{"id":259783,"date":"2026-04-09T19:06:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/259783\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T19:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:06:09","slug":"james-ongs-californian-dreams-come-true-los-gatan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/259783\/","title":{"rendered":"James Ong\u2019s Californian dreams come true | Los Gatan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"James<\/a>OUTDOORS – Showcasing \u201cRio Carnival\u201d at Iwasawa Oriental Art\u2019s Japanese garden. (Amanda Senior \/ Los Gatan)<\/p>\n

Designed with Japanese aesthetics, Iwasawa Oriental Art<\/a> is an immersive experience. Taking center stage, a tatami mat is set with tea ceremony utensils. Curated antiques, some several centuries old, are displayed throughout in glass cabinets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One wall features an impressive collection of abstract paintings by artist, James Ong<\/a>. Blending antiques and contemporary art is a little unusual, yet with proprietor Kumiko Iwasawa\u2019s discerning eye and artistic flair, the two meld seamlessly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ong grew up in the US, after immigrating from Taiwan as a young child. For decades, he worked as an engineer while dreaming of being an artist. Tiring of the tech grind, Ong decided to paint his own path. He traded engineering for art.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was starting out, it shocked me that people wanted to buy my paintings,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s always good to meet the buyers and ask them why they buy it, and why it affects them. I\u2019m grateful to Kumiko and her belief in me, for the opportunity to show my art.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perched at the entrance is a wooden fukurou\u2014an owl good luck charm\u2014warding off misfortune and hardship. Judging by the success of the current abstract installation, \u201cCalifornia Dreams,\u201d I\u2019d say the fukurou is a keeper.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ong\u2019s work is influenced by Zen Buddhism, as well as Japanese art and design.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating art is a form of meditation. When I\u2019m painting, nothing else is on my mind. The world goes away,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m focused on what I feel when I see the colors on the surface. Sometimes they end up dark. There\u2019s a story coming out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like any artist, Ong has his preferences, painting with Golden brand acrylic, and Holbein Acrylic Gouache.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve mainly used acrylic so I can build layers,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I wait for it to dry, that moment is gone; it changes the field.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Iwasawa\u2019s art piece of the month, \u201cCalifornia Dreaming\u201d features a layered kaleidoscope of neon color, reminiscent of a serene sunset.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I finished this piece, I saw surfers. It\u2019s a California dream. Bright sunny days relaxing on a beach overlooking blue waters,\u201d he said, gesturing at his painting.<\/p>\n

Ong is a modest man, so Iwasawa chimed in, \u201cIt\u2019s impossible not to feel happy when looking at this piece.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iwasawa removes \u201cRainbow Eucalyptus Dreams\u201d from the wall, demonstrating how Ong\u2019s work can be displayed horizontally or vertically.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m secretly relieved by the principle, given that I admittedly hung a decorative pinboard in my living room without a clue as to which way was up or down.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughters bought my first pieces,\u201dOng said. \u201cThey still have the paintings, and they\u2019re still some of my favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long until other art enthusiasts caught on. Ong has built an impressive resume across the Bay. And he hasn\u2019t stopped there. His work has been featured in galleries in Colorado and Arizona.<\/p>\n

\"JamesCOLORFUL \u2013 James Ong shares his painting techniques with other artists. He hopes they\u2019ll seize their moment.
(Courtesy of James Ong)<\/p>\n

In addition, Imagery Estate Winery & Art Gallery, located in the heart of Sonoma Valley, commissioned him to create a label for their 2021 Upper Ridge Vineyard Tempranillo. Priced at $58 per bottle, it\u2019s an affordable piece of art for a small scale space.<\/p>\n

And local restaurant Chez Philippe has installed five art pieces, so guests can get a taste of Ong\u2019s work while enjoying French cuisine.<\/p>\n

Having attained his own dream, Ong now encourages others to pursue theirs. To seize the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can plan for the future, we can regret the past, but life is happening right now,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope my paintings have people take a moment to slow down, make their own art.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ong measures success by creating his paintings on his own terms. In the future, he\u2019d like to add 3D objects to his work, such as construction toys and wooden blocks in interactive installations.<\/p>\n

Ong has plenty of wisdom to impart to aspiring artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to learn to trust yourself and develop a sense and sensibility,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t compare yourself to others. Each person is on their own path. Measure your progress with your older artworks. Keep learning, experimenting, observing. Paint for yourself, focus on the process\u2026the end result will surprise you\u2026in a good way\u2026hopefully.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, how should one choose art?<\/p>\n

\"wine\"<\/a>VINO \u2013 Commissioned work for Imagery Estate Winery & Art Gallery<\/a>: \u201cFlora Dreams of a Midnight Temple.\u201d
(Courtesy of Imagery Estate Winery)<\/p>\n

\u201cI think art chooses the person,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen it grabs you, it makes you experience something. That\u2019s the influence that art has on you, reminding you of a place or childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before leaving, I took a moment to meditate over Ong\u2019s piece, \u201cJourney to Nirvana.\u201d I saw gold capped-mountains\u2014hard work paid off. In the distance, a steeper range rises, yet to be conquered. And for Ong, it seems the only way is up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OUTDOORS – Showcasing \u201cRio Carnival\u201d at Iwasawa Oriental Art\u2019s Japanese garden. (Amanda Senior \/ Los Gatan) Designed with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[12837,114519,3982,114520,114521,27635,88,90,89,43437],"class_list":{"0":"post-259783","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-jose","8":"tag-artist","9":"tag-imagery-estate-winery","10":"tag-immigrant","11":"tag-iwasawa-oriental-art","12":"tag-james-ong","13":"tag-painting","14":"tag-san-jose","15":"tag-san-jose-headlines","16":"tag-san-jose-news","17":"tag-taiwan"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}