Doodle's into Art work

Sometimes while waiting for a process to finish up at work I will doodle on some scrap paper. This little guy was from one such doodle. I did do a painting of him but he is hanging at work and I haven't scanned him yet.



Other doodles are done while watching TV, I hate watching commercials so doodle instead.


This little guy was done in my journal. I'm still working on the page and hope to show it when finished. I really like this little bird I think he turned out cute.


And this is a doodle that ended up on canvas. I finished him in time for a show we did at a local winery a few weekends ago and I got loads of comments on him. So many folks really liked him. So we may be seeing more of my doodles making it to canvas sometime soon.



I do love to doodle.

Japan - Part Two - Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle - was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

The Front gate.


Inside gate before the castle

Detail on the gate.

Ninomaru Palace -

the most amazing thing about this palace were the "nightingale floors". When walked on they made the most amazing sound, and because there were quite a few visitor's the day we went the floors sounded like hundreds of birds singing. It was amazing. I so wished that we could have been there alone for a few minutes to play on the floors to see which boards made which sounds. The floor was built this way to prevent sneak attacks or assissins from sneaking up on the shoguns.

The paintings on the paneled walls were also amazing, but we could take no pictures

I think this building was a guard post. It was at the corner of the wall/moat that surrounded the castle and gardens.

From the top of the wall that surrounded the whole complex. Over looking the palace itself with Kyoto in the background.

In the garden were many of these little decorations. The garden was huge and we did not get to see it all.

Garden pond.

Some unusual trees in the garden.

Nijo Castle was probably my favorite place that we visited while I was in Japan.