Interested in purchasing art work? Please leave a comment with your email address. I'll contact you. Illustration work is available at ASA "Style File."

Monday, September 24, 2012

Rookwood Cemetery Open Day for Family Fun

Hi, Friends, did you have a wonderful weekend? I had a big night on Saturday to celebrate my dear friend's birthday. Thank goodness, ah, when I woke up, it was Sunday! 
But this illustrator made a hurry to "Rookwood Cemetery open day". We, Sydney Sketch Club planned to meet up. (*all my sketches are A4.)                                 

The event includes a parade, a bus tour, heritage tours, birc-a-brac, grave digging demonstrations, entertainment, etc. All money raised, goes towards restoration projects within the Cemetery.
In the parade, a horse-drawn hearse carrying a coffin interested me most. Wow, gorgeous. 
There, the most cute and lovely character was this old bicycle riding gentleman with a lorikeet! Isn't he charming? I played up the guy's personality in the sketches. Other people around me said, "It's him! It's him!" I want to develop him more in a studio!!
Also, white doves were released twice. May peace be on people and the earth. 
Traditional dancing was a very much fun. All the people were in retro costumes.The mood and movements fascinated me very much.
Sketching always inspires me. Light brush strokes in a quick movement make interesting references for illustration. Personally, I try to keep a light-hearted movement in a studio as well.

However, illustration needs to match a text. So, I do not want to fall in a pit, "one trick pony style." Like above uploaded, I enjoy a caricature style, too. Broad repertoire is one of my life long goals. 

When the event was over, I sketched the cemetery. "How to live each moment," is my concern.  
"Devote each day to the object then in time and every evening will find something done" --- Goethe. 
I hope myself to live this moment fully with joy. (*I tell myself, "Everyday is my birthday!") 

Friends, Happy Painting! Enjoy sketching!! 



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Monday, September 17, 2012

Friends, Bloom Out Fully!

Friends, each seed will become a different flower that has beauty. To live/become genuine, real oneself is the answer to live fully.
Now, we're getting into spring. Many flowers are blooming out here in Sydney. I felt like sketching them!
In this sketch,  I really enjoyed colours. Playing with colours thrilled me! Yey! 
This work could be my breakthrough of still life.
Even though I hardly made still life, my favorite old work was "acorns" below,  You'll find my style was more traditional, not liquid like above.

In the "acorns," I have a good memory and deep thoughts -- a psychologist, "Karen Horney." In Horney's approach, what attracted me most is "the human individuals, given a chance, tends to develop his particular human potentialities," like an acorn grows to an oak tree.
Horney asserts that each person, becoming a real self, has the inherent capacity to improve an individual life and become a self-realized / activated person. Free from anxiety, unique, warm, spontaneous, full of joy, simple life and unafraid.

What a beautiful expression and impressive metaphor!! I felt. A tiny acorn, but it merrily grows to a huge tree that can even rest others in her cool shade. Wow... but how could I be a real self?

I kept searching for my direction at uni whistle reading, chatting with lecturers and friends. Also, the sudden disability happened on me. When I attended the children picture book illustration course, lecturers(*famous professional illustrators) recognized my talent at once. A psychology lecturer encouraged me to be "what I am" fully.

I felt, "I don't want to live fake / pseudo myself. I want to live genuine, real Sadami." I've loved drawing since childhood. For me, drawing and painting is life. It's "me" -- I've found it! Finally, I determined to become a professional artist after uni, the lecturers celebrated my decision so much. For my departure and our good bye, the psychology lecturer suggested me read "The Gift of Therapy" by Irvin Yalom. What coincidence! I found Karen Horney in the Chapter 1, "Remove Obstacles to Growth". I really appreciated our lecturer's kindness.

Today, my life focuses on art activities. Very simple and joyful despite the disability etc.  And Friends, believe it? My watercolour painting style has begun to dramatically change since I started living "true myself". Yes, my brush cannot help but dance on papers from joy! Lively, liquid, colourful, spontaneous, free, cheerful etc, just like Horney claims. The other day, another friend says, "You're blooming out now!" Yes, indeed.

