Sadami's Graffiti 貞美の落書

Home, Sweet Home (Sketching Architecture)

2012-01-30T01:40:00.003+11:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been?
Well, as I promised you, I'm challenging architecture in 2012.
Let's explore old houses in Parramatta. Parramatta has an old history in both Indigenous Australians and colonialism. Parramatta originally comes from the Aboriginal word Baramada or Burramatta, "the place where the eels lie down" or "head of waters." The Burramatta people (Burra meaning place, matta meaning eels) belonged to the Dharug people. So, Parra has so many historical and old architectures.

Let's sketch "ordinary" people's houses.
Below. A lusted roof is so eye catchy. Too beautiful to miss it. The contrast between green and white is lovely. Technically, making rust on paper was really fun.

Below, the decorated roof is very interesting. Who started decoration? Rich guys? It stimulates imagination.
The green roof and red bricks make a very charming colour harmony.
Very the essential part of a house...
Ohhh, loo, my sweet loo... Today, this toilet is used for a storage. Hey, it has a great, great character.Finally, another essential place for a society, a cemetery.
St Patrick's Cemetery. Tomb stones tell the history from about 1820s. Oh...under a shower of cicadas signings, tombs talk to a passenger silently. Quiet.
Actually, light rain drops gave the sketch a lovely spitting technique.

Did you enjoy my archtecture sketches?
I seem to get tips to handle buildings. I do not play with colours like my portraits (below at a cafe). But celebrate small achievements.
Step by step, one goes far! I'll have a hand surgery this Tuesday.
Please understand my absence for a while till recovery.
Thank you for great cheers.

You, too, take care.
Friends, Happy Painting!!

Artist's Dilemma Between Self-Growth & Business

2012-01-23T01:52:00.005+11:00

Hi, Friends, how are you? In Australia, summer. Cicadas make a shower of sounds and conduct a symphony.

By the way, cicada shells reminds me of an artist's dilemma in art market. Conflicts between Artists, Consumers and Art Dealers(=eg, Publisher, Gallery) in a benefits orientated business. Because artists are changing styles like cicadas leave shells, sometimes not easy to respond to a customer's order and meet public expectation. Changing styles is equivalent to an artist's growing process.
So, appreciation of art work can be "looking at old work," or shells left on the earth. As far as I know, all illustrators change styles and want to challenge something new. Artist is not a one-trick pony.
But ironically, once, an aritst makes a very big hit, market demands same products. In order to pay bills, an artist does reproduce it. In my eyes, sometimes, the more artist becomes famous, the more a tragedy becomes serious.

After knowing famous artists' pains, I've become sensitive for chats. A commercial success does not always promise an artist happiness in a creative journey.
One artist said, "Being famous is...empty. Empty..."
Yes, a shell is empty...not alive...
I thank for my being nameless in market.

Also, many artists have varied styles together.
Several years ago, I sought a very successful illustrator's advice on what sorts of styles to keep. The illustrator said, "I used many different styles to pay bills. But keep the most comfortable one. Stick with it." I see...
Again, the answer taught me how important to be faithful to what I am.

Anyway, cicadas sing as much as they can in a short life after years under a ground. Like cicadas, most of us do not come up on a central stage. Often art income is not either enough or stable. My dear friend and artist affirms, "Yeah, our artist life is not long!" in a merrily and positive way.

Yet, cicadas sing loud with all their lives.
Yey! Go, go, cicadas. Live short lives fully.
Friends, happy painting!!
(*I watercolour painted the below really looking upward a summer sky.)

Are You/Am I an Artist?--How to Find Answer For Your Own

2012-01-16T00:02:00.004+11:00

Hi, Friends, we encounter this objective and subjective Q, "Are you/Am I an artist?" in life. Some seek an answer in techniques, others in a financial income, others in fame etc. My approach is different from above. Yet, my answer is yes.
I'd share the experiences and thoughts.

Stormy sea

A German poet, Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet," has answered me. I've been reading this book since a teenage. A very short book. Rilke's 10 letters to a poet wannabe, Kappus. Full of beautiful sentences, deep thoughts and spot on.

A wondering sheep, Kappus asks Rilke, newspaper editors and so ons, if his work is good, comparing with others. Well, we tend to do the same, too much worried about others comments on our job and skeptical about our talent or ability.

Deep thoughts in sunshine at Narrabeen beach

Rilke's caring and sensitive answer is below,
"Now(as you have permitted me to do advise you) I beg you to give all that up. You're looking outwards.... Nobody can advice and help you, nobody. There's one single means. Go inside yourself. Discover the motive that bids you write: examine it sends its roots down to the deepest place of your heart, confess to yourself whether you would have to die if writing were denied you."

...a teenage Sadami gave up writing, but drawing! ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

Rilke goes on.
"Ask yourself in the quietest hour of your night : must I write? Dig down into yourself for a deep answer. If this should be in the affirmative, if you may meet this question with a strong and simple, "I must," then, build your life according to this necessity...."

I was convinced that I'm an artist = drawer, painter, even though it took ages to feel the "strong short yes."
You see, Friends, technical, financial, social status etc are not a matter at all.

Furthermore, Rilke suggests Kappus what subjects should be for poems. I admire Rilke's attitude.

"Draw near to Nature. Try as if you were one of the first men, to day what you see and experience and love and lose."(*Friends, I always try to see the world like a new born baby.) Also, our "daily life" is rich inspiration resources. Rilke says. "If your everyday life seems poor to you, do not accuse it; accuse yourself, tell yourself you're not poet enough to summon up its riches ; since the creator there is no poverty and no poor or unimportant place."

Yes, so true.

I sketch our everyday life and feel the beauty all the time. As if I were finding gold out of mud. But in fact, all is gold, not a single junk exists in our life -- it's all up to an artist's eyes.(Hope my poor English makes sense!)

Critics may say, "Sadami, Rilke's thoughts are much like vocation or too abstract." Of course, you can find other ways. But for me, Rilke has shown really the 'concrete' methods to know "who/what I am." It has enlightened me. Today, I'm the artist.Friends, let us listen to our hearts, trust in ourselves and go on.
The answer is in ourselves. That awaits our awareness.

And the answer is so special. Precious and very private.
There's no need to disclose it to others.

Happy Painting!!

** REFERENCE **

"Selected Letters 1902-1926, Rainer Maria Rilke" (1988)
Quartet Books Ltd, London, pp409-410.

Children Picture Book Illustration Process

2012-01-09T00:00:00.004+11:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been?
This week, I'll chat over children picture book illustration process. Sadly, our job is often underestimated and not appreciated properly. Last year, a man boasting "studied design" said to me, "Children picture book illustration? They draw a big head child(*=distorted composition). Easy piecy," was all his knowledge about our job beneath contempt. I doubted what he had studied.
Picture book illustration is very time consuming. Usually, 32 pages for a trade picture book. Often 1 year contract. But no surprise, a few years take to finish up one project.

Black&White/Rough
1) text analysis,
What's the theme? Who is the target audience?
Brain storm, rough idea for page divide.
2) character design
Drawing, drawing, drawing! Know characters. From this stage, Illustrator develops a text further than the original.
3) Story Board & Dummy Book
Story board = thumb nailed pages like film cells.
Dummy = miniature of a picture book.
Lots of experiments. So many drawings. Takes a lot of time.
Check the dummy repeatedly to see information flow. Pace and space are important. Decide a text's position.
Make "several" dummies. Often Illustrator makes 5-6 dummies. Please figure out 6 by 32. How many pages?
4) Colour
Put colour. Check the dummy. Lots of experiments.
In the process, use all what we have---such as emotions, sensations, memories, research data etc, etc, to depict a given text. Editor helps Illustrator and Publisher gives feedback. Then, Illustrator gets back on the project. Repeat 1) to 4) again and again.

So, Illustrator job classified ad should go like this way;

"Wanted Children Picture Book Illustrator.
Sensitivity : Feel reality & fantasy in physical world & inner world. Skills : Can draw everything, anything visible and invisible. Fast job, preferable ( = keep deadline)."

Now, you get why I always keep sketching anything. Last Thursday, I sketched a watchrepair while he was repairing my watch band. Done in really several minutes. These daily sketches become important references.Seeing is believing.
This Victoria State Library website shows the foremost Australian illustrators working processes. Ann Spudvilas's video shows the process mentioned above in 3 minutes. I really admire other illustrators. My wonderful mentor Ann James is mothering Australian illustrators. Shaun Tan won an academy award last year.
Unfortunately, it seems Australian picture book illustrators are not internationally known. The American market is the place for a big commercial success. But I love Australia.

Friends, tons of unpublished drawings are behind 32 pages. If you come across a picture book illustrator down-&-out from job, please cheer her/him up.
Now, I'm ready for a hand surgery.
Happy painting!!

