keenly aware of her mom’s gradual decline. That, and the earthquake last winter which caused a lot of damage to her home, have inspired her poetry and art. “Whatever life brings me,” she says. 

Makino was one of five local artists granted the 2022 Victor Thomas Jacoby award for “artistic vision and creativity,” provided annually by the Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation. Winners each received $10,000 to support their work. The award freed her from some of the commercial pressures of running a business and creating mostly marketable art that appeals to the public. Instead, she experimented with mixed media, using materials like charcoal, crayon, ink and pencil in her collages, and exploring oils and cold wax.

North Coast Journal, December 21, 2023

Recently, she’s been incorporating more personally meaningful elements into her collages. Because Paul loves maps, she created a collage for him that included a detailed map of Tibet. Another collage she created with whales incorporated a scrap from her daughter’s high school copy of Moby Dick. For “Garden rosebush,” she says, “I included a letter from my Swiss grandmother when I got married.”

Makino’s Japanese-Swiss ancestry has shaped her creativity. The haiku and Japanese paper may be more apparent to viewers but, “The Swiss, too, are surprisingly very playful in their art and writing,” she says, noting she likes to bring that spirit of play into her work.

Makino’s cards, prints and calendars are available at the Made in Humboldt Fair at Pierson Garden Shop through Dec. 24, and in shops around the county year-round. You can see more of her work at makinostudios.com.

Louisa Rogers (she/her) is a writer, painter and paddleboarder who lives in Eureka and Guanajuato, Mexico.

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Makino Studios News

Made in Humboldt fair: With 300 local vendors, the “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA runs through this Sunday, Dec. 24. There you will find my calendars, books, small prints and boxed notecards.

2024 mini-calendars: I am still shipping out orders through the holidays, especially my calendars of art and haiku! They feature 12 colorful Asian-inspired collages with my original haiku. $12 each.

Free shipping: Earn free shipping on orders for $35 or more; just enter promo code FREESHIP35 at checkout.