My Daughter’s Coming of Age in Jerusalem
Happy to share with you a special moment in the Wakabayashi family! Jewish Forward: A Coming of Age Story
What do Israelis gain by delving into Japanese culture?
Israelis, I’m discovering fast, have a lot to teach me about the nation and the culture I lived amongst for thirty years. I choose my words carefully when I say “amongst.” To live with the Japanese traditions day in and out with the goal of perfecting one of their classic art forms is something that […]
Shalom from Yemin Moshe! Genesis Art Workshops has a new base in Israel!
Genesis Art Workshops has a new home and a new studio location in the quaint 19th century cobble stoned village of Yemin Moshe. I can’t wait to share my inspirational neighborhood with you, both the beauty, the spectacular views and the techniques I’ve brought with me from Japan, my home for thirty years. Formerly the […]
An Important Announcement
This week I don’t know what makes me happier. That I became a new Israeli citizen or that after months of being locked out of this website I found the elusive password! Both bring tears of joy to my eyes. Seriously, now that I am back in the wordpress saddle, I’d like to tell you […]
Rachel Joy Scott’s Rose: A Healing Force in Life and Death
Today here in Israel I heard an incredible story about a young woman called Rachel Joy Scott who very very sadly was the first to be massacred in the Columbine shootings. She was a talented actress, and also used to draw in her journals. On the morning of her death, she drew in her journal […]
Life in the Fast Lane
I was at the post office yesterday, went up to the counter and asked for some stamps. The postal worker went right to work. She slammed open a drawer, fumbled for a sheet of stamps, tore off two with a flourish, and handed them to me with one hand, taking change with the other. You’d […]
Portraits of Courage
I have a soft spot for George W Bush’s new book, a monograph of his paintings paying tribute to injured veterans who served the country while he was president. It takes a big man to apologize and an even greater one to linger over a canvas with a wet paint brush while faces of these […]
Ready to turn your photos of cherry blossoms into paintings?
If you’re like me, you have countless photographs of sakura. How can we not resist the temptation to snap away? And yet what becomes of those photographs? Well, I think I’ve found a happy solution–paint them! Come join me for a relaxing few hours where I’ll show you a technique for painting flowers that will […]
When the power animal appears powerless
At Ueno Zoo 10/30 I had a drawing experience like nothing I’ve ever had before and it made me mighty uncomfortable. I had chosen as my “power animal” a rather jovial duck who struck me in taking a pose I know well from yoga–Vrksasana, or tree pose. An interesting aside about tree pose. The great […]
Cultivating the Inner Smile
Make a self-portrait that you will just love hanging on your wall! Self-Portraiture is such a pleasure when you realize that you don’t need a mirror to catch a likeness of who you really are. This is one of my favorite exercises, as it reaches to the heart of Genesis Art –cultivating the inner smile. […]