New Song! "The Ruins of the Bayon"

Larry and Mark have created another piece of music together. To hear the piece with a slideshow of the place that inspired it, check it out on our YouTube channel.
Here are the lyrics:

"The Ruins of the Bayon"
Music by Larry Benigno - Lyrics by Mark Ivan Cole

The gates have fallen, broken stones,
A skeleton of broken bones.
Silent statues watch and wait
For long lost footsteps at the gate.
Kept within these crumbling walls,
The towers rise above it all,
And faces I once knew as mine
Remind me of the deep divine.

The sun has set.
The day has ended.
I can't forget
What I have mended.
Another day is gone
In the ruins of the Bayon.

Stone by stone, we built the dream,
Every doorway, every beam.
Step by step, we climbed the stairs,
So beautiful, so unaware.
Now alone, I walk these halls
Amidst the carvings on the walls.
These thoughts of you, they haunt me still,
Like shadows on the windowsill.

The sun has set.
So little mended.
I can't forget
What I have ended.
Another day is gone
In the ruins of the Bayon.

The jungle carries on
In the ruins of the Bayon.
I still await the dawn
In the ruins
Of the Bayon.

(c) 2014 - Larry Benigno and Mark Ivan Cole

Finally! #30 of 30 paintings in 30 days: "Conversation With The Sages"

"Conversation With the Sages" - Smith Rock, OR, USA
- Oil Pastel on Paper, approx. 8.2x7.4"/ 207x184mm

When we lived in Portland, OR, we would often take the 4.5 hour drive to Bend. One of our favorite stops along the way was Smith Rock State Park. On this particular occasion, we worked our way to the edge of the crumbling basalt cliff that lined the less traveled side of the Crooked River, near the bivouac area. This was one of the views through the sage and junipers as we walked quietly, our boots leaving no trace of our passage across the moss and grass covered rocks. I figured that since I started the "30 paintings in 30 days" challenge with oil pastels, I'd finish with one, too--sort of coming full circle, I guess. This was done on gray Canson MiTeintes paper. I've learned that a neutral tone in a mid-range value seems to work best for me when doing oil pastels.

#29 of 30 - "Waiting for Runoff"

"Waiting for Runoff" - Liangshan Creek, Taiwan 
- Ink and Ballpoint Pen - 9.9x6.9"/250x176mm

This was one of our first views on the way to the three levels of Liangshan Falls. Since we're in the middle of winter here, it was dry as a bone. I wonder what it looks like with the water carving away at layer after layer of stone. We'll just have to come back in a few months and see it again. I've been painting with these Inktense ink blocks for a couple of years now, and I never really noticed this wonderful Payne's Gray! It came in very handy on this painting.

#28 of 30 - "As the Sun Smiled"

"As the Sun Smiled" - GuanYin Shan from Danshui, plein air
- Ink and Ballpoint Pen - 9.9x6.9"/250x176mm

We rode the tandem bike down to the river and then pedaled to what's become our favorite stretch of rock-covered riverbank, just before the fishermen's wharf. From here, on a perfect, sunny Taiwanese winter afternoon, we could see GuanYin Shan's many peaks rising from the far bank. So good to be out when the sun is smiling.

#27 of 30 - "One of Many Turns"

"One of Many Turns" - Taiwan - Ink and Ballpoint Pen, - 9.9x6.9"/250x176mm

One of the wonderful things about hiking in a new area is that you never know what you'll come to next. We often have some expectation, or some idea of what is there, but we have to round the bend to find out what is really there. This was an early turn in a hike that eventually had us gasping at a sheer dropoff. Taiwan's Taroko Gorge is truly spectacular. This little painting is just a teaser, really. (And yes, this picture was taken with my phone, and that's my lap.)

#26 of 30 "Shall We Go Up?" - Guizekeng, Beitou, Taiwan

"Shall We Go Up?" - Guizekeng, Taiwan
- Acrylic on Canvas
- approx. 16.1x12.4"/41x 31.5cm

From our front door to the trail head to Guizekeng takes about 13 minutes on foot. About half an hour and a steep climb later, you traverse a long ridge, then drop into a steep drainage and come back out. Just beyond a little temple to the mountain god, you come to this bend in the trail where you have a choice: you can head on down again and loop back home, or you can take the stone steps and check out another view before you go.

#25 of 30 - "Where the Mountain Breathes" - Yangmingshan

"Where the Mountain Breathes" - Yangmingshan
- Acrylic on Canvas, approx. 16x21"/41x53cm

On January 1 of 2014, we had perfect weather, so Ping and I got on the motorcycle and wound our way up to Yangmingshan National Park, not far from our house. A couple of hours later, we topped out on Qixingshan, a.k.a. "7 Star Mountain." It was such a nice day that everyone was out hiking. It was a zoo at the summit. However, the hike was well worth it. This is my view of Ping hiking through XiaoYouKung, climbing up between the fumaroles. I love these volcanic areas where you can see the mountain breathing. This painting was another "go for speed" experiment. I used only two brushes and limited my palette to 6 colors plus white. I'll do some tweaks, but it's "signed and being stared at" now.