Thanks for 12 great years!

“the redwood path” is 11x14, made with acrylic paint, washi paper, silver foil and glue on cradled birch panel. It was inspired by a hike that went a little later than expected. © Annette Makino 2022

Gosh, so much has happened lately! In December alone, my husband Paul and I visited the Galapagos and mainland Ecuador, I finally caught Covid, I won a $10,000 Jacoby Award for Humboldt County artists, a violent earthquake damaged our house, and we hosted extended family for the holidays.

January brought a series of intense winter storms, repeatedly knocking out our power and water. We continued earthquake repairs and I tackled my dreaded year-end business accounting. In February we were treated to a very unusual event: several snowfalls right here on the coast! Meanwhile, I’ve been exploring new art techniques, writing and publishing haiku, and reorganizing my studio—while getting pounded by a fresh series of atmospheric rivers. I’m currently in Portland, Oregon, where I visited the serene Portland Japanese Garden and saw an inspiring show of Japanese woodblock prints.

I won’t go into detail on all that here—photos and more detail on most of these events can be found on my Instagram feed and the Makino Studios Facebook page. But this is just to say that although I’ve been bit preoccupied, I haven’t forgotten you, my friends and fans!

This Saturday, March 18, is the 12th anniversary of Makino Studios. What a privilege to have spent the past dozen years as a working artist, sharing my creativity with the world. In thanks for your ongoing support, I am offering 15% off everything in my shop. Use code 12YEARS at checkout through midnight this Sunday, March 19.

Who knows what new twists and turns the coming year will bring—tornadoes? zombies? I only know that I’m grateful to be able to walk the artist’s path.

the redwood path
absorbs our footsteps
moonlit ferns

Paul and I just casually hanging out with a Galápagos penguin, as one does.

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Makino Studios News

12th anniversary sale: Cards, prints, books, calendars—take 15% off everything in the shop except original art, using code 12YEARS at checkout. Offer ends at midnight this Sunday, March 19.

Pizza and Pottery Festival: Mark your calendar for 11-5 on Saturday, May 6, for this lovely small fair with wood-fired pizzas and other goodies plus live music. 135 Sunkist Lane, off Glendale near the Blue Lake Murphy’s Market.

Calendars: My last 2023 mini-calendars of art and haiku are now on sale for $6.99 (from $12). You’ve still got most of the year to enjoy one!

Skipping Stones: It’s always an honor to have a haiku selected for the Red Moon anthology of the best English-language haiku of the year. Here’s one of mine that made it into the 2022 edition:

Covid variant
another wave sucks the sand
from under our feet

(First published in Mariposa and in The Haiku Way to Healing: Illness, Injury and Pain)

A New Resonance 13: A longtime dream has finally come true: I've been chosen as one of the 17 haiku poets to be featured in this landmark series published by Red Moon Press. I will have copies available for sale in June, featuring a wide variety of emerging voices in haiku.

Big news from the back woods

tendrils of fog
I follow a thread
back into the dream

Featuring a Roosevelt elk in a misty lagoon, “tendrils of fog” is 11x14, made with acrylic paint, washi paper, book pages and glue on cradled birch panel. It is one of the ten work samples I submitted with my Jacoby Award application, and is part of my 2023 calendar.

The call came in from an unfamiliar number, and the voice on the other end said, “Hi, how are you doing this morning?” I immediately suspected a robocall and didn’t even answer, expecting the recorded script to continue by offering me an extended auto warranty or a low-interest loan. When the silence stretched out, I finally asked, sharply, “Who’s calling?”

That’s when the conversation took an unexpected turn. “This is Sydney from the Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation. I’m calling to tell you that you’ve won a $10,000 Victor Thomas Jacoby Award!”

Having been turned down twice before for this coveted and prestigious grant, I had not expected anything different from my latest application, so I was stunned. I managed an apology for my awkward initial response and gave profuse thanks. After I hung up, I broke out in celebratory wolf howls, confusing the dog.

The 2022 Jacoby Awards, which were announced today, honor Humboldt County artists for their vision and creativity. Winners are encouraged to explore new ideas, materials, techniques and mediums.