Everyday Is Bonus! Let's Challenge Everything!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.007+11:00

Hi, Friends, Happy New Year~~~!!!
Everyday is a NEW day. But often we are blind and deaf to appreciate it.

I met an old lady at hospital. Once, doctors told her, "Only 2 years are left for you..." Yes, literally, a death sentence. BUT that lady, with a big smile, said, "I've kept on living more than 20(30?) yrs after that! So, ever since, everyday is a bonus and I thank for each day." OOOOhhhh! Touchy! I held her hand with thanks. The story encourages me to live life fully with thanks. Don't waste your time! Sadami, challenge it!

Last year, I challenged sketching a sea. Today, I love it. An ocean is full of energy and life. Waves' sounds and scents...and wash away dust from a heart. Often silently people just wantching waves...
I sketched above after 1km swimming (A4). Do you kne? A sea changes colours and waves. It depends on time and a weather. Very fascinating. The technical problem is "humidity." Paints slowly get dry. Be careful about wash.

I sketched the boy below after finishing the rough sea above. Although very exhausted, I thought, "If I miss this, when will I encounter this again? Go, challenge it!"
Their family cheered up this little boy, "You're a legend!" "Good job!" They happily let me sketch him. The boy came to me and exclaimed, "It's me!!" Ahahaha, the wonderful feedback! That's the beauty of spot-on sketching, sharing joy and life!

Regarding resolutions, I'll challenge still life and architecture, particularly, flowers and buildings. These golden flowers picked up on the way back from the beach. Yet rough, this work might enable me to get a breakthrough how to handle flowers in a loose style. Friends, I thank for our precious encounters on the earth. Let us enjoy challenging and share joy at each moment of 2012.
I'll have a hand surgery on 31st Jan. I'm computing posts and leaving comments on your blogs after getting the doctor's permission.
Happy painting!! Have wonderful days! Yey!!!

Weight of Memory

2011-12-19T21:00:00.003+11:00

Hi, Friends, how are you? Aren't we busy?
Christmas and the end of the year is coming near. I'd like to dedicate this work for Friends in winter right now. Yes, spring is certainly coming up. Any time, hope stays with us. It's all up to us; how we see the world. Pre-Admission Consultation on the hand surgery went well. My childhood bad memory about hospital makes me a bit nervous. A kind nurse gave me this quote,

"Let us not burden our remembrance with
A heaviness that's gone."
William Shakespeare

Lovely! Spot on. Being stuck is wasting time. Long time ago, I decided to be "carefree" in a healthy way. Wash off negative memories. My stress buster is long swimming that dusts off the heart and the soul.

However, I check my resolutions for 2011.
1) Upload the blog every Monday like before.
I did it, even though now I do not do it because of the hand.
2) Explore watercolor.
I did. Regarding how to handle a background, I've begun to find solutions. Be brave. 3) Challenge landscape.
I did and joined a sketch club (Urban Sketchers Australia).4) More illustrations, focus on story telling. Illustrate a classic story.
I did it and have the ongoing projectʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ.
5) Lots of cartoons. Stress busters.
I did. (*Regarding this cartoon, I always talk to any cleaner with special thanks. All cleaners have got surprised at me, "You said to me?!" Of course. Friends, just a few seconds for thank U make a big difference.) 6) Life drawing. Watercolor "directly" on paper.
Not joined life drawing class, but always carefully observed bodies on streets.
Direct painting --eg) the first uploaded work --- is fascinating. Want to explore more. Need more time and experiences.
7) Still Life, especially, "Flowers."
I did some.

8) Develop/pin down my ideas/quick drawings.
I did. Some are left on the drawing board.
9) Just DO it, Sadami!!
YES, I did it!

In 2011, Got several Art Awards and the picture book project. An extraordinarily good year.
I'm not going to drag bad memories, as I mentioned above. The past is past. Face reality, check it and move on---that's enough and nice. After refreshing, I hope myself to keep only nice memories.I saw the Santa Clause working for fundraising. Children were enjoying candies. Heart-warming to see happy kids and the Santa.
Wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!
I sincerely hope your 2011 memories are cheerful. Let us step into 2012 with a light heart!

Lots of love and Biiiig smileʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ, Sadami

Snapshots in Christmas Season

2011-12-09T01:00:00.010+11:00

Hi, Friends, thank you for kind concerns and warm cheers.
I'll have a hand surgery for a carpel tunnel at the end of Jan. An easy one. It will take 30 minutes. I may use the right hand right after the surgery. In 2-3 months, full recovery. Sure, I'll get well!

How is your Christmas time? I enjoy sketching people.

A first sketch. These children were playing with fingers (numbers) while waiting for parents shopping. I love watching such ANALOGUE games. Today, computer games are taking over our old fashioned playing. My serious concern is children's games will die out from the earth. I'm seriously thinking that with watercolour paintings, I might as well archive children's games before extinguishing from the world.
Oh, yes, I met a caricaturist recording 100 yrs old Australians at a KuRingGai Art Society Christmas party. Our guest speaker, Mick Joffe makes interesting caricatures. Humorously, he's written down interviews on sketches, called, "Endangered Australians." NSW University awarded him Honorary Masters degree. Weldone!

A third sketch is the presenter at the workshop, "How to Handle Difficult People" at a public library. He emphasized, "Hand!! Use body language!" Indeed, the played up body language was an interesting subject for drawing.
In my experience, eye-contact and a body language makes lively portraits. Good portraits pick up just the essence of a character, "enough and needed." Otherwise, work becomes dull and does not look like a person. Brush strokes are the lesser, the better.A fourth sketch is a shop girl. It's fun to sketch cheerful girls and loud boys at Christmas sales. I often join them, calling, "Role up, role up! Here comes the wonderful such-and-such! You can't miss this...!" Customers and shop girls have a laugh. I always tell them,
"Oh, darling, don't work hard. Work smart! Only once you're young. Enjoy your young days!" All of them say, "Off course!" and they welcome my next visit. Ahahahaha!Once, I wrote in the post that a sketcher is "the guardian of time." We capture the moment and archive it.
I feel, I love peopleʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ . Figurative work is my most favorite!
And the picture book project is ongoing. I'll do my best!

So far, I do not leave comments at other's blogs, but always enjoy visiting your blogs.
Happy painting and enjoy your Christmas season, Friends!!!

Let Us Bloom Out Fully!

2011-11-24T00:00:00.013+11:00

Hi, Friends, thank you for warm cheers and a long patience.
ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Good news! The specialist confirms my leg is stable and nothing to do with the hand. Soon, a hand specialist will check my right hand. I'm very optimistic.
These days, I enjoy a 1000m swim at a rock bath after work in the evening. (Hey, Friends, we're in the summer!) Many regulars come here for years and encourage one another. One gentleman has more serious condition than me, but always swims. This year, he said I had inspired him. Oh, no, he had inspired me! We did shakehand firmly and friendly. Nice!
Let us look at a silver side of a cloud and enjoy our lives fully. Only the unexpected RESULT is... Gee, Friends, I put on more weight from a good appetite! My physio says, "Ah, swimming does not lose weight." Wwwwhaaaat?! "Very gentle for muscles. If you want to lose muscles, do sports on a ground." Nurses comfort me, "Muscles are heavier than fat! You look fitter!" I want to believe so.
Anyway, my swimming and exercises have paid off.

This view is from a hospital. A helicopter is staying at the top of the hospital. Over there, Sydney Tower is standing high among buildings. Left, a part of Harbour Bridge. Jacaranda is fully blooming out.
The illustration work is right on a track. Sometimes, not easy. But I do not give up. With many people's backup and cheers, I'll go on.
You and me, too, let us bloom out who we are most!!

To be honest with you, sometimes, it's scary if the condition will spread over. But I stop thinking of it. Who knows if a sky falls on me or not? To live "this moment" fully and do best for the future --- is my all and mantra. Yey! Take care, Friends. Pardon my irregular blogging.
I always pray for you with all my heart.
Cheers, wink, wink ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ .

Exclusive : Art Access Australia Interveiw Sadami

2011-11-02T16:00:00.018+11:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been? Thank you very much for your kind comments and warm cheers regarding my hand and birthday!! Please pardon me, I do not respond each comment. But I always visit your blogs and read them all. My right hand still needs to see specialists. Minimize computer work, get rid of unnecessary movement and hand exercises are essential. (*With a left hand, I'm using a mouse.)

Now, the exclusive. Arts Access Australia interviewed me. AAA is the peak national body for arts and disability. If you have any friend and family member with disabilities, please pass this post or AAA information. Have a look through AAA website for news, connections and information about the vibrant Australian arts and disability sector. AAA kindly gives me permission to upload the talk at this blog and to link with them. Here we go, have fun!!

