Our dainty white dog
Catching scent of a deer trail
Is poodle turned wolf.

Even in the most domesticated of dogs, the ancient instincts survive.

We lift our voices
We join our breath together
Rejoicing in song.

I painted this piece yesterday to donate to the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir for the silent auction at the Prayer Breakfast and Gospel Concert we are holding this coming Sunday. I’ve been singing with this wonderful group for about five years. We perform joyous, lively and healing gospel music at venues around Humboldt County: in addition to putting on our own concerts, we perform at churches, fairs, and for inmates at the county jail.

My sweet warrior son
Stages sword fights, draws warships
Then snuggles in bed.

I’ve found that painting haiga, the art accompanying a haiku or senryu poem, is a process of subtraction, of stripping away everything extraneous until just the essence remains. This piece is a perfect example.

A lovely older woman who read the recent newspaper article on my work called me this past week to commission a piece as a birthday gift for her daughter-in-law. The piece is also a housewarming gift: after many challenges, the daughter-in-law and her family are about to move into a new home.

The daily newspaper for the Eureka, California area, the Times-Standard, ran a nice 700-word feature article on me and Makino Studios today.

Since launching the Makino Studios site a week ago, I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to my work. It feels good to know I am touching hearts. Thank you all for your support.