In my application, titled “Torn Together: Japanese-Inspired Collage with Haiku,” I explained my plans to make my collages more personal. Among other approaches, I aim to introduce more materials that have autobiographical significance like old letters, children’s drawings and family photos.

I concluded, “I can imagine how delicious it would feel to have permission to develop my art without financial pressures or expected outcomes. The grant would allow me to engage fully in joyful and curious exploration, to allow one idea to spark another. There’s no telling what can arise from creative play!”

“tendrils of fog” in process.

Winning this award really is a dream come true. The money is of course extremely welcome. But I also deeply appreciate the award as a form of recognition of my work as an artist. My thanks to the jury of local leaders in the arts, and congratulations to the other 2022 Jacoby Award recipients!

For years my husband Paul has joked about an imaginary JBYY Foundation that gives grants “Just Because You’re You.” With no reporting requirements or deliverables, the Jacoby grant is the closest thing I know to that fantasy. Deepest thanks to the late Victor Jacoby, a French tapestry artist, for his vision in establishing this trust to support his fellow Humboldt County artists. And I look forward to sharing what emerges.

P.S. I had an amazing time in the Galápagos Islands last week and am now writing to you from Quito, Ecuador! There is much to tell, but I’ll save that for another time. I do have someone filling orders while I’m traveling, so order away.

The haiku “tendrils of fog” was previously published in Frogpond and in On Down the Road: Haiku Society of America Members’ Anthology 2017.

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Here are a couple of inside pages from my 2023 calendar.

Makino Studios News

Free shipping through Saturday: Just for newsletter subscribers and followers, I’ve set up promo code JINGLE for free US shipping with no minimums through this Saturday, Dec. 17. The US Postal Service advises that for first-class packages to arrive by Dec. 25, they should be shipped by this Saturday. Enter the code at checkout.

Made in Humboldt fair: The “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA runs through Friday, Dec. 24. This is the only fair where you can buy my calendars, books, prints and boxed notecards this season. There are 250 participating vendors, all local.

Calendars: 2023 mini-calendars of art and haiku make great gifts and the recipients will remember your thoughtfulness all year long!

Books: Water and Stone: Ten Years of Art and Haiku makes another meaningful present. The fourth printing includes excerpts from the gracious reviews and judges’ comments.

Cards: Holiday, birthday, sympathy or everyday… there is a Makino Studios card for every occasion. I also offer four different notecard sets.

On parenting and letting go

“kids all grown” is 8x10, made with acrylic paint, washi paper, book pages, a vintage Japanese letter and glue on cradled birch panel. It is part of my 2023 calendar, and is also available as a card reading, “you make the world a lovelier place.”

This week I am busy packing and preparing for our trip to Ecuador, including the Galápagos! My husband and I are meeting up with our son Gabriel as he completes a fascinating semester-long program in Development, Politics and Languages.

In Ecuador he has stayed with four different host families (two of them Indigenous), snorkeled in the Galápagos, bathed under a waterfall, explored the rain forest with a naturalist, helped out on a farm in the cloud forest, and made chocolate from scratch, roasting cacao pods over an open fire. Oh, and he has studied, of course! He is currently wrapping up a four-week independent study project on efforts to reintroduce native grains like quinoa and amaranth within a Quichua community.

It was hard to say goodbye to my beloved son last August—I worried about Covid, crime and car accidents, for starters. But I’m delighted that he’s having such a rich experience, and am looking forward to seeing the country through his eyes.

Really, once babyhood has passed, parenting is just a long process of letting go and trusting that you’ve taught your child the skills they need to be OK. We miss having our kids at home, but there is also great pleasure in seeing them stretch their wings—and in sharing a bit of their adventures. Here are some haiku on the empty nest stage of parenting.

driving lesson
he practices
leaving home

his absence
its own presence
childhood bedroom

her notes covered
with question marks
philosophy class

empty nest
our son’s old sweater
on the dog

semester abroad
she waves from the far side
of security

childless once more
the farthest ridge line
fades into blue

kids all grown
we train the sweet peas
up the trellis

I wish you all a happy and merry holiday season.