Spotlight On..Sadami Konchi

Sadami Konchi is a self-taught artist who has been drawing and painting since childhood. Sadami was one of the highly commended artists in the recent AAA Art Competition. Arts Access Australia put her in the spotlight…

Brief biography about you…All of a sudden, put on the earth. I’ve kept living on, to know why I was put on the earth!

What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently working on a picture book, an illustration project and portraits.

How did you get into art?
I had already started enjoying drawing and painting before I started kindergarten.

What is the worst job you’ve ever done?
Drawing secret graffiti and cartoons during math class at junior high. (The work, itself, was not bad at all. This romantic young girl was drawing a kissing scene). I wondered why the class was dead silent and where the teacher had gone. It turned out the teacher was standing RIGHT beside me, silently with a big smile. I blushed up like a tomato! Next moment, I got a slap on the head although I became a hero to my classmates.

What is a usual day for you?
Each day is special and full of adventures. Friends can have a laugh, saying “Can’t you stay calm or between extremes?”

What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
Challenging myself. Exploring who I am and becoming who I can best be on this earth.

Who is your hero?
Everyone. I love looking at anyone. I feel beauty, something special, and make it in to portraits.What is your favourite book / piece of art / play / performance (pick one) ever?
V.E.Frankl, (Auschwitz survivor, psychiatrist and philosopher) “Man’s Search For Meaning.” Frankl says that any suffering has a unique meaning for an individual.

Who would play you in the film of your life?
Pardon me. I do not get this question? Of course I’d play my role. (Ahahaha!)

Tell us a joke / secret (pick one)…
“My life” is the serious joke and is the secret ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ.

Where can people find out more about you?
Sadami's Graffiti (Blog. Weekly show case for loose, spontaneous watercolour)
National Association for the Visual Arts Sadami Gallery
Stylefile (Sadami Konchi)
City of Ryde Visual Artist

AAA, thank you for giving me the great back up. All and any artist with disabilities, come over AAA! Let us enjoy our lives fully!!
Did you enjoy it?

Thank you, Friends, I really want my hand to get well.
Yes, I'm working on the picture book project under the supervision of a wonderful mentor! I hope I will make it happen.
With all my heart, I'd like to say, "Thank you, Friends!" and please forgive my "Holiday Leave" for blogging.
You, too, please take care and happy painting!!

Holiday Leave & Grow as Illustator

2011-10-24T12:07:00.014+11:00

Hi, Friends, how are you?
Busy. The Christmas sale, a book launch season has started in the publishing industry. I was invited to Libby Gleeson's 2 book launching at Sydney uni. Amazing. I saw my linguistics lecturers, other academics and people in publishing industry or established authors and famous illustrators that included my illustration teacher Wayne Harris!
Now, Friends, I'll take a holiday leave for blogging.
Good news is the project is right on a track! Very happy.
I had medical tests. Good news, the leg has little change. Even though it has got sliiiightly worse, as long as I walk as a whole, I'm the winner. Hallelujah!!
Bad news, the right hand has got injured from repetitive work such as computing and drawing. I'll reduce computing and see specialists more and soon. Please pardon my less visits of your blogs. I'll head down ONLY on the project. Please understand my difficult situation. I always think of you, Friends.
I'd write what I've been seeking for in myself as an illustrator. I want to grow as an illustrator in this "wrist" holiday leave. Time for studying and lots of reading.
Regarding drawing skills, I have no doubt. But not enough. Illustration must tell a story or shows emotions and stimualates readers' imagination. I'm looking at good illustrators' work and thinking over what I want to do. Good illustrators do these all : deliberated settings, hidden evidence and symbolic meanings. Good illustrators never waste any page. Since childhood, I've realized it and read picture books like detective stories. For me, the last page was a great fun. I've been a very good detective.

But best/better illustrators go beyond my simple guessing! They bridge between reality and imagination. Their work stimulates readers' imagination.

Shaun Tann's work is amazing. I admire Liz Zwerger, Armin Greder, Ann James etc, etc.

But have I done it in my own work? That's my assignment.

Like Donna Rawlins taught us, I believe, illustration requires "all what an illustrator has" such as sensations, experiences(=past) and broad & deep knowledge, if necessary, do research to collect data and supportive evidence.

I'm asking myself, "Can you make a mood/symbolic scene like Shaun and Zwerger do? BUT in my own way!"

Challenging. Be brave to step out of an old style. Sometimes, I should break down my methods and explore a new one.
I'll keep up sketching. Drawing is my language and very the basic skills. And your language, too. You and me carry conversations in drawing and painting. Let us chat in universal language, art.
See you soon, but one day.
I hope I can tell you good news on my hand and the work and the style.
...and timely, 29th is my birthday. I thank for my life given on the earth and found the meaning in illustration and art! Yeah!!
Friends, take care and enjoy drawing!

"Occupy Sydney" in Martin Place

2011-10-17T02:03:00.017+11:00

Hi, Friends, how are you? Today, a baby and a mother happily became my model. Ah, Mom & Baby could be one of the most beautiful figures on the earth. We want to bequeath a better world to a next generation. When I went to CBD to sketch statues for a Sydney Sketch Club meeting, I bumped "Occupy" movement in Martin Place. How about in your main cities? If you do not mind, let me hear about your place's occupy.

Protesters target at the big banks in Martin Place and claim, "Social inequalities are increasing between the haves and the have-nots." The agendas are all heavy and complicated.

Australian Survival Game

The topics have a wide range from Aboriginal people's language rights, their poor welfare, refugees, unemployment, gay marriage, better wages for teachers, homeless people, climate change, etc, etc. They are all written down on the placards. As if all Australian issues have got together at one spot.
But I did not hear an artist's voice in a public announcement. Financially and socially, most artists' reality is not easy. Here's the good statistical data. An economic study of professional artists in Australia conducted by Department of Economics, Macquarie University and published by National Association of Visual Artists (May 2010). Yet, I want to say, "Who is this? Such a rich artist?!" in this data. Back to the topic.
Main Occupy participants look young, 20s or early 30s. They are worried about the future and their children's future, but also other people's pains! These young people's purity, idealism, a non-egoistic attitude and beautiful "smile" has touched my heart. Participants passionately told me a desire for a better world, the necessity of public awareness and the importance of action, while one onlooker said with contempt, "They want to go back to 60s."
So far, the "Occupy" is peaceful and safe in Sydney. Some children and dogs are there, too. One lady and artist with a little girl recalled me, "Ah, I met you at Botanical Garden, sketchcrawl!" What a small world! We enjoyed a chat. A band plays music and people sing or dance. Even police is very kind. They love my sketches, too. Participants remember me, "You were sketching police!" Ahahaha. It is certain that art can bridge between any people.
Friends, I want to say, "Let's make love, not war, by art!"
The Occupy participants could be day dream believers. But I admire their braveness. They are not hiding in a shadow any more. The people have taken an action. Further, some of them have happily become stepping stones on behalf of other voiceless people.
I hope my sketches will record these unknown heros in our daily lives. I always feel sketching nameless people is like scooping out gold from mud.
Friends, Happy Painting!!

Free Linguistics Conference and Chalk Festival

2011-10-10T13:23:00.022+11:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been? I've been busy with the project in a studio. It's right on a track. Thank you for your patience and support. I miss you so much, Friends. A good lesson was "daily sketching is like an essential exercise." If I do not sketch, my hands get slow. Quick watercolour is my "keeping record, memory" and above all, an "inspiration source." So, even for 5 minutes, I should do quick watercolour every day.

Last 2 weeks, I enjoyed Free Linguistics Conference 2011 and Chalk Urban Art Festival in Parramatta.

The FLC was a great fun.
All presenters have interesting research projects and experts of their favorite areas.
Prof Andy Kirkpatrick is a key speaker on "Yin and Yang rhetoric and the prospects for public discourse in China." Political power has oppressed the freedom of speech in China. Thus, traditionally, writers would not tell things straightforward. Always, the end of writings could imply their real opinions. Andy said with a big smile, "So, always editors marked the last line of an article and sent it back to us. A rest of them had nothing to do with a topic." Interesting. Exactly the same is true of Japanese discourses under the influence of Chinese culture. You may wonder, but true, "Indirect and too polite." A Western rhetoric and essay writing paragraph structures are new concepts for Asian background students grown up in a traditional value system.

Dr Phiona Stanley did presentation on " “Fifty k’s south of woop woop”: Making native English speakers more internationally intelligible." Uahahaha!!! What a challenging title! This youngish, enthusiastic and Scottish heritage linguist humorously talked about the power inequality between dominant Englishes(*eg. British & American Englishes) and a socially discriminated English such as a Scottish English. For me, the sample Scottish speech was very hard to follow. Wow...it amazed me so much. Not only advocating the powerless, Phiona's passion goes further to assist non English speaking students and workers at uni, especially, for mutual communication. Bravo~~!! I really hope people like Phiona will come up more and more on the earth. Go, go, Phiona!!

