Happy holidays, and thanks for making this such a successful first year for Makino Studios! With your support, I've gotten terrific response at my first shows, fairs, and retail outlets. It's been so gratifying to see the range of people who are touched by my haiku ink paintings--folks one wouldn't normally associate with poetry and Japanese-inspired art. At a holiday fair, a weathered rancher in a baseball cap bought a "honeybee haiku" book for a friend in Montana. A group of hip young men bought dog greeting cards for their dog lover friends. Two older women who have been friends for 50 years coincidentally each bought the other holiday gifts from me. And I just finished a commissioned piece that is an expression of love from a mother to her teenaged daughter. Meanwhile, through online orders, I have been shipping my work to people as far as Finland and the UK. I still feel amazed that so many other people connect with the odd thoughts and images in my head!

I wanted to let you know that I now offer several new cards, prints, and handmade books. Most of these items are up on the MakinoStudios shop on Etsy, including my whole "haiku for dog lovers" series. Selected card designs are also available at 16 stores in Northern California from Oakland to Yreka.

After the whirlwind of the past three months, I’m looking forward to getting back into my studio to create new paintings. Stay tuned to see what emerges! Here's wishing you a rich and fulfilling new year.

(Photo above was taken at a Bayside, California holiday fair by Lorraine Miller-Wolf)