Bengawan Solo

This is a re-construction of the boat that used to go down the Bengawan Solo River from the Royal Kraton Palace in Surakarta, Indonesia to East Java and the North Coast.  There are only various figureheads surviving now in 2 museums in Solo.

Labuhan Parangkusumo

Gua Langse fantasy

This painting is inspired by the story of the Swan King, Ludwig II and his Grottoes.

new indonesian paintings

Paintings of 2 of strongest forces in Indonesia: Volcanoes and the Southern Sea!

Gua Langse

Gua Langse is situated further east of the Queen of the South Hotel on the cliff facing the Java coast at Parangtritis Beach.  We went there in the morning, bright and early.  After about more than 30 minutes of very rough road passed the sign saying Gua Langse, we finally made it to the huts where the keeper will take your entry money and a young man was going to be our guide down the cliff to the cave.  We passed thru more local timber's plantation where we could see monkeys and then right up to the cliff.  We started our descend and our driver was too old for the trip and he waited up there for our safe return.  So the 3 of us, the young guide, me and my friend Jack climbed down.  There were bamboo or wooden ladders on the vertical cliff and then other places were steps formed from the hollow of tree roots.  It was indeed very dangerous.  One false move, you will be down there faster than you want.  Our legs were shaking half way down as it was very exhausting and physically tough to get down.  But we finally made it to the bottom of the cliff.  It has been a 160m descend.  We took some pictures on the sea rock and then walked up to the pavilion to view Parangtritis beach from far.  Then we entered the Gua.  The cave is dark but wide with limestone formations and then the inner part has very low ceiling.  People come to meditate here for 3 days.  The air was still and not cool.  I felt a bit scared trapped in that space.  Outside I mediated facing the ocean, and performed the ritual to Nyai Ratu Roro Kidul (Queen of the South Sea).  I have brought her a perfume and tied up with a breast cloth of green (her favourite colour) and my name card.
The way up was relatively easy, and we were treated to fresh coconut water to regain energy.  It had been a very mystical trip.

New Painting of N'Dalem Gamelan Hotel Room

Here is the new painting of the room I am going to stay in at N'Dalem Gamelan inside the Kraton, Royal Palace of Yogyakarta.  The tiles are beautiful, I am going to copy the design in detail and see whether I can have a cap made from the design so I can have multiple batik done from the metal cap.
I have chosen to have the boy dressed in kain of traditional parang motif.

Cultural Heritage in Central Java

This is N'dalem Gamelan Hotel inside the Kraton, the Royal Palace of Yogyakarta.  I will be staying there for 2 nights and visiting the Kraton to learn something about the heritage and history of Indonesia.
I am painting an image of this hotel room and will finish it before my trip.

mas

This is a young man in batik designed for Labuhan ceremony. 

dream of Yamagishi's book

Last night I dreamt that Yamagishi Ryoko published a new comic book with beautiful illustrations calling for 10000 yen!
The cover is a scene from Palace Under the Sea with beautiful green colour ocean.  I wish you will publish an illustration collection.

Yamagishi Ryoko's illustration

Prince of where the Sun Rises is a great story written and drawn by Yamagishi Ryoko.  She designed all the beautiful outfit of the main character.  This image is the Prince in a traditional Indian inspired costume, very close to the Indonesian outfit I am going to wear for ritual.   I

wish I can wear it as elegant as he did.

To celebrate Macaron Day

Here is my take to celebrate Macaron Day.  I got the beautiful bedsheet made by my Mom.  The fabric is from Japan.  You can see my family in the background!

Early Spring Flowers

I bought some cut flowers from Granville Island's florist.  My favourite is Hyacinth.  There are many colours such as white, yellow, pink, and magenta but I like the blish purple the best and the fragrance is heavenly.

Relax!

I spent the day in bed, relax and do a bit of work on my project and paint costume.  I am drinking a lemon drink called effervescente.  Dried broken coral lookalike of 2 table spoons to a glass of water will turn into a fuzzy carbonate drink of lemon scent.  Very elegant!
Absinth bottle is for me to make some chocolate for St. Patrick's day.  It will be called the Green Fairy.

Merry Christmas came early

Thank you my friend Monika who sent me all the goodies from Germany.  I am so happy!  I will savory them slowly leading up to Christmas and I will share all the detail photos of each item soon.

another perfume

I got this one today called Drama Nuui.  It is from Parfumerie Generale.  Bitter jasminade with a fusion of absinthe highlights.  Allegory of dawn, o floral temptation of tragic fragility.  Sensual stickiness of wood infused with spices... A spell arousing a libertine musk.

Pelabuhan Ratu

There is a beautiful temple at Pelabuhan Ratu of south coast of West Java.  Here, the temple is kind of a thai style with Naga decorated staircases and other buddhist statues.  But as it is located at the south coast of Java, there they also worship Nyai Ratu Kidul, the Goddess of the Southern Sea.  I am painting a picture of the scene.  This is not finish yet.  But in Nov. I will work on my Botanical Illustration first and try to get it done.

Gua Langse

This is the dramatization of the visit to Gua Langse of Parangtritis of Central Java at the coast of South Indian Ocean. 

Green Dream

This costume is modelled after Ashura statue of Koufukuji in Nara, Japan.  I painted an image based on Yamagishi Ryoko's rendition in manga of Ashura before.  And now, this is the second image but just with normal 2 arms.  The costume is of Indian origin.  But the crown is Indonesian.  I imagined this follower came from the Southern Sea.  He is one of the followers of Nyai Ratu Kidul.

Nam Hai Kuan Im Pu Sa

This is the Goddess of Mercy from the Southern Sea.  Nam Hai Kuan Im Pu Sa.  There is a temple near the beach of Pelabuhan Ratu of West Java. 

strange dream

I dreamed that I was checking in to fly away but the Airport is at the university with a lot of students and lots of levels of classrooms.  Although the check in staff explained to me how to go up the different levels and to the new building then out to the air field, I was still totally lost and the map was not a great help.  I asked a good university student and he also happened to be heading towards the air field and I had a good feeling we are going to make it.