Now, another interesting presentation was Ms Ping Tian, "Publishing emotion: a stratified approach in understanding illustrated facial expressions." The research analyzes face expressions in picture books. But Friends, honest, I've never analyzed them mechanically. For me, facial expressions are things to feel, not for categolizing. Probably, difficult to sort out face expressions by a tiny piece in a face such as an eye brow or a lip etc. Simplification is questionable. My another Q is facial expressions and body language go hand in hand in picture books. Disregarding body language could lead into confusion or contradiction. We know, a smiling face, but with a cheeky body language means showing off, not simply happy. Illustrations capture well these sensitive elements. Sensitive movements in facial muscles and slight body language form a sophisticated message as a whole. It conveys a deep and inscribed message in a character --- I was thinking so and sketching the presenter. Unfortunately, the FLC and the Chalk Festival had a crash. I spent one day each for them. Regarding the Chalk, good sketches were sold there. But I have some.
This is the winner, Jennifer McCracken. She worked till the late 10 o'clock. I sketched her in darkness. Do you know? Jenny worked till 2 in the morning last year and won the first prize. Amazing artist!
This is the Best 2D prize winner, Adam Celeban. All artists work so hard. I love them all. When I look back these 2 weeks, drawing and painting are my life, but also found linguistics is important. Both, I need. Linguistics gives me food of knowledge and insights.
And the importance of daily sketches! I try to update every Monday as much as possible, while I'll finish up the middle stage of the project this week.
With all my heart, I'd say, "Thank you, Friends."
Happy painting!!

See You in 1 or 2 Months, Later

2011-09-26T01:49:00.008+10:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been?
The project gets me very busy. I'll concentrate on the project at least for 1 or 2 months. So, I'll take a "break" for this blog.
Your comments have encouraged me so much. Thank you for wonderful support and great understandings.

This week, I upload one sketch.
For a coffee break, I go to a pub or else where to sketch people.
This old man already tipsy looked very sad, which caught my heart. I always imagine a model's life. All alone, he silently sipped 4 or 5 beers in front of me. The man hardly turned the red face to me, but knew my sketching. It was his kindness to stay there for me. When I finished the skeching, I smiled at him. The man gently looked at me and silently left the pub. Certainly, we communicated each other with the watercolour painting. I was happy...
I add the technical info on this work(A4).
1) First, wash, raw sienna.
2) Second, paint the guy
His face expression and the mood are my goal.
Crayons are used for the shirt.
Very limited pallet, as you know.
3) Check the whole balance in value and colour
Try not to overwork.
The raining and the humidity made interesting washes in the work.

In addition, my picture book illustration teacher and the mentor told me the same phrase, "Art, universal language!" Yes, indeed. Anyone can understand drawing, from a baby to a 100yrs old man. Further, the lecturer told us, "We can put any message. I believe children picture books can change the world! " Of course, the lecturer wanted to talk of love and peace for the world. I believe so, too.
Actually through blogging, I could have met so many nice people from all over the world. Even though I do not upload a post, I'd like to visit your blogs.
Friends, thank you for warm cheers.

Certainly, I'll come back to this blog later!
I'd really appreciate your patience.
Till that day, happy painting!

Encounter Inspiring Book at Sydney Uni Bookfest

2011-09-18T21:56:00.027+10:00

Hi, Friends, how are you going?
I enjoyed "The 2011 Bookfest" at Sydney university = Big Secondhand Book Sale for uni fundraising.
Saturday 17 to Wednesday 21 September, in the Great Hall, Camperdown Campus.

Saturday to Tuesday 10am to 4pm
Wednesday 10am to 2pm

This year, I got the very inspiring book, "No One's Perfect." The upbeat autobiography of Hirotada Ototake. Born without arms and legs, but he is very cheerful and fond of sports. After uni, "Oto" becomes a sports journalist and a primary school teacher. He has got married and now has 2 sons.

Amazing story...and Oto's smile is so nice and fresh. His positive attitude up lifts me so much. Not only Oto, his friends, family, teachers and others wonderful support is very touchy. I know very well that Japanese society is more difficult than Australia, for people with disabilities, to live on what they are. It is a great challenging.

Oto proudly asserts, "(disability) is my feature and strength. My identity."
For me, it takes years to say so. What a matured youngish guy! His sense of humour is brilliant. Often his sentences make me giggle. At the same time, his book makes me think of myself. If I were without arms and legs, could I smile or laugh or live in a positive manner? Truly amazing. Oto's will power has opened doors and believes in hope, but he knows well what he can do and not. Wonderful realistic dreamer.

Soon, I'll have a close medical examination. Even though I hope no spread or no progressive in and from the left leg, I'm ready to accept any result. Timely, his book cheers me up and shows a role model. I should say, "Mine is a mosquito bite!" Thanks, Oto!!

This annual book fair is very popular, because uni offers interesting academic books at a cheap price. As far as I know, most(all?) books are less than $10. Donated books come from local libraries and individuals. Book conditions are quite good and categorized into varied sections such as...
art, children literature, language, dictionaries, psychology, sociology, feminism, history, religion, occult, erotic, travel, craft, rare books, fictions, gardening etc, etc.

I got at the Hall at 10:30 on Saturday, the first day of a bargain. Already so many people were there. Volunteer workers told me that some people made a queue before 10! Wow, everyone wants to find a lucky treasure.

(*Great Hall is just in there)

Now, treasure hunting, start!
I dashed to the section, "Children Picture Books" and bought favorite illustrators' work such as "The Midnight Feast" beautifully illustrated by Ann James. Nowadays, soon picture books become "out of printing." Besides the short availability, picture books are expensive. This Bookfest is Sadami's Heaven!

I observed others and learned, The Tips How to Get Target Books.
1) dash & pick up favorite books "first"
before other people touch it.
2) check each collected book 3) then, buy them!
OK, Friends, sounds nothing different from a bargain of clothes?! Or if you have any suggestion, I'd really appreciate it.
Then, I moved on to a Japanese books section.
Wow!! I can't believe it! The biiiig and thick Japanese dictionary was at only $5, published 1997, new. I bought some Japanese and English teaching materials. Then, I found, "No One's Perfect" as above. I could get the wonderful books this year.BTW, I've been working on the project and very busy. Sometimes, it's not easy. I took a rest at the weekend. So, after this week post, I may update the blog irregularly(=not every Monday.) If you find the same post, please pardon me.
But this project gives me the meaning of life. I really hope I can make it come true. I just do my best. Wish me good luck.
Go, Sadami, go!
Thank you for cheers. Friends, your cheers make me go forward. And if there's anyone with a weary heart, come over. I'm with you. Let us move on!
Enjoy your week! Happy painting!!

Sketches of Spring & 9/11 Church Concert

2011-09-10T20:11:00.020+10:00

Hi, Friends, are you enjoying your life fully?
Now, we're getting into spring. I enjoy sketching in lovely sunshine and breezes. I upload the most recent sketches.
*I'm very busy with the project. A bit hard to find time to write a blog post. Please turn a blind eye to my messy writing.

First, Sydney sketch club went to "Festival of Wind" or the kite festival at Bondi beach on Sunday. Many colourful kites were flying. The most impressive ones were big whales. In this work, I played around "washes" and examined colours to make "clouds" in the sky. In colour use, I do not use already-made black, but make it with other 3 colours.

New South "Whale"s in the Sky

Friends, I'm living in "New South Wales"

Second, these sketches were made at church. An American friend invited me for their little concert in the evening of September 11. Simple and not professionals. But their faith and enthusiasm shone through. We prayed together. I pray for the involved people with the day. (I remember... I rang up all my American friends in Sydney and sent emails to my friends in the States. Least forget.)

Church Concert 9/11 evening

I chose the very limited pallete and explored how to depict scenes. Particularly, contrast was enhanced. Regarding brush strokes, in my eyes, the simpler/the less, the better.
Third, I sketched this young lady. Her smile reminds me of a spring breeze, which tickled me, too. She and her parents were at the Botanical Garden. I quickly sketched her. Her mother was the portratist. It's a small world.In Sydney, we are having many events to celebrate spring, even through many blog friends are getting into autumn or fall. A bit strange, when I think of a season. Well, let us enjoy our time.
Now, pardon me. I've got to get back to the project!!
Have a wonderful week and happy painting.

Sketch to Remember Name (*50s Fair)

2011-09-05T00:49:00.011+10:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been? I sketched this horse at Power House museum for the second visit. Still life does not interest me. So, I change the angle to make a dynamic work. Sounds strange for others, but fixed subjects bore me.
Right now, I'm becoming very busy with the project. Quite hectic. A happy hell at a studio. Sketching outside is my "coffee break" and "enjoy sunshine" at the moment. Now, this week topic is "Sketch and Remeber."
I have to confess that I'm so poor at remembering people's names. Didn't you have a bad experience? I have.
I found a solution!!! Sketching!!! Today, I sketch to memorize anything.

