Dream Lover

Hey all, Happy Valentine's Day! For the #shareyourheart event, "Dream Lover" I picked Japan for someplace I'd really love to go to.  Beyond experiencing the culture, the town I went to university at was a sister city to one of Japan's, so I'm interested in seeing it someday. I also adore Japanese art--not just popular media, but their watercolors, particularly landscapes.  I was able to explore these a little in my classes, but always independently, so if I had the chance to study some techniques, styles, and use of mediums such as Gansai watercolors a bit more professionally, I would love that.  Kinda tied to that,  but I also would love to study more about Japanese folklore and culture in general: I've had a bit of trouble finding resources in certain subjects on most sites and what better way to do my homework than actually go and see for myself?  For a more touristy reason, of course one place I would definitely want to visit--both as a fan and as an artist--is the Ghibli Museum.  Ghibli films weren't really something I appreciated until I was older, but I admire the work and the boundaries the animators were willing to push in storytelling and art.  Kiki's Delivery Service is definitely one of the films that I see differently now that I'm older and am an artist myself, and I'm able to share these films with people in my family who typically aren't into much animation themselves.

Anyway, please give these awesome artists and their paintings, drawings, and photos a look!