Gorgeous Paintings by Noriko Wakayama of Tokyo and Hawai'i

We recently took a trip to Oahu to celebrate my stepdaughter's graduation from the University of Hawai'i (and do I need to say I'm so happy she attended there? Great excuse for a vacation!). We stayed in Honolulu, and on our very last morning made an artistic discovery that added an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip.

Noriko Wakayama paints large, absolutely gorgeous paintings of tropical flowers. She takes you right into the flowers, as if you are a bee or butterfly, honing in to get that nectar. In fact, our favorite painting is of a huge butterfly (maybe 3' across) with translucent wings perched dead center on a giant sunflower. It is a stunner.

It would be easy to say that Noriko's work reminds me of Georgia O'Keefe's flower paintings, but surprisingly, it doesn't. The feel of the paintings is entirely different, perhaps in part because the flowers themselves are so different. O'Keefe often painted the flowers of the desert--perhaps that's it. She also focused, usually, on just one flower. Noriko's flowers are rich and vibrant, evoking the lushness of Hawai'i, and many of her paintings show a whole armful of flowers.

That being said, Noriko's singular rose paintings are memorable. How does she do it? See for yourself . . .