When I attend a conference or a meeting, I sketch attendances. Of course, the mood is serious at a table. Often we come together even with unknown faces. BUT once, I start sketching, people's sneak eyes come to my hands. They shower smile and surprise on me.

Not only at meetings, I sketch people in order to memorize names. Usually, I ask a model to sign it with block letters, too. Most people got puzzled with my ask, saying, "Oh, this is your work(=you should sign it)." But people happily sign my work and some people take photos of my work. These people will not know, oral language is not my language. Drawing and painting is my language.

Joe Penn (guest speaker at art society)

The below, I sketched 2 key figures at "Fifties Fair" at Rose Seidler House. What a fabulous event! Fashion, music, bric-a-broc, whatever, whoever, all back to 50s.
First, Ms Candice DeVille is a very cute and fashionable lady and judge. This young model and talented lady is so fond of 50's stuff. Then, she has become an expert. Wow, enthusiasm opens a door. In addition, her name has a Japanese word, "Kawaii" means "pretty and cute." It tickles me.
Second, Ms Liesel Knievel is a very unique, humorous and witty entertainer. She is the professional for gigs, shows, pubs and so ons. The local residents ran a fashion show. Her talk brilliantly pulled out the beauty of the residents' walk. Furthermore, her humour gave us a lot of shining healthy laugh.But without sketches, I cannot remember their names.
It's worth trying and highly recommendable, even though my school teachers were not happy with it?!
Moreover, models will remember me, too. Yes, we know each other through sketches. Sure, that's the beauty of quick sketches that open anyone's heart.

OK, the answer for "Your Face" is Josemari.
Thank you for many right answers. Was it easy? Hopefully, my drawing has successfully captured him.
I've been searching for a next victim in between busy work.
Friends, happy painting and drawing!

My Wonderful School Visit

2011-08-28T01:08:00.009+10:00

Hi, Friends, thank you for a great patience for a new post!

I visited Haberfield Public School, joined "Book Parade" and enjoyed 3 sessions with children.

Teacher

Tadada~~~, "Book Parade"!

Pupils dressed up favorite book characters and proudly marched in a hall to show off. Actually, so cute and funny. (*Don't ask if Bat man and Spider Man are in "literature" or not.)

What a great honour for 2 authors and me, an illustrator, we held a banner! All teachers turned out fairies, witches and wizards.

Teacher

Parents got excited and took photos. Of course, youngsters, too, got very excited. I wondered if kids would go wild? No. 2 speakers (older students) handled situations very well, which impressed me so much. Once, teachers asked children to calm down, they kept silent. Children behaved very well. We, grown-ups must learn it from kids?!

Before Parade

After enjoying the marching, I talked over picture book illustration and how to draw at the library.
Regarding oral presentation skills, "Speak slowly. If you feel TOO slow, it's just good to hear for audience," was my sociology tutor's nice advice. And good eye contact! I really respected each child and tried not to talk to them from a higher position. (*I cannot bend knees well. Sorry, kids, but I wanted to squat in order to keep my eye position same to you.)

Hall

But above all, teachers' backup and children's cooperation helped me.
Unfortunately, I had a very sore throat and could not speak loud. Children listened to me very well. Again, their good manner impressed me so much.

Primary school kids had a great interest in illustration and drawings. Hey, Painting Friends, can you answer for this?
"How do you make 3D paintings?"
"Value" is the topic. To explain about value takes time. I checked the time and illustrated a simple sample, an egg and a shadow. Then, "setting 3 simplified values (= high light, middle, darkest)." Hopefully it would help children enjoy drawing.

Another main question was how to draw figures. I took a face for an example and talked of the proportion. Yes, the proportion of a human head. BUT I used a more simplified ratio for children. Today, children were Queens and Kings. No big words. If they could not follow my talk, it's all my fault.

I carefully observed children's reactions, body language and chose very simple doodles. I asked children to demonstrate their drawings and to speak out. Kids must be centralized in class. I wanted children to have fun, interest and confidence in drawings.

After the day, I got a wonderful and priceless "thank you card." Here we go! In my eyes, any child is so lovely, a living angel on the earth.
Librarian, Mr Michael Fraser is so caring for children. Certainly, he is a hero and so popular. Many students are from Non English Speaking backgrounds. He passionately assists children to study and make them join the library activities. Children proudly and joyfully carry out rending and returning books etc.
Friends, being a picture book illustrator is very rewarding! Let us bequeath a bit better world to a next generation.
Mr Fraser still seeks more illustrators to join it. If anyone has interest, please contact Mr Fraser.
Michael Fraser Haberfield Public School
mjo51266@bigpond.com
Ph: 9797 6336 Fax: 9716 7315

Friends, happy painting!
I'll get back to the ongoing project.

Answer For "Your Face", New Victim & Book Week

2011-08-18T10:45:00.015+10:00

Yahooo, Friends!
I'm very busy with preparing for a school visit next Tuesday and the ongoing project. Please forgive me, I will not upload a new post next Monday. After Tuesday, I'd write about the teaching 50 kids experience : 3 times in the afternoon. Gulp?! These events are all in Book Week, August 20th - 26th.

BUT let's have fun, "YOUR FACE" project!
Until a new post, hope you have fun in another painting.

First, answer! The lady is Olivia. Already several people left the right answer in comments. Thank you. Yes! She's so good at wash -- not laundry -- often challenges interesting themes and subjects. Currently, Olivia is working on 100 washes, too.

Sorry, my portrait of Olivia might not be a kind clue for American Blog friends. But just a game. The point is to make friends with others on net and have fun through blogging. A portrait is, at least, someone from the followers. So, check members could be practical to find out who it is.

Now, a second victim. Spanish gentleman.
He's so fond of watercolour painting, making wonderful landscapes. He enjoys figures, too. In addition, this big boy has been collecting interesting toys, too. Often his collections come up in the posts. (*boys will be boys... and for us, girls, "Boys will be toys"?!).

Based on photos, I made his portrait. Very interesting to use photos for references. I've sketched so many live models. The live models definately help me reconstruct photos into 3D images. In other words, the accumulated experiences compensate photographs' distorted images or missing information.
For example, (hope this makes sense!!) my eyes "know" that an oval shape(2D) is, in fact, an egg(3D). My hands follow the eye's interpretation of photos and put values.

Anyway, if anyone can guess who he is, leave a comment! This time, his avatar is not a photo. But Spanish speakers may have an advantage. His "blogs" are popular.

Regarding Olivia's old avatar, I do not have it any more. When I made it, I hit this project's idea. But "Your Face" is at random and from time to time, not strictly regular. Besides, limited photos or avatar info could not be enough information. So, not sure my paintings will look like the model or not. Just have fun. That's it!

Olivia

In addition, a bit old topic though, it was a part of Book Week.
The cartoon competition "READdiscover" was opened for "age 11+." I was definitely over 11. Therefore, I proudly claimed, "Eligible!" Librarians and I had a biiiiig laugh.

Unfortunately, I did not win. Sure, a kid did. But certainly, my work brought our society a cheerful laugh. Yes, that's the point!

OK, pardon me. I'll work on the project and a rehearsal for teaching!
Friends, happy painting!

Used Goods Hunting & "Your Face" Project

2011-08-15T00:13:00.048+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you enjoy your weekend?
Yes, I did! I enjoyed sketching and shopping around secondhand goods. So, this week topic is treasure hunting.

But before that, tada~~, I'd announce another project, "YOUR FACE" for this blog followers. Based on your avatars or photos, my quick watercolour portrait comes up. At random and from time to time, not strictly regular. Let's have fun if you can tell me who's who--- "or not"...means my poor drawing skills?! Gulp. Here's, a first person. This face was made from an old avatar. So, you may not find this lady. Can you guess who is this lady?
**Some hints are at the end of the post. If no one tells who she is till this Thursday, an answer will come up right here Thursday afternoon.

OK, back to the topic. Secondhand goods shopping.

Where do you go for second hand goods shopping? Garage sale, markets or Vinnie(= St Vincent De Paul)? I often try a market and Vinnie.

Market (Sold. The Gentleman bought it!)

I was looking for puppets at a market.
I'm asked to teach 50 kindergarten children how to draw in a part of BookFest next week. 50 children!! It would be a great fun or I must make children happy. I bought two puppets; a bear and a wombat. I fell in love with this wombat at once. Wombat! What an Australian animal! Look at this face! Yey! I'll use this for my "assistant" to teach kids. Well, I'm thinking of her name. Something very girlish and easy to call.After the market, I visited used book shops near uni for a treasure hunting. Children picture books are my target. Unfortunately, children picture books often become print-out very shortly after publishing. So, I always check new books and get favorite illustrators' work. For collection, "hard cover" is preferable. The problem is "cost." Honest, it's not cheap. Nowadays, Internet is handy to get old picture books. But I still love a market and a secondhand book shop. If luck smiles at me, I can get a brilliant book at an amazingly cheap price. Have you ever hit a wonderful treasure before? If you do not mind, could you tell me the story in comments? I, a book warm, love to hear it. (*Any book will do. But particularly, kids picture book info is welcome!!)

