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.