The more things change

“The more things change” is 8x10, made of washi and found papers, acrylic paint, and adhesive on illustration board. It is available as a greeting card or notecard set reading ”may peace prevail on earth.” The haiku version appears in my 2021 calendar. © Annette Makino 2020.

Heavy snowflakes were falling as our taxi pulled up to the traditional Japanese inn. The snow took us by surprise—having packed light, I had only a rain coat and Dansko clogs—but it was magical. 

It was March 2012 and my sisters and I were visiting the town of Takayama on a trip through Japan following our father’s funeral. After an emotional couple of days and a five-hour train ride, we arrived in this preserved Edo-period town still in mourning and feeling disoriented. 

The tiny, warm-hearted innkeeper showed us to our room, which had tatami floors and rice paper screens. Through falling snow, there was a view of the river below. She served us foamy matcha tea and sweets at a kotatsu, a low table covered with a wool blanket that had a heater underneath, so we could tuck our legs under it for warmth. 

Walking to the river afterwards, we came upon a bright red bridge heaped with snow, in a scene straight out of 17th century Japan. At a restaurant just across the river, we ate the local specialty of hoba miso: miso paste spread on a magnolia leaf, grilled at the table on a small hibachi together with tender Hida beef and mountain vegetables. Delicious.

The serenity of our surroundings gradually seeped into our pores. Although we had never been there before, it all felt deeply familiar, perhaps from our childhood months of living with our Japanese grandparents in their traditional home in Takasaki, in Gunma prefecture.

At an intense time in our lives, the heart-expanding beauty of this place was deeply healing. I tried to capture the otherworldly quality of our visit to Takayama in a collage, above. 

the more things change
raindrops slowing
into snow

Wishing you joy and peace this holiday season.

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sold out

2021 mini-calendar of art and haiku - Japanese-inspired collage

$12.00

Makino Studios News

2021 mini-calendar: My calendars of art and haiku are almost sold out, but I am reprinting them and will have more next week! Some are available online now and in select local stores. They feature 12 of my new collages with original haiku. 

Made in Humboldt fair: I’ve just restocked my calendars, small prints and boxed notecards at the “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA, open through Tuesday, Dec. 24. This is the only fair where you can find my work this season. 

Tired of staring at your walls?

The way the pandemic is going, it looks like we’ll all be spending even more time at home over the coming months, if such a thing is possible. It could be a looong winter.

To change things up a bit, how about some fresh wall art for you and yours? Signed 11x14 prints of my watercolor and sumi ink paintings are all 40% off through this coming Monday. They are normally $45, currently $27, no code needed.

There are 20 designs including ocean and redwood landscapes, funny chickens, and swimming dogs. My 8x10 prints are also on sale for $18. Note that all supplies are very limited.

These prints are professionally printed by Bug Press in Arcata, CA with fade-resistant ink, using acid-free paper from a supplier that is certified to be 100% carbon-neutral. I individually stamp each print in red with my personal seal, then sign it. Prints will fit in a standard 11x14 mat or frame.

In a time when we are deprived of so much, let art feed your soul. Happy holidays!

Here’s a simple framing suggestion for my 11x14 prints. They will fit in a standard off-the-shelf mat or frame. Country road © Annette Makino 2017

Foggy coastline with haiku © Annette Makino 2019

Redwood forest © Annette Makino 2017

Happy swimming dog © Annette Makino 2015

Redwood time © Annette Makino 2018

Mountain meadow © Annette Makino 2015

Curious chickens © Annette Makino 2019

Water and stone © Annette Makino 2015

Prints are packaged flat in a self-sealing cellophane bag; a flyer describing my work is enclosed. They ship first class in a sturdy photo mailer.

P.S. I’m offering free US shipping for Makino Studios orders of $35 or more with code FREESHIP35. Order no later than Thursday, Dec. 17 to get your package by Dec. 25.

P.P.S. Video of a short presentation on my new collage art plus haiku about parenting is available online through Monday. At this Zoom link, enter passcode d604=+jS. Skip to the fourth recording by clicking on the forward symbol three times, then you can jump to my presentation at the 41:23 mark.

A Thanksgiving buffet

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you find a fun and meaningful way to celebrate the holiday, even if it’s just raising a glass with family members over Zoom. 

I wanted to let you know that Makino Studios is running a Thanksgiving sale: all my 11x14 prints are 40% off this week, until midnight this coming Monday, Nov. 30. 

Below is a Thanksgiving buffet of sorts: some samples of my holiday and landscape notecards, 2021 mini-calendars, and signed prints. Humboldt folks, you can also find my notecard sets, small prints and calendars at the Made in Humboldt Fair at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka thru Dec. 24. 

US shipping is free on any order of $35+ with code FREESHIP35. Order no later than Thursday, Dec. 17 to be sure your package arrives by Dec. 25, 2020.