This book shop, "Gould's Book Arcade" is my favorite near to uni. Huge collection. I used to go there, when I was at uni. The owner of the shop was kind and often did a discount for me. Sadly, he passed away. Now, under his daughter's new management, the shop has had a new born.

(*facebook)Gould's Book Arcade

Believe or not, secondhand goods were not either popular or common in Japan. (*Used books is common, but not goods.) In Japan, a charity shop like Salvo or Vinnie was hardly found. Once, when we moved in to Sydney, "garage sale" was a new word. In my view, appreciating old goods is wonderful for recycling and fundraising for welfare at the same time. Today, not sure if Japanese society is positively accepting recycling. But it's worth trying.

Garage Sale

I once helped charity shops. Quite a busy and demanding job. Goods are scattered away at once. They must be put back to in order again. Endlessly, cleaning is needed. But working at a used goods shop is fun to see many customers from all over the world. Backpackers want cheap clothes. Students try to find wired goods for a disguise at fun parties. Each customer has a different reason and a motivation to come to the shop.
I felt, "Wonderful. We are different, yet, same human beings!"
...and I love this system, "recycling" and "financial resources" for welfare agencies.

OK, I'll practice moving Womby in front of a mirror.
Happy painting and have a nice week!
**In response to the ask for hints about the lady...
A French, watercolourist, so fond of washes(really beautiful!), handles interesting subjects, particularly, related to "sea," as she lives near there. The current avatar shows a widly opened mouth for laugh!
...and hopefully, she would never say, "Sadami, this is the end of our friendship!" Gulp?!

ASA "Stylefile," Meeting Spot for Illustrators & Publishers

2011-08-08T00:07:00.011+10:00

Yahoo! Friends, did you have a nice weekend?
Very good news. I was selected for Stylefile(Sadami Konchi) run by ASA (Australian Society of Authors). Soooo happyʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ!! The final step is to put my own information on the site. The Stylefile is the great online showcase of Australian picture book illustrators selected by ASA. Publishers acknowledge the Stylefile as the reliable meeting spot to find useful artists. In short, often publishers pick up illustrators from the Stylefile. Can you hear illusrtators' shouting, "Buy me! Buy me!"? Browse it, you'll find so many famous illustrators there. Wow...now, I'm one of them!!

ASA regularly accepts candidates for Stylefile. Wimp Sadami hasn't tried it, as I've heard it's quite a narrow gate. But with other people's cheers and help, I submitted the illustrations this February (=submission date, condition etc)and got through it at once. Wow~~~! Kind ASA staff celebrated, "Have champagne!" Yes!!
Well, you may wonder what ASA is.
ASA is the guardian angel for Australian writers and children picture book illustrators, literally, for both professionals and wannabes.
For example, ASA sets rate & conditions for members (=illustrators' minimum wages!). Illustrators use that rate to negotiate clients and publishers. As well as labour conditions, ASA handles members' legal issues such as copyrights, payments, contracts etc, etc. So, an ASA lawyer advocates members and ASA does lobbying on behalf of us.

Not only advocacy and handling legal issues, ASA has a mentorship program for talented writers and illustrators with projects seeking publishing opportunities. Mentors are famous writers and established illustrators. They back up emerging talents to get projects published. Yes, you can make your dream come true. Sounds nice? More info, check here, FQ&A. Go for it a next year.Regarding copyrights, ASA is a mother body for CAL, Copyrights Agency Ltd . I have a CAL membership, too. Do you know who collects copyrights money from uni reading packages and hands it over to copyrights holders? It is CAL that also checks payments and examines illegal cases. So, publishers and authors join CAL to protect copyrights. It is critically important for a copyright holder to register work at CAL after publishing work.

CAL and ASA often run workshops on hot topics in publishing industry such as e-books & copyrights, Internet impact on publishing etc, etc. Seminars update our knowledge. Otherwise, legal changings and rapid digitization would leave us behind.
At the same time, ASA workshops are good networking places for publishers and us. The best networking place is... ASA Christmas party!! We really look forward to it and get together. Illustrators and writers at a poverty line hug each other there, saying,
"Are you still on the earth?"
"Oh, yes!" Hugs. Hahaha, gulp?!

Join ASA, if you are interested in becoming a professional or already being a professional writer and an illustrator in Australia.
Thank you, Friends, for your great support!!
Have a wonderful week and happy painting!

My Work Wins Awards!

2011-08-01T00:00:00.009+10:00

Hi, Friends, how is your weekend?

Good news! My work has got in the top 5 across Australia, highly commended at AAA Art Competition. Friends, pinch my cheek! Ouch! Oh...not a day dream.
The AAA Art Comp is open for Australian artists with disabilities. Any genre, any media will do such as photography, digital image, painting, drawing, performance, sculpture, a film etc, etc and a free theme! AAA staff says, "So many applicants and quite a competitive field." Wow...

Disability is Ability : Bound For Bright Future

AAA loves my work and will interview me for media release and use the painting for their newly constructing website.
Friends, you know the old post, "Paralympians -- my heros." Based on the sketches, I finished it up in a few days and submitted it just before the closing date. My first trial. I still can't believe that my work is a finalist. Very happy.

Another work wins the second prize in the watercolour section at KuRingGai Art Society Annual Exhibition 2011.

Young Lady in Between Girl & Woman

Friends and I hugged each other and celebrated other members awarding, too. The gentleman giving me the prize below is Paul, a judge and Julian Ashton School Principal. That art school has a great reputation in Australian art world! Again, I did not expect the awards at all. It actually surprised me! This would be a very sweet memory.

My picture book illustration mentor is lovely. She has celebrated my achievements and also said, "Competitions are like lotteries. " I agree with my mentor. All participants' work is wonderful and a level is high. Anyone could win.So, what I'm learning is trying competitions is not bad, but winning is not an ultimate goal. My big goal is to make lots of picture books and bring people happiness.

The both news surprised me so much. I never expected my work would do well. Especially, in the first work, I only wanted to show the unlimited potential in us, human beings. If my work will be a little help and encouragement for people with disabilities, it would be my great joy. Please pass on this post to anyone and any artist with a disability and encourage them to join AAA Art Comp next year.

I'd also address special thanks for anyone who has encouraged me.
So, thank "YOU," Friends, reading this blog and "Cheers"! Yey!
I'll keep up and enjoy my work...and WALK confidently!
Have a nice week!!

Sketch Machinery or People? Both!

2011-07-25T00:00:00.070+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you have a nice weekend?
Sydney Sketch Club visited Powerhouse Museum. Huge and a playground for children. We, too, went back to kids?! and had a fun. So, I upload something mechanical. (*Honest... I'm not a big fan for drawing machinery.) But have a look of this old rusted truck with flat tyres! How eye catchy! I could not resist sketching it. When I carefully looked at the truck, something dried sea-weeds like were on the windshield. Often that see weed is seen on forsaken ships in a sea or on a beach. I wonder, hum...the truck might have be scattered in salt water/beach? Probably, after picking it up, someone or an artist cut out the metals and decorated the truck. Wait. That's contradicted. How it could have stayed in salt water for a long time?Fun to imagine the truck's mysterious "biography" that gives the subject a character. *So, usually, I just look at displayed objects without reading any tag and get my own impression. Then, look up tags. Knowledge and inspiration are different matters.***Wow, my imagination was spot on! The truck is an art work, "Lacie Lorrie". Ingrid Morley gives "Lacie Lorrie" a second life. It is the part of the big event, "Make Lace, Not War." Friends, we, artists can trun anything into beautiful art work with a message!

We live with machinery. Once, I tried a bike for the first time. Not easy.
Probably, this work is the best for a bike so far. Men and boys' passion for machines are far beyond my understanding.
Again, I felt more appetite for sketching people. I sketched another sketch club member while our lunch. Honest, I do not feel comfortable with machines.As if machinery had their own will. Sometimes, I wonder who is a master, a machine or me? I'm far behind from technology and often frustrated with complicated machines. If I could go back to Stone Age, no machine time, it could be more peaceful...? No weapons, no tv, etc, etc, of course, at the expense of convenience.
But I believe good relationships deliver home happiness without machinery.

Happy painting and have a wonderful week!