So, Friends, bloom out fully as you are. Each one's answer is different and only you can find it. Once, you really find who you are, sure, your talent will come out. You do not need to be someone else, but be what you are. You're unique and precious, as I said before.
I hope my poor writing will make sense for you and you will take a rest in this post.  I sketched this oak tree yesterday.
Friends, Happy Painting!!

Bibliography  

Boeree, C. G. (1997). Karen Horney: 1885-1952. Personality theories. Internet. 4 Sept. 2001. http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/horney.html.

Horney, K. (1991) "Neurosis and Human Growth," New York, Norton Company.

Yalom, I. (2001) "The Gift of Therapy," UK, Piatkus. 






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Friday, September 14, 2012

Lunch with Children & Tobby Riddle at Book Fest

Hi, Friends, exclusive! 
I was invited for the lunch and enjoyed it with children at Book Festival today. 
We, authors and picture book illustrators met 500 children in a Hall. 
A panel discussion was a great fun. Authors often made us laugh. I sketched it. Can you see children looking at them with a great interest?

For children, we are super heroes --- I felt my responsibility as an artist. Kids took lots of photos of us.
 ...personally, I really love these naughty pretty girls ( I used to do it! and still do it!!), ahahaha!  
 
Friends, see this great talent! One girl, Lyn sketched me. It captures me very well and very cute and pretty! Thank you, Lyn! 
Ten students, a teacher and an author or an illustrator were at each table.  We had a wonderful time.
Many children made a queue to get my authography and a quick drawing with a message, "Love and Hope!" 
Often kids said, "Coool!" "Funny!" "Awesome!" Hahaha!  
Yes, my message is same as before and will be so in my artist life. I'd deliver children love, hope and dream.  

One girl talked to me at the end of the festival.
"Can you remember me?" she asked. 
Oh, flashback! I remembered her! Yes, the girl asked me to sketch her a year ago. She kept it for her treasure and showed it me again. Oh, Sweetie, lovely. Thank YOU for remembering me! 
Children, you deserve to be happy and beloved.
I heartily hope, one day, children will look back this day and this memory will help them get through a tough time.

A big bonus is I could meet the brilliant author and illustrator Tohby Riddle in person. I'm his big fan! His great surrealism, sophisticated humour and sweetness, very heartwarming messages are so lovely. Well, you can find Tohby's duck sneaking in my watermark!! Got it?  (*Yeah, I was nothing different from other children. I put myself in his queue to get it!)

I'd really appreciate organizers' hard work and other backstage players efforts for the event. Thank you for giving me the great opportunity to share time with kids. 

I certainly feel an illustartor is a wonderful job! I love it.
Have a wonderful weekend, Friends!!  
Happy Painting!! 
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Monday, September 10, 2012

1)AAA uses "Melancholic Beer" 2)Self Acceptance & "This" ability

Special thanks for many people's warm cheers for me. 
So far, my work, "Melancholic Beer" has 60 votes in people's choice for Arts Access Australia prize. A big number. Goodwilll is wonderful. I'd pay back my special thanks to others by art work!

Yey!! Indeed! I've got a fantastic opportunity to contribute to Arts Access Australia.  Friends!! Accessible Arts NSW will use my work "Melancholic Beer" to promote the Arts Activated Conference on 30, 31st, October, Chatswood in Sydney. I'm so happy~~!! Great honour!! Friends, pinch me! Am I still smiling? "Cheers, Friends," I want to share this joy with all the supporters. Not melancholic at all. What a positive outcome! (*Wow, my head's in a cloud?!)

People say with a big smile, "Sadami, you're so positive!" Yes, I am! I've learned "Be what I am fully" from this disability and psychology at uni. The most beauty of what I've learned in psychology is "proper self-understanding." It builds up self-esteem and genuine confidence. Also, "love yourself properly" gives a person the ability to accept/love others properly, too.