The above haiku first appeared in The Heron’s Nest, Frogpond, Presence, and Visiting the Wind: Haiku Society of America Members’ Anthology 2021

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Makino Studios News

Holiday sale on calendars: My 2023 mini-calendars of art and haiku are just $9.99 through midnight this coming Friday, Dec. 2 (normally $12). No code required—I just want to encourage you to order this week, before I leave town on Saturday! I will have someone filling orders while I’m gone, but shipping may be slower than usual.

Fourth printing of my book: I was down to just two copies of my award-winning book, Water and Stone: Ten Years of Art and Haiku. But thankfully, 150 more copies finally arrived yesterday! This fourth printing includes excerpts from the lovely reviews and judges’ comments.

Made in Humboldt fair: The “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA runs through Friday, Dec. 24. This is the only fair where you can buy my calendars, books, prints and boxed notecards this season. There are 250 participating vendors, all local.

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

Cards: Holiday, birthday, sympathy or everyday… right now there are more than 70 Makino Studios card designs to choose from. I also have five different notecard sets, including two holiday designs (but act fast—one of them is almost sold out).

Art prints: Blake’s Books in McKinleyville and Humboldt’s Hometown Store in Ferndale both carry a selection of my matted art prints, ready for gifting. They are among the local stores that carry my books, calendars, notecards and single cards.

Holiday shipping deadline: The US Postal Service advises that for first-class packages to arrive by Dec. 25, they should be shipped by Saturday, Dec. 17.

Torn together

Happy Thanksgiving! This week I’m especially grateful for the gift of right livelihood—creative work that nourishes me and my community. Deepest thanks to you, my customers and fans, who make that possible. In gratitude, I’m offering 15% off everything in my Makino Studios shop thru Sunday with code THANKS22 (details below).

Here’s a glimpse at how I created a recent piece. A few years ago, I tore my left rotator cuff, which was followed by a painful case of “frozen shoulder.” After a physical therapy appointment, I took a walk along the Mad River bluffs overlooking the ocean, admiring the windswept trees. That inspired the following poem:

to love this body
just as it is
twisted shore pines

I decided to create a collage with the haiku, and started with a rough sketch. Next I searched through my collection of painted and embellished papers. Earlier I had tried painting a sunset sky for another piece, which didn’t work at all. But that rejected sheet turned out to be perfect for this piece. I also used washi paper, an old letter and some pages from a copy of Moby-Dick.

After much trial and error, I chose the papers I wanted, then tore them into pieces and laid them out, tweaking my composition until it felt right.

I tore and glued on the main pieces, including the black branches of the shore pine. But how to create all those needles? I knew it would drive me insane to collage each one. Eventually I realized I was trying to obey an imaginary rule that using pen and ink in a collage would be “cheating.” Once I let go of that unconscious restriction, I drew in the needles with a fine point pen.

Voilà! The finished haiga (art with haiku), is 11x14, made with acrylic paint, archival ink, paper and glue on cradled birch panel. (The words were added digitally using my custom brush-painted font and do not appear on the original.) © Annette Makino 2022

From uncomfortable beginnings, this mixed media collage emerged as the star of my collection this year. In an informal poll of friends and family, it won the cover spot on my 2023 calendar. (There is also a greeting card version that reads simply, “sending much love.”)

Sending wishes for much love and abundance this Thanksgiving!

“to love this body” was first published in Frogpond, the journal of the Haiku Society of America.

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Makino Studios News

Thanksgiving sale: Use promo code THANKS22 at checkout for 15% off everything in the Makino Studios shop except original art. Good for first-class shipping within the U.S. Only one promo code per order. Sale ends at midnight this Sunday, Nov. 27.

Made in Humboldt fair: The “Made in Humboldt” event at Pierson Garden Shop in Eureka, CA runs through Friday, Dec. 24. This is the only fair where you can buy my calendars, books, prints and boxed notecards this season. There are 250 participating vendors, all local.

Ecuador travel: My husband and I will be in Ecuador and the Galápagos Dec. 3-20! We are visiting our son, who is studying there this semester. Our house sitter will be packaging and mailing orders in my absence, but they may take a little longer to get out the door, so order early!

2023 mini-calendars: My calendars of art and haiku make great holiday gifts! They feature 12 colorful Asian-inspired collages with my original haiku. $12 each.