The Beauty & The Potential in Aging

2011-07-18T00:00:00.035+10:00

Hi, Friends, how are you? Did you enjoy a weekend? We celebrated "Christmas in July" and saw fire works. "Why fireworks?" I asked. A granny said CHEERFULLY, "Because the end of school holiday, ha,ha,ha!" Oh, Granny, be careful. Kids will call you, "Bad witch." Well, I hear some parents curse at school holidays. Messes, noises and fiascoes have haunted home. Now, finally, noble silence, routine and order will come back to parents from today.But I always smile and raise a question for us, fussy grown ups, "Can you remember when you were young? What did you do?" All adults burst with a laugh and admit, "Ah, I did the same thing!" (*Children welcome my support?!) We seem to have buried our young stupidity in social norms.
Kids, please turn a blind eye to us, adults. Getting older is not easy. Being old is a very demanding job.

By the way, talking of "Aging," generally, images are quite negative. Men appear to be more tolerant to admit a real age than women. Or I should say, sadly, society tends to celebrate being youngish, particularly about women.
Friends, "That's not fair!" should be added.
But I love making old people's portraits. A question, "Is getting older ugly?" My sketches are dead honest. In the work, a number of wrinkles is really not a big deal. A physical age is more likely to appear in the tension of muscles. I've never thought it ugly.
Fortunately, I could have sketched many wonderful old people. The most beauty in aging could be matured personality endorsed by rich experiences, deep knowledge and profound wisdom. Those lively seniors I met did/do not care about their real age. Rather, they told me a real age with a big laugh in a healthy pride. I felt their acceptance of who they were ; it's REAL beauty, too.

Some sketched seniors are already established experts. Yet, humbly they keep up their skills and challenge new techniques. All of them say, "Still a lot to learn. A long way to go," and pursue "perfect." Experienced elderly people are also wonderful teachers, full of wisdom. Quite interesting to observe how they teach students and apprentices. In my eyes, a good teacher may give a nice lecture. But a better teacher gives a clue that leads a learner to an answer "out of many." Further, an answer makes a student think beyond. A given knowledge is easy to forget. But a time spent thought-out answer remains in mind.I heartily hope our society and culture will value aged people. Many masterful old people want to get involved with something or their favorite areas. Already pay or money is not a big matter. They are eager for contribution to society. Their concern and want for is the sense of belongingness and the meaning of life. Indeed, retired people are a great power in volunteer work that supports a welfare system.
I really hope any organization and other opportunities tap these trustworthy people and activate rich assets in our society.

Anyway, happy painting!
I'm challenging new things and studying landscapes.
Let us get old with youngish hearts! Ahahaha!!

Who We Are & Art Work

2011-07-11T00:00:00.045+10:00

Hi, Friends, how is your weekend? I came across a lovely couple enjoying sunshine on lawn at an event. The couple happily allowed me to sketch them. Ah, I felt joy, happiness and peace on the earth.

Lovers

This week topic, "identity" might be a bit heavy. But "seeking who I am" has motivated me to become an artist.
In my eyes, each person is a universe. If so, that's a lot of job to find "who I am."

Young Lady In Between Woman & Girl

When I was at high school, I read a very interesting joke.

A lady died and met St Peter at a heaven's gate. St Peter asked her a question, "Who are you?"
The lady answered, "I was Sadami."
St Peter said, "No, I don't ask your name. Who are you?" The lady answered, "I was a wife of such-a-such." "No, I don't ask whose wife you were. Who are you?" The lady answered, "I was a teacher." "No, I don't ask your occupation. Who are you?"
Although St Peter kept on asking, the lady failed to answer for that question and found herself come back to life.
Then, she determined to find the answer in the rest of her life. The lady could lead a wonderful and active life....

Oh...youngish Sadami felt a profound truth and decided to find who I am like that lady. I tried to find it in work, study and books.

Some people seek answers an outside. Others try to find answers in an inner world. Methods is not a matter, but an answer should be unique and individual. Once, an answer was found, a very simple life is preferable, which focuses on who I am. (*Of course, our real life is not simple. Rather, reality is sticky and complicated.)
My answer for myself is watercolour painting--- portrait and picture book illustration. Each of my paintings is a part of Sadami. Each work answers for "who I am."

Paradox, that answer has Alpha and Omega, but open ended. It responds to any context. A person who finds identity will not be easily stumbled in any circumstance. The answer grows and leads to another challenge. So, no surprise when an artist changes a style. Changing reveals an artist's quest for identity and a progress. (I hope my poor writing makes sense.) A person confidently begins to live on her own life and joins society.

I'm now exploring my watercolour painting techniques and a style. I seem to have faced a wall. Honest, Friends, I sometimes, feel painting is difficult. When my expected results do not come up, I feel I get stuck. But I want to go beyond.

Through blogging, I could meet many same minded people, wonderful friends and artists. Most of them are making inner journeys to seek identity or struggle for an individual goal. Each of us is traveling a stormy sea called art in a different boat.
BUT...
...how nice it is, encouraging one another in wild winds! How warm, if we could leave a bit say at another boat in a stormy sea at cold night! So, I'd really appreciate your comments and happily visit friends' blogs.
Let us enjoy our journeys.
Thank you for reading. Take care.
Happy painting!

Sketch Movement : Ice Skating & Falling Kids

2011-07-04T00:00:00.041+10:00

Hi, Friends, how is it going with you? We're in the middle of winter! Council has set an ice skating rink in front of Parramatta Town Hall. At the opening ceremony, this happy young man showed off a big kiss mark, awaiting his girl friend performing an ice dance. What a hot man in this dreadful winter!OK, this week, I'd like to chat over "skating," particularly, slipping kids on a skate rink. Most children seem to be not so familiar with skating. Children enjoys "slip, sliding away ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ ° ·. •*• ♫° • ♫."
Great fun and luxury for me to sketch slipping kids. You may think it's hard to draw movements, in fact, NOT. Just look at slipping children carefully. Find a pattern of serial actions. Once, the pattern is found, pick up the most impressive scene. Very exciting for me to catch the critical moments of "unbalancing," "falling" and following movements.

Some children--most are boys-- bravely challenge an ice rink. Oh, physics experiments, objects cannot stand well on a surface without friction?! But children soon learn how to skate and begin to enjoy a smooth run, even though a bit different from "elegant."

Very young kids and girls are awkward. They walk with Penguins. Not bad. Wobbling is very cute and even pretty like ducklings. Parents are happy to take photos.Soon, children realize my sketching. Some hung on the wall and won't go away from me. A sketcher becomes popular at once anywhere.
"Can you draw me?"
"Well, Sweetie, I'm sketching slipping kids. If there's any drama, I may draw you..."
The girl, actually, quite a good skater, dares to perform a big stumble.
"No, Sweetie, I want to sketch natural movements." We have a laugh.
I do not use photos at all to capture figures.
In the observation, when children wobble, their hands' positions are very interesting. A head's angle and position is so fascinating, too. I look and draw from varied angles, as many as possible.

Once, my eyes understand the movements, I can drawing children with simple lines. The lesser, the better. Simple lines are clearer than too many lines. For me, catching the pattern or the connection of each movement is the key. After getting it, rebuilding movements on paper is not so hard. Even without looking at subjects, you can make fresh and lively work in a studio.

So, I always sketch and have fun!

Happy painting, Friends!!

My Wash and Color for Portrait

2011-06-27T00:33:00.009+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you enjoy a weekend?
This week, I'll chat over how to move on to a loose style from a stiff style, particularly, focusing on "my" wash and colour for portraits.
Below, I sketched the speaker at an exhibtion opening ceremony, while I was standing. The quicker, the better---for me.

I originally, came from quite a traditional watercolour style(See below). But a stiff style bored me and I tried a loose style. So, I totally understand others struggling to seek fresh and liquid expressions.
In order to loosen up work, "value study" and "very accurate drawing skills" are the key. Mono tone painting is a good practice to check values. Below, the gig player was in a strong red light at a pub. Very good study of value. We enjoyed music and my work. I always prefer life models. Don't be shy. Just keep sketching at anywhere and anytime. I sketched the lady enjoying holidays at a pub. We enjoyed a chat together. Cerulean blue was added at a studio. Changing an angle is important, which builds 3D image. OK, lets' move on to my current painting process and colours. It could be different from yours. If you could pick up anything useful, I'm very happy.

Materials
1) Paper : Arche, 300, smooth
2) Pencil : Soft. 5B or bigger number
3) Brush : #12, (hardly use others)
4) Paints : Winsor Newton or Holbein. Very limited palette.
Raw sienna, Burnt sienna, Composed Green, Winsor Newton Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Permanent Rose, Antwerp Blue.
Setting
Upright paper. Get on work at once. Make work in rush.

Painting Process
1) Start with middle value or dark area.
2) Leave highlight blank
...if I get any image for background, put colour at this stage
or make background later.
3) Enhance the darkest area = Make contrast more
4) Check balance in value & colour
Control of water is the pivot point for my style.
There's no magic, but practice.
In addition, sadly quick watercolour work is underestimated and put a low price at demonstration. Please consider, the work is a fruit of incessant practices for "years."

