Gallery of watercolors, silkscreened and stenciled prints by Henry Yuen
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"Warm Sun, Good Book, No Phones"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Many people associate nudity with sex because they don't know any better and because it's a lot more exciting than associating nudity with a bath. Being nude to me means it's finally summer, weekends at the beach, and not having to answer the telephone. Honokohau, Hawaii |
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"Sauna with Friends"
14 X 21 inch watercolor A wood fired outdoor sauna requires a group effort to haul bundles of firewood and buckets of water. Unless you want to haul wood and water all by yourself, everyone, men, women and children, pitches in and sauna together. Tutka Bay, Alaska |
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"Culture Clash: Hawaiian Fishermen and Tourists"
14 X 21 inch watercolor I grew up in Hawaii and know both sides of the story. I was taught only the primitive people went with out any clothes. If you want to get ahead in life, you need to "dress for success". The missionaries also said "Shame, shame", naked men and women do not co-mingle. So the locals complain "how come the haoles (Caucasians) get the luna (supervisor or manager) jobs and do what we were taught not to do?" Meanwhile, the free spirits are rebelling against the concept that you need to cover up unless you look like a fashion model and never accepted the idea that grown men and women can not be trusted to be in each other's company unless they are fully dressed. Anyway, neither group are on the same wavelength and all kinds of wrong signals are conveyed. Honokohau, Hawaii |
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"Walk Along The Beach"
14 X 21 inch watercolor A lot of people can sit and read the entire day without moving. I have to get up and stretch my legs once in while. On Sauvie Island, you can walk a mile yonder and back. Honokohau, Hawaii |
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"Cold Fresh Water Springs"
14 X 21 inch watercolor This fresh water springs is very refreshing. You leave felling very clean after a hot day in the sun and salt water. But, unless someone showed you the way, this place is very hard to find. It is out in the middle of a lava field with no landmarks to navigate by. Queen's Bath, Hawaii |
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"Lots Of People On The Weekend"
14 X 21 inch watercolor My early experience with naturism was hiking alone in the Alaskan wilderness. This was my first nude beach in the contiguous 48 states and I was truely amazing by the number of kindred spirits on that weekend. Fire Island, New York. |
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"Listening for Approaching Train" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania |
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"Masks, Snorkels, and Fins #1" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Honokohau, Hawaii |
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"Chatting With Passerby" 14 X 21 inch watercolor The island of Oahu does not have a clothes optional beach. Instead, there might be couple on the far corner of one beach and someone else on the other side of the island. If and when naturists meet, everyone compares notes on the various beaches they have been to or heard about. Honolulu, Hawaii |
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"Umbrellas and Windbreaks"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Sketching on location doesn't allow me enough time to capture all the details that a photograph would. So I have quickly to draw my first impressions and then come back later to fill in the missing parts. What caught my eye from the beginning were the bridge and the windbreaks because I thought the combination was unique to Sandy Hook. Sandy Hook, New Jersey |
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"Beach With Lifeguard"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Most clothes optional beaches are out of the way places. My first impression of Sandy Hook was “Wow, lifeguards!.” I got the impression there were more people in the clothes optional section so you have to commend the Park Service for placing the resources where the users are. You also have to commend the Park Service for acknowledging the presence of a clothes optional beach. Looking back in time, men without shirts on the beach and the bikini were both once considered scandalous. Sandy Hook, New Jersey |
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"Big Log On The Beach"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Every spring I wonder how the beach changed over the winter. One year, a big log washed up and people used it as a natural windbreak or as something to sit on. Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Catching Up On The News #1"
21 x 29 inch watercolor Sauvie Island is a very restful and soothing place to get away from the city. It is so quiet, that you can overhear other people talking about their kids, new recipes, the tomatoes in their garden, the stock market. You know, the entire time that I have been there, I never heard anything that could not be discussed in church. Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Volleyball" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Hot Springs With New Friends"
14 X 21 inch watercolor I rarely see strangers talk to one another unless they had to, whether standing in line, or waiting for your kids at a school event, or between services at church. On the other hand, I frequently see nude strangers talking to one another while soaking in a hot springs. I think everyone feels equally vulnerable with their defenses down, so people make an effort to put each other at ease. Cougar Hot Springs, Oregon |
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"Keawe Tree Branch"
14 X 21 inch watercolor While there is no shade on the beach itself, the hill sides were covered with keawe (mesquite). One of them was uprooted because of erosion during storm and created a landmark for people to gather around. Makena, Hawaii |
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"Indoor Wine and Cheese Social"
14 X 21 inch watercolor My first nudist social started soon after I presented a watercolor workshop. I was putting my brushes and supplies away when all these people showed with food in their hands. I never saw anything like this before. If I wanted to sketch then I wasn't going to be able to eat. Sure enough, all good things must come to an end and everyone wandered off leaving me with this memory. 1996 NW Naturist Gathering at Kaniksu, Washington |
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"Gathering Workshop"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Naturist gatherings and festivals are full of workshops, many of them running concurrently. This workshop on weaving using native grasses wasn't even on the schedule. And look at all the people that showed up. Kaniksu, Washington |
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"Catching Up On The News #2" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Fishermen With Patient Wives"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Husbands patiently wait while their wives are shopping and wives patiently wait while their husbands go fishing. Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Beach Gossip"
14 X 21 inch watercolor There is a slower pace at the beach and more time to talk to people that we have come to recognize over the years. Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Chatting Before Dinner" 11 x 14 inch stenciled print Lupin, California |
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"Body Painting"
14 X 21 inch watercolor I have a very good friend that body paints at Wreak Beach. Wreak Beach, British Columbia |
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"Snack Bar"
11 x 14 inch stenciled print This trailer was converted into a kitchen with commercial grade appliances. It reminded me of the ubiquitous mobile lunch wagons that provided "plate lunches" in Hawaii that I miss to this day. LARC, Washington |
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"Solving The World's Problems" 14 X 21 inch watercolor McCridie Hot Springs, Oregon |
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"Lots To Talk About"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Each spring I get to see my beach friends again. We get to tell each other what we did over the winter and our plans for the summer. Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Outdoor Wine and Cheese Social"
14 X 21 inch watercolor I was looking forward to the wine and cheese social at my second Naturist Gathering. The weather was sunny and it was held outdoors on a very narrow deck. I must have appeared to be an outsider looking in because people kept trying to include me in the conversations. Well, I could sketch or socialize but not both. I may not have gotten any new sketches of people that afternoon but I did capture the feel of being outdoors on the deck. 1997 Naturist Gathering at Kaniksu, Washington |
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"Walk Along The Beach #2" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Sauvie Island, Oregon |
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"Weaving Workshop On The Lawn"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Sketching an activity on location is difficult if I have not gone through the motions myself. This workshop on weaving sun visors from cattail fronds was no exception. Everybody's hands were moving so quickly. So I joined in, learning to weave and sketching along the way. This was the results. I still the visor at home, after all these years. Kaniksu, Washington |
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"Hot Tub With Roof Overhead"
14 X 21 inch watercolor When it is cold and raining in the Pacific Northwest, I cheer myself with the reminder that someone is probably at the hot springs, sitting in the hot tub, blissfully ignoring the rain or even snow at that elevation. Bagby Hot Springs, Oregon |
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"Cribbage Tournament"
14 X 21 inch watercolor LARC, Washington |
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"Dream Catcher Workshop"
11 x 14 inch silkscreened print Naturist gatherings and festivals have a lot of workshops presented by volunteers. In this one, we are learning to make dream catches, an native American art object. The entire edition was donated as a fund raiser at the 1999 Western Naturist Gathering Lupin, California |
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"Sauna With Wood Stove" 11 x 7 inch watercolor This is how a lot of people take their baths in rural Alaska especially where there is no running water and no way to heat a large quantity of water. Ugashik, Alaska |
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"Waterproof Watch"
11 x 14 inch silkscreened print Natural hot springs feed this hot tub in the mountains, about a mile and a half from the nearest road. Some people are so accustomed to being nude that they forget to remove their jewelry before entering the hot water. Of course, concerned people will remind you that you forgot. "Oh, don't worry", she said, "my wristwatch is waterproof". Bagby Hot Springs, Oregon |
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"Hikers On Ridge Top"
14 X 21 inch watercolor I enjoy being outdoors and did not pass up the opportunity to hike up a ridge in the Cascades with a group of naturists. The hillside had been logged and the first plants to grow back were tall grasses and fireweed. Even though I had no clothes on, I was warm enough that my perspiration soaked through my backpack and damaged my sketch papers. LARC, Washington |
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"Soaking in Hot Springs"
14 X 21 inch watercolor There are a lot of volcanoes where I live. The magma underground provide the heat for natural hot springs. People go to these springs to soak and relax in a quiet and natural setting. Historians say some of the hot springs have therapeutic value. The Indians would bring their sick and wounded here for the healing waters. They would put aside their weapons before entering the area around the hot springs. Today, people soak in the hot waters as an antidote to the fast paced life in the city. Likewise, they leave their clothes behind on a rack on the hillside before entering the pools. Cougar Hot Springs, Oregon |
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"Cribbage Tournament"
11 x 14 inch silkscreened print There is so many workshops and activities crammed into a Naturist Gathering or Festival, that you can't be everywhere at once. There was a cribbage tournament that lasted a couple of days, a flower arranging workshop, a hike, a jam session, and more. The entire edition was donated as a fund raiser at the 2000 NW Naturist Festival. LARC, Washington |
