Alexis is an Ocean Detective Agent. One day, Jake, a fisherman, visited her with a fine tuna with several circular shallow holes. Alexis starts her investigation to find out what has happened to the tuna. She asks her friend Hector the dolphin. Surprisingly, Hector says that he has the same experience that something has made a nasty bite and left a hole on his body just like the one on the tuna. It seems the mysterious creature is hiding somewhere close in the sea. What kind of creature is responsible for those nasty bites? Alexis goes to the ocean to find out. What will she encounter and can she solve this mystery?

For the print size image, click on the painting.

Run through the Sea   - Hippocampus -

The Hippocampus is the half-fish and half-horse creature which appeared in Greek and Etruscan mythology. Sometimes Hippocampus is described as having two wings. Poseidon is the Greek sea god who rides on the hippocampus. The chariot of Poseidon is also drawn by Hippocampi. Today hippocampus also means the scientific name of sea horses, marine fish and part of brain.

For the print size image, click on the painting.

Nightmare Eater   - Baku -

Baku is the imaginative creature which appeared in ancient Chinese tale. Later Baku was introduced to Japan. According to the legend Baku is the tapir－ like animal with an elephant nose and tusk, eyes of rhinoceros, legs of tiger and a tail of cow. Baku lives in bamboo forest and eats bamboo, iron and copper. In Japan Baku is the good fortune animal which devours nightmares and brings dreams of good luck.

For the print size image, click on the painting.

Qilin loves all living being.

Qilin had appeared in the last part of Chinese chronicle “the Spring and Autumn Annals” which described the period from 722 B.C. to 481B.C. This legendary animal is a good prophecy in which kindhearted monarch will be born.

Qilin is a very gentle creature which hates killing other living thing and lives as long as 1000years. The head resembles a dragon with one horn or two sometimes and the body with scales is like a very large deer, about 16ft (5m) long. The color of the scale is gold and the mane is often like flame.

In Japan the word “Kirin” has two meanings, one is Qilin and another is giraffe.

For the print size image, click on the painting.

Noble beast  - The Griffin -

The Griffin is the legendary creature like the Dragon. Usually the Griffin is depicted as the mystic animal with the head and wings of an eagle, the body and ears of a lion. Some say the head sparkles like gold and the white furs cover the body. The oldest griffin had appeared in the Ancient Egyptian Art, approximately 3300a.c. Since then it had been portrayed as the variety of styles in the ancient art such as Greek Art in 1500a.c. and the Roman Art around 14a.d. In the mythology the Griffin is the colossal creature which lives in the Ural Mountains or the Altai Mountains and protects the gold treasure.

The ibex, wild mountain goat, also lives in high mountains.

For the print size image, click on the painting.

Year of the Dragon

Dragon is the fifth year and only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac. In legend Dragon has the horns of a deer, the head of a camel, the ears of a cow and a rabbit’s eyes. The body of Dragon is from a snake and has scales of a carp’s. The leg comes from a hawk or tiger.

In China Dragon is the symbol of mighty power or the Emperor. In Japan Dragon is associated with water, so people pray Dragon when drought continues for a long time. In India Dragon is called “Naga” which is one of the deities in Hinduism and is also one of the 8 guardians of Buddhism. Naga is believed in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam as well.