Also, at the recent Seabeck Haiku Getaway, I gave a reading of my haiku about the humor and heartache of parenting and a slide show of my new collage haiga (art with haiku). Video of my nine-minute presentation, called “Piecing It Together,” is available online through the end of November. At this Zoom link, enter passcode d604=+jS. Skip to the fourth recording by clicking on the forward symbol three times, then you can jump to my presentation at the 41:23 mark.

Thank you and be well.

warmly, Annette Makino

watercolor landscape notecard set - Northern California scenes

$20.00

sold out

2021 mini-calendar of art and haiku - Japanese-inspired collage

$12.00

40% off all 11x14 prints! Normally $45, this week only $27. Each print is signed and stamped. 20 designs. Supplies limited. Sale ends Mon., Nov. 30.

A silver lining

“long before language” is 8 x 10, made of paper, acrylic paint, and adhesive on illustration board. It is available as a greeting card reading “may all good things come your way.” The haiku version appears in my 2021 calendar. © Annette Makino 2020. 

We made it through the election—whew! Now back to our regularly scheduled pandemic anxiety. Today I’m happy to share with you this really nice article about the new artistic direction I’ve been developing during this strange time, written by Heather Shelton for the Eureka Times-Standard.

A ‘silver lining’: Amid the pandemic, a local artist finds a whole new artistic approach (Nov. 13, 2020)

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Makino Studios News

Porad Haiku Award: During the recent Seabeck Haiku Getaway, I was excited to learn that out of 663 haiku from 14 countries, this one-line haiku of mine won first prize in the Porad Haiku Contest:

long before language the S of the river

You can read all the winning haiku along with the judge’s thoughtful commentary on the Haiku Northwest site. 

Holiday notecards: I’ve produced boxed sets of holiday notecards as well as a landscape set. There are eight cards and eight kraft envelopes per box.

2021 mini-calendar: My new calendars of art and haiku are now available online and in select local stores. They feature 12 of my new collages with original haiku. Buy one for yourself and a few for holiday gifts!

Made in Humboldt fair: You can find my calendars, small prints and boxed notecards at the “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA through Tuesday, Dec. 24. This will be the only fair where you can find my work this season.

Free shipping: I offer free first-class shipping on US retail orders of $35 or more. Use code FREESHIP35 at checkout.

Interesting times

“trust that the future” is 8x10, made of paper, acrylic paint, and adhesive on illustration board. It is available as a greeting card. A haiku version appears in my 2021 calendar. © Annette Makino 2020.

What an intense and stressful time we're living through: a fraught election, a worsening pandemic, economic distress, racial unrest and climate-driven disasters, just for starters. The year 2020 embodies the ancient curse, “may you live in interesting times.” 

Long-term, I honestly don't know if we will get through this as a species, especially at the rate we’re destroying our home planet and its climate.

lights out—
we discuss
our extinction

But just days before the end of the election, I am finally daring to hope. Massive early voting shows we may be amidst a sea change, a shift away from the politics of hate and divisiveness.

Voting in staggering numbers, young people especially are giving me hope. The three young folks in my house are closely tracking the election news and urging their social media followers to vote. My daughter and I have written several hundred letters and postcards to voters.

Meanwhile, when the stress becomes overwhelming, I try to take my own advice in the card shown above, part of my new collage series:

trust that the future
is already unfolding
from long-planted seeds

And if the election goes badly for us, we can always emulate the migrating birds:

campaign season
geese practice leaving
the country

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“lights out” was first published in Acorn, No. 45, Fall 2020

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Makino Studios News

NEW: Holiday notecards: I’ve made boxed sets of holiday notecards from three of my new collage designs. There are eight cards and eight kraft envelopes per box. These cards are also available as single 5x7 cards.

NEW: 2021 mini-calendar: My new calendars of art and haiku are now available online and in select local stores! They feature 12 of my new collages with original haiku. These make great holiday gifts!

Made in Humboldt fair: You can find my calendars, prints and boxed notecards at the “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA from Tuesday, Nov. 10 through Tuesday, Dec. 24. This will be the only fair where you can find my work this season.

Seabeck Haiku Getaway: I will be giving a reading of my haiku and presenting my new collage haiga (art with haiku) at this annual gathering, which is being held on Zoom this year. This free event takes place this weekend, Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Registration is now open to everyone.

Sneak preview of the new collage collection

“fog becoming redwoods” is 8 x 10, made of paper, acrylic paint, and adhesive on illustration board. © Annette Makino 2020.

First of all, I want to thank everyone who responded to my last post (Big Changes in the Studio), where I shared my new artistic direction creating Japanese-inspired collages. I was genuinely uncertain whether this big shift in style and technique would appeal to my longtime fans and customers. 

But based on your enthusiastic responses, I have gone ahead and designed a line of fifteen new greeting cards based on my collages. These new cards should be back from the printer on Monday. To sneak a peek at the new collection, see this page of all my Makino Studios card designs. I’m excited to share my new designs for the holidays, birthdays, sympathy and more.