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"Chicken Dance"
11 x 14 inch watercolor Nudist love to dance just like anyone else and you don't have to be German to do the chicken dance. I am so used to being around people with no clothes on that I don't pay any attention. However, I did notice that the band did not someone playing the accordion. Squaw Mt Ranch's annual music festival, Oregon |
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"Poolside Chat" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Fraternity Snoqualmie, Washington |
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"Sauna With Another Couple" 11 x 7 inch watercolor Fraternity Snoqualmie, Washington |
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"wildflower walk"
11 x 14 inch Silkscreened Print When I travel, I like to sample the local foods and see the birds and plants that can only be found in that part of the world. On this nature walk, our tour guide stops to identify some wild flowers including fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium). She said, you can tell it is the middle of the summer because the flower buds open starting from the bottom and we are only half way up the stalk. By autumn, the last bud on the top will have opened. Lake Associates Recreation Club and Kaniksu Ranch, Washington. |
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"Morning Parade"
14 X 21 inch watercolor What a amusing tradition at nudist conventions. Gather everyone together for a early morning parade and wake up the late sleepers. There is still time for breakfast and a full day of workshops to attend. LARC, Washington |
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"Bar-B-Que Social"
11 x 14 inch silkscreened print With everyone gathered around the bar-b-que, it is a good opportunity to catch up on the news and share new stories. The entire edition was donated as a fund raiser at the 2001 Western Naturist Gathering, Swallows Sun Island, California LARC, Washington |
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"Jugglers Passing Pins"
14 X 21 inch watercolor I am always amazed by the variety of talent that I see in other people. This couple was practicing passing pins and attracted a small audience. Squaw Mountain Ranch, Oregon. |
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"next appointment" 14 X 21 inch watercolor Massages bring relief to weary muscle where ever they are offered from the office to the airport to the nudist resort. Lake Associates Recreation Club, Washington |
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"woman with cockatoo"
21 x 14 inch Original Watercolor My naturist friends are just like my clothed friends. They take their children, pets, and knitting projects where ever they go. Fraternity Snoqualmie, Washington. |
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"Morning parade through RV sites"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Nudist conventions has this amusing tradition of staging an early morning parade to wake people up for a full day of activities. LARC, Washington |
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"Morning parade through tent sites"
14 X 21 inch watercolor The club hosting of a nudist convention put a lot of effort into organizing a full day of activities and they are not going to let anyone sleep in and miss out. And that is why, every morning, there is this loud, noisy parade marching through the tent sites. LARC, Washington |
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"Chili cooking competition"
14 X 21 inch watercolor Everyone is busy with his or her job and it is easy to forget that on this weekend you don't have to wear clothes if you don't want to. Sad to say that on Monday morning, the neckties and pantyhoses go back on. Squaw Mountain Ranch, Oregon |
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"Dancing to live music"
11 x 14 inch Silkscreened Print I told my wife that I really enjoyed watching the older couples ballroom dancing, like east-coast swing, cha-cha, etc. One thing led to another and soon we were taking dancing lessons. God did not give me the gift of music or dancing (I can't keep time). But God did give me the gift of drawing and this is my fond recollection of naturist couples dancing to live music. The entire edition was donated as a fund raiser at the 2002 Naturist Society's NorthWestern Naturist Festival Lake Associates Recreation Club, Washington. |
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"body surfing" 21 x 11 inch Original Watercolor Body surfing was fun when I was younger. But you need to judge distances and time the waves. Now that I am a lot older, I can't see as well and don't go in the water like I used to. Little Beach (Makena), Hawaii |
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"kayaks" 11 x 14 inch Silkscreened Print Sauvie Island, Oregon. |
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"music by the pool" 11 x 14 inch Silkscreened Print Shangri-la Ranch, Arizona. |
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"lunch" 21 x 14 inch Original Watercolor Fraternity Snoqualmie, Washington. |
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"smashball" 21 x 14 inch Original Watercolor Restful Haven, Oregon. |
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"shared hot springs" 21 x 14 inch Original Watercolor Olympic National Park, Washington. |
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"top free ice cream" 10 x 14 inch screen and stencil print Since 1992, women have the same legal rights as men when it comes to not wearing a shirt or top in New York when buying ice cream on a hot summer day. However, four women got arrested for "exposure of a person" as recently as 2005. Cooler heads eventually prevailed when the district attorney declined to prosecute the case. This entire edition has been donated to Topfree Equal Rights Association to help raise funds for legal fees. Moravia, New York |
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"work party" 10 x 14 inch screen and stencil print Twice a year volunteers help clean up and repair winter storm damage at Rooster Rock State Park in the Columbia Gorge. Recently, they help rebuild a trail to the beach. Rooster Rock State Park, Oregon |
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All Images and Content Copyright © 2002 Henry Yuen All Rights Reserved |
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