It's not easy to look at oneself objectively. Set back and find what I did. Of course, I found disappointed things, nice things etc. Then, I begin to dig deep why I felt so? Of course, it could be painful to face  real what I am = what disappoints me? Although it took time to do it, it was worth spending time. If so, I dig deep more.  I began to understand why I felt/behaved so. Deep self-understanding enables me to perceive my value system.

Furthermore, I found my value system was quite tough and narrow. I've realized the strengths and the weaknesses are the coin's head and tail (*think of this; Sadami is Sadami. You're looking at the same person from different angles). A judgemental view is subjective and up to an individual value system.

Now, I've begun to love what I am in a realistic way. I did not turn away from "what I am" at all. "Despite the facts, I still love myself," could be a more appropriate statement, at last. The key is how we look at ourselves. 

The precious paradox is, once a person accepts who she is, she begins to change in a positive way. Liberation begins.
I've learned that "pushing oneself too much," and "demanding oneself" changes nothing. Or it may damage a person's self-esteem and destroy her confidence completely.   
Today, I love this disabled leg so much. Thus, this is not a disablity any more. It's part of me! This ability has actually matured me as a person and an artist. I've met  many people with leukemia, cancer and other chronic conditions at hospital. I met paralympians in a stadium. As far as I know all of them embracing their lives instead of complaining about unchangeable conditions. Awesome. They became my wonderful role models. Friends, that's the way! Embrace yourself properly and kindly. 

So, with all my heart, I'd say, "Please love yourself properly. You're special and precious on the earth!"
In my eyes, anyone is shining. Everyone has unique beauty.
Find it, let it shine. In drawings, I want to depict my findings or your beauties on papers.

Friends, Happy Painting!! Have a nice week!







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Monday, September 3, 2012

1)Finalist for AAA Prize 2)Daffodils Sold!

London Paralympics excites me so much! Yey!! (*Can you remember once I sketched Australian paralympians?)

Now, great news. My work, "Melancholic Beer" is running as a finalist for Arts Access Australia prize ($5,000) and People's choice ($1,000).  Some people have already voted for me --- I'd really appreciate kindness. Very encouraging. In response to your vote, I'll keep up creating good work! Run, Sadami, run!

AAA prize is the only national art prize for people with disability. Wow, all shortlisted work is powerful and evocative. Level is high. What an honour that I could get in! Very happy!

But winning is not all. I always try comps to challenge myself. Also, I make new nice friends through comps.

Indeed, I'm really looking forward to

Desire and Destination: ArtsActivated Conference 

to meet other artists, staff and involved people in Chatswood Concourse in October. Furthermore, AAA kindly offer their website for artists to show art works. Other artists' stories really lift me up.

Here's my section.

Joint it and maximize opportunities, if you're eligible!


Another good news! 
My work, "daffodils" was sold at Victoria Cancer Council annual exhibition in Melbourne. So happy I could contribute to VCC. The theme is "strength." Here's the shortlisted work(pdf).  Each work is very touchy. Oh..., people create art work in really a narrow margin between life and death. Their work teaches me how precious our every moment is. I heartily hope my work will bring others strength, hope and joy.
So, Friends, if you have anyone involved with disabilities or cancer, please pass this post and encourage them to join these organizations. Anyone deserves to be happy. Let's enjoy life fully!

Oh, yes, one more good news. 

I've been challenging walking with a new orthotics, a new brace/splint and new red feminine shoes. (*Orthotics = shoe sole. Splint=brace to hold a leg). This splint -- light, flexible, strong -- serves very well! The best one I ever tried before. Now, it allows me to put on girly shoes. Yey!
Even though my case is very difficult to organize a best-fit orthotics,  the podiatrist has been working hard for these years. 
I will never give up.
Of course, sometimes, I feel life is hard. But I'm busy with being happy and working on art. So, I tell negative feelings/thoughts etc, "I don't have time to play with you," and shut a door.ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ  
I've learned this paradox. Hope never leaves us -- Hope requires one condition; have "guts" to keep it. I have guts and I know your cheers are my energy. Thanks millions!

Friends, have a wonderful week. Happy Painting!!










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