I’m also very happy about my new 2021 calendar of art and haiku. This is my eighth year of producing these—and my favorite yet. Arriving next week, these mini-calendars feature a dozen of my new collages along with original haiku.

I’m not able to do any in-person holiday fairs this year, and some of my retailers are seeing reduced sales during this pandemic. Consequently, I have printed 100 fewer calendars than usual. So order soon to be sure to get enough for yourself and for holiday gifts!

My collages, using discarded materials such as old letters and canceled checks as well as hand-painted washi papers, may be a fitting medium for this strange, disjointed time. In adapting to the pandemic, we are all having to gather bits and pieces from our old lives, then transform and rearrange them in unexpected ways. 

Please let me know your thoughts on the new collection, and enjoy! 

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“what remains” is 8 x 10, made of paper, acrylic paint, and adhesive on illustration board. © Annette Makino 2020. The haiku was originally published in With Cherries On Top, Press Here (2012).

Makino Studios News

Seabeck Haiku Getaway: I will be giving a reading of my haiku and presenting my new collage haiga (art with haiku) at this annual gathering, which is being held on Zoom this year. This free event takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Registration is full but you can sign up for the Seabeck waiting list; the organizers hope to make room for more participants.

Made in Humboldt fair: You can find my calendars, prints and boxed notecards at the “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA from Tuesday, Nov. 10 through Tuesday, Dec. 24. This will be the only fair where you can find my work this season, as the annual holiday fairs at the Arcata Community Center and Redwood Acres are canceled. My cards and calendars are also available in select stores.

Big changes in the studio

“telephone pole” is 8 x 10, made of paper, acrylic paint and adhesive on illustration board with the words digitally added. The haiku was first published in A Moment’s Longing, Haiku Society of America Members’ Anthology, 2019, Ed. Tanya MacDonald.

With business slowed by the pandemic and time on my hands during these long months of sheltering in place, I have been up to something big in my studio. To be honest, I have felt shy about sharing it while my new work is in the process of being born. That’s why I haven’t written in some months.

But the baby has taken its first breath, so here goes. After ten years of painting with sumi ink and Japanese watercolors, I have set that approach aside to develop a whole new style of art. I have begun making collages from hand-painted and torn washi papers, sometimes combined with old letters, book pages, maps and other found papers. These collages draw inspiration from the natural landscapes of Northern California and from my Japanese heritage.

Although they can take just as long to create as my paintings, these days I am having more fun with collages and finding them to be very rich emotionally. For instance, the woodpecker collage shown here incorporates bits of an airmail envelope from my late grandmother, a score from my old choir and pages of Moby-Dick with my daughter’s high school notes in the margin. 

Traditional Japanese washi papers are made from the inner bark of mulberry bushes and other plants. The papers I use start out white, often with embedded organic bits such as fiber threads and leaves. In a technique I learned from Washington artist Donna Watson, I mix my own colors and apply paint to the backs of the sheets using a brayer. This way, the colors bleed through but the textured bits and any printed patterns are still visible. 

I also embellish grocery lists, canceled checks and discarded sumi ink paintings. In the alchemy of collage, every aspect of life can be transformed into something rich and beautiful.

These new collages will form the basis of my 2021 calendar of art and haiku. I’ll let you know when they’re available, hopefully next month. At that point you’ll also be able to view more examples of this new work.

I am still deciding whether to create card versions of these designs, with card-appropriate words rather than haiku. I would love to get your honest opinion on whether people would buy these, even (especially) if you think they would not hold much appeal. 

With this new collage art in its infancy, I am still working out how to piece it all together, literally and figuratively. I deeply appreciate your support for my work to date and I look forward to your frank feedback on this new direction.

warmly, Annette

P.S. I will continue to offer my most popular watercolor card designs while gradually phasing out the slower sellers. That means supplies of some card designs are limited; everything I’ve got is for sale on my Makino Studios website.

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“mountain switchbacks” is 8 x 10, made of paper, acrylic paint and adhesive on illustration board with the words digitally added. © Annette Makino 2020. The haiku was first published in Acorn, Number 43, Fall 2019.

Makino Studios News

Best of Humboldt: Thanks to everyone who voted for me for Best Local Artist in the North Coast Journal’s annual Best of Humboldt contest! I'm pleased to be a finalist (2nd place), especially in a county with so many talented artists.

Seabeck Haiku Getaway: I will be giving a reading of my haiku and presenting my new collage haiga (art with haiku) at this annual gathering, which is being held on Zoom Oct. 31-Nov. 1 this year. Registration is full but you can still sign up for the waiting list.

Canceled Humboldt events: The North Country Fair, normally held in late September, is canceled this year, as are the annual holiday fairs at the Arcata Community Center and Redwood Acres. You can still find my paintings, prints and cards online here; my cards are also available in select stores.