Water and Stone: My award-winning book of art and haiku includes 50 watercolor paintings with my original poems. Cost is $25. You can find it online here, on Amazon and in select local Humboldt stores. 

Cards: Holiday, birthday, sympathy or everyday… right now there are more than 70 Makino Studios card designs to choose from. I also have five different notecard sets, including two holiday designs.

Art prints: Blake’s Books in McKinleyville and Humboldt’s Hometown Store in Ferndale both carry a selection of my matted art prints, ready for gifting. They are among the local stores that carry my books, calendars, notecards and single cards.

Holiday shipping deadline: The US Postal Service advises that for first-class packages to arrive by Dec. 25, they should be shipped by Saturday, Dec. 17.

Halloween treats

“all that I am” incorporates "asemic" or made-up writing by my young nephew, book pages, a fern print, a vintage Japanese letter, and washi papers from Japan. I painted the papers, then tore and glued them onto cradled birch panel. The original is 11x14. This is one of the pages of my 2023 calendar of haiku and art.

Fall is definitely upon us. At home we’ve started making wood fires on these crisp mornings and evenings. The leaves on our Mount Fuji cherry trees are turning a deep gold—a less celebrated but still beautiful phase of their year.

“all that I am” collage in process

all that I am
still unfolding
cherry tree in autumn

Meanwhile, I’ve been gearing up for the holiday season. I’ve produced new boxed notecard sets and delivered my new cards and 2023 calendars to local stores.

As a Halloween treat, I’m offering 20% off everything in my Makino Studios shop until midnight on Monday, October 31st. There is no minimum order—just use code TREAT.

For another goodie, I’m sharing a rengay on the theme of Halloween written with one of the haiku poets I mentor, Aaron Samuel. (A rengay is a linked sequence of two and three-line haiku usually written by two or three poets.)

We had a lot of fun taking turns writing the verses. I’m curious to hear if this brings up any memories of your own past Halloweens.

All Hallow's Eve

cloudy skies
toilet paper ghosts
sway from the trees

electric candles flicker
behind the pumpkin's eyes

blood moon
a thumb-sucking Dracula
hides behind her mummy

technicolor blood
the horror movie plays on
in my dreams

in the dark woods
teens meet for grownup treats

jack-o-lantern grin
the one-eyed pirate
sorts his loot

Aaron Samuel
Annette Makino

Happy Halloween!

“all that I am” published in Modern Haiku, Issue 52.1, Winter-Spring 2021
All Hallow’s Eve published in Failed Haiku, Volume 7, Issue 39, June 2022

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Makino Studios News

Rabbit notecards read, “peace on earth, goodwill to all creatures.”

20% off through Halloween: Use promo code TREAT at checkout for 20% off everything in the Makino Studios shop except original art. Good for first-class shipping within the U.S. Offer ends at midnight on Monday, Oct. 31. Only one promo code per order.

New notecard sets: A new holiday notecard set features a small rabbit in a snowy forest. The words read, “peace on earth, good will to all creatures.” Another new all-purpose notecard set features four different scenes of wild places: beaches, redwood forest and a wildflower meadow. These are $20 for a set of eight cards with eight kraft envelopes.

2023 calendar of art and haiku: For the tenth year in a row, I have created a mini-calendar of art and haiku. Featuring natural scenes and original words, the calendar is $12. Makes a great holiday gift!

New cards: I’ve recently added ten new designs to my card lineup, currently numbering close to 80 designs. These cards are made with fiber from responsibly managed forests, and the mill uses green energy and carbon offsets. They are printed in Arcata, California by an independent small business. Card envelopes are produced in the USA from 100% post-consumer recycled paper. $5 each, blank inside.

Book of art and haiku: There are fewer than 20 copies left of my award-winning book, Water and Stone: Ten Years of Art and Haiku. It will take several weeks to have more printed and shipped, so order while supplies last! This makes a lovely gift.

Studio visits: Although I don’t plan to do any in-person fairs the rest of this year, you can always visit my studio by appointment.

Thanks: I appreciate everyone who came to my collage show, “Torn Together,” at Just My Type in Eureka, CA last month, and to those who visited my Makino Studios booth at the North Country Fair in Arcata! It was a real pleasure to connect with you.

Introducing my new cards and calendars!

I’m happy to share that my 2023 mini-calendars of art and haiku are now available! This is the tenth year I have created a calendar, and I think it’s my favorite yet.

I also have eight new and two updated card designs, for birthdays, holidays and more, as shown below. You can browse all 78 of my current designs on the Makino Studios website.

I’ll have all that and more at the North Country Fair on the Arcata Plaza this coming weekend, Sept. 17-18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Look for the Makino Studios booth in front of Moore’s Sleep World on G Street. Hope to see you there!

Also, many thanks to all who came to the opening of my show of Asian-inspired collages! It continues at Just My Type in Eureka, CA through the end of September. Here’s a 30-second video tour.

The Eureka Times-Standard ran a nice story about my work and the show called Torn Together: Annette Makino debuts new mixed media collages.

Sale

SALE! 2023 mini-calendar of art and haiku - Japanese-inspired collage

Sale Price: $6.00 Original Price: $12.00

good wishes card of peaceful river landscape - collage art (441)

$5.00

happy sparrow birthday/ everyday/ baby card - so happy you were born (443)

$5.00

love and friendship card of sweet peas - collage art (444)

$5.00

paper lanterns blessing card - Japanese-inspired collage (439)

$5.00

My first collage show!

wind blowing upriver
one of the ripples
becomes an otter

“wind blowing upriver” depicts the Trinity River. It is 11x14, made from Japanese washi papers and book pages. These were painted, torn, and glued on a cradled birch panel, then embellished with charcoal and pencil.

Long, long ago, in February 2020, I flew to Tucson for an inspiring three-day workshop called “Wabi Sabi: The Spirit of Collage,” with artist Donna Watson.

Of course, the world shut down a month later—and as a result, my regular Makino Studios business dropped off significantly. I used the unexpected free time to pivot from the watercolor painting I had been doing for a decade to explore collage-making. (See A silver lining amid the pandemic.)

Fast forward two and a half years, and I am excited to present the first show of my new collage work, opening this Saturday, September 3!

Humboldt friends, I’d love to see you at the opening. It takes place at Just My Type in Old Town Eureka from 6 to 9 p.m. during Arts Alive. For those who can’t come in person, I will post my new work in my Makino Studios online gallery this Saturday for a virtual opening.

Called “Torn Together,” the show will feature thirty Asian-inspired collages, including several brand-new ones made during my two river retreats this summer. Northern California landscapes and animals are a major theme.

The pieces are made from painted and embellished paper that I then tear, glue and mount onto cradled birch panels. The papers, which start out white, include Japanese washi papers, old letters, book pages, and maps. On a nearby placard, an original haiku will accompany each piece.

Just My Type Letterpress Paperie is located at 235 F Street near 3rd Street in Old Town Eureka. Masks are strongly encouraged.

This solo show runs through September. It is made possible in part by a grant from the Ink People’s Funds for Artists’ Resilience.

The haiku “wind blowing upriver” was first published in Kingfisher, Issue 2, December 2020

Process shots: I paint and assemble potential papers, then tear and glue the pieces.

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Makino Studios News

North Country Fair: I am really looking forward to my first big fair since 2019! The North Country Fair takes place on the Arcata Plaza the weekend of Sept. 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Makino Studios booth will once again be located on G Street near Moore’s Sleep World. I’ll have my brand-new 2023 mini-calendars and ten new card designs on hand! This is the only in-person fair I plan to do for the rest of this year.

2023 calendars: For the tenth year in a row, I have created a mini-calendar of art and haiku—and this might be my best yet! Featuring natural scenes and original words, the calendar is currently being printed and should be available on this site and in local stores in mid-September.

New card designs: There are also ten new card designs at the press, expected back in time for the North Country Fair and soon to be listed on the Makino Studios site.

Obon Festival: Humboldt’s first Obon Festival took place on Aug. 14, and it was a dynamic gathering of our community as well as a chance to honor our ancestors. Taiko drummers, bon odori dancing, bento boxes, games for kids and arts and crafts booths like mine—what fun! Many thanks to Humboldt Asian Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI) for organizing it.