Be original and unique in a style.
Happy Painting!

Odditorium:Imagination & Creativity are Our Wings

2011-06-20T00:00:00.043+10:00

Hello, Friends, how was your weekend?
I enjoyed a sketch club meeting and sold quick watercolours. Happy!

Now, this week, I'd take you to the very funny exhibition, "Odditorium". Before it, become a kid again?! (below, young Sadami?!) "Odditorium" displays hilarious and mysterious objects. Originally, objects were designed for right purposes. But primary school children and an Australian great picture book illustrator Shaun Tan have created funny tags for objects and turned them into laughable archiological bits & pieces. (*Can you guess what was used for?The actuall use will be at the end of this post! )

OK, some examples for you.
First, painful dental devices. According to Shaun, this is "The Replica Horse Teeth from Society of Dental Surgeons, London." Priopr to the 1700s, it is true that barbers did both haircut and surgery. But I've never heard that barbers learnt "dental" surgery with this replica (How did they learn sugery for humans with these odd replicas?! ) Another, at right hand, is, according to Ryan, 9yrs Stammore Public School pupil, "The Toother Outer." Ryan says the device actually won the first prize at the international odd competition in 1944 and a dentist started using it to pull out teeth. Ohhhh!!! Ouch!!

There we go! Second, jolly and playful objects or two balls.
Oh, my! This little ball is"elephant's wee. " According to Augustine aged 9, the brilliant treat for tea like cake!! Especially, an elephant or a cow wee fed on mango leaves tastes delicious?? ....gulp...Another, above, Shaun claims, "Bullock Hair Ball for Riot Control," substituted for iron cannonballs in the Middle Ages. Hey, how come these cannonballes opressed the public or Gov power abuse tools?!

Last, tadadada~~~, very sexy "Giant Griffin"!
Shaun asserts, Australian Bonza Motors made this hilariously huge Griffin as a "car hood ornament" for FJ "You-Lilttle-Beauity," when Bonza competed with US Crysler in 1948. Unfortunately, what a shame! Bonza Morters dissmissed the designer and chucked his plan into a bin.
Wow, I saw such a gramous griffin for the first time.
Did you have a laugh? The exhibition has more objects.
Actually...
*It was a dental teaching aid.
*The object originally was a door knocker.
*Yes, it was really an elephant or a cow's wee, but used for dying on fabrics.
* Ooops, I missed out recording the actual use. Sorry!
*The female Griffin once was the guard of the entrance of Kings Cross Theatre.

The narrative tags show primary school children's wonderful creativity and Shaun's brilliant sense of humour. They are our legends!!

Can you remember your young days? How much you enjoyed making up stories with just pebbles, a piece of stick, or ordinary things? How proudly you invented unique stuff that grown-ups would never get? "Creativity" and "imagination" are the wings that enable human beings to fly across a sky! Joy must come first. That's the spirit of painting and drawing, too. There's no secret to learn drawing and painting, but the power of imagination and creativity. I believe if you can go back to a child, you can draw!
So, pick up whatever the media at your hand and just have fun!
Happy painting!!

Finally, I'd really appreciate the courtesy of the Powerhouse Museum and Parramatta Heritage Centre's kind assistance to sketch the objects.

Children, Our Future : Invited For BookFestival

2011-06-13T09:40:00.013+10:00

Hi, did you have a wonderful weekend?
I had a good time despite in cold rainy days. Just before rain, I sketched a baby enjoying a swing with Dad. Now, I'm invited for the Bookfest again! Great honour.
This NON PROFIT event has been running for 19years. Invited authors and illustrators will attend and donate their time.

BOOKFEAST 2011!!

Lunch with your readers

WHEN: Thursday 15th Sept 2011

WHERE: 96 Shaftesbury Rd, Burwood NSW 2134

TIME: 11:00am - 2:30pm

In the event, children from all over Sydney will enjoy lunch with writers and illustrators. For kids, we are their super heros (*I certainly feel my responsibility as an illustrator and artist!).The real aim of Book Festival is to promote literacy, education and awareness of Australian literature. The Bookfeast provides the space and creative opportunity for young people to come face to face with writers and illustrators, gaining an insight into their practice and also the world of writing. Last year, I really enjoyed the time with children(below).*I'll put on the fool's cap and that colourful shirt again! Hehehe!!!
I heartly hope some of young students will remember that day and my message, "Love & Hope," and get through a tough time in the future.

The "domestic violence and child abuse" psychology unit at uni taught me how precious and important our childhood is. Young days' experiences serioudly impact on personalities, self-esteem and behaviours.

Regarding self-esteem, I cannot judge which children do better or not at school and in a community. A competitive society puts terrible pressures on young people to get high scores, because society tends to focus on "good results or winners." Hermann Hesse's "Beneath the Wheel" shows an old and new theme.
Each individual is different and so precious. I never, ever want to see any child suffers in a winner-centralized value.

So, I always come back to this point, "who I am" and will be "who I can be most." I encourage any child to enjoy whatever they like fully. All children deserve to be happy and should have confidence in themselves. Each of us has something shining or a talent like a mine. It takes time to find an ability. But also, our ordinary daily stuff such as just walking, cooking, etc, etc, are, in fact, miracles and amazing abilities. Unfortunately, most people will never realize it untill they loose abilities. This year, I'll happily talk of my disabled leg to the children at a table. I'd cheer up all children to pursue their dreams and be what they are the most.

If picture book illustrators or writers are interested in this BookFestival, or would like more information, please contact: Mr Michael Fraser
Teacher librarian
Haberfield Public School
Tel: (02) 9798 8767

Children are our future and hope.
Let us work and bequeath a better world for them.
Happy painting!!

PS
A dog shop keeper happily invites me to sketch more! I love doggies!

Doug Moran, World Richest Portrait Prize

2011-06-06T00:45:00.008+10:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been?
Today, I sketched a cute baby at a market. Children's portraits are my most favorite. Talking of portraits, I enjoyed Doug Moran Pize Free Exhibition 2011 at NSW State Library(21st April - 26th June) last Saturday.
Moran is the world's richest portrait and photographic prizes. $150,000 for the best work.

The portrait winner is Vincent Fantauzzo, "Baz Lurhmann 'off screen.'" Vincent often becomes a finalist at Archibald, too.
There is no watercolour work in.
Regarding a size, some works were quite small, which made me, a watercolourist very comfortable. It implies room for watercolours to compete with other media. Some finalists showed a traditional style and realism, which encouraged me so much.

Indeed, the winner, Vincent's style is based on realism. It has cheered me up so much. I could not get what sort of media he uses. If anyone knows his media, please let me know it in comments.

Unlike Archibold 2011 (below), not many visitors were at the library. Rather quiet. Or I might visit there after a busy time. Already, when I posted on my thoughts about Archibold, many blog friends encouraged me to be what I am(*thanks millions, everyone!). I'll keep my own watercolour style for competitions. The first uploaded baby's work is my style.

But I will keep learning, while I maintain my identity.
Copying interesting works always teaches me lots. Above, the winner's composition and colour use was very fascinating. Of course, their techniques are different from watercolour. Yet I learned a lot and feel the "unlimited" potential in watercolour techniques. Particularly, I want to explore wash and brush strokes more. Apart from technical stuff, fine artists are "bounty hunters." We try to shoot a "competition prize" in order to earn money. Not easy. Laughs and tears are in one.
Often my dear artists friends and I have kidding,
"Are you still on the earth?"
"My transaction has only few cents."
Gulp?!
Nice friends are the most assets. We exchange information on competitions and back up each other. You're one of them.

Hopefully, this blog will never stop suddenly! Hahahaha?!
I'd keep up this blog till the end of my life and share joy with you, Friends!!
Happy painting.

Victoria Cancer Council Art Awards & Encounter Myself

2011-05-30T00:00:00.019+10:00

Hi, Friends, how have you been at a weekend?
Yesterday, I made a self-portrait to meet "what I am." I kept laughing, facing a mirror! Ahahahaha! I couldn't stop it!! Because very happy and fun!I challenged A2. Technically, A2 is huge and pretty hard to control wash. Need more practice to get used to it. My artists frineds are looking forward to an outcome work ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ .

Good news!

With your cheers, I was selected for Victoria Cancer Council Arts Awards 2011 as well as 2010. (*The 2011 Gallery website is constructed NOW. Please check it later. Winner announcement is on 10th July. ) Selected entries--if artists agree---will be on sale for fundraising as well.

Dreaming in Chemo $750
(Metal frame. Double Mat)

Very happy. I have the same treatment with cancer and leukemia patients, even though I do not have either of them. The hospital staff celebrated the good news. If you know cancer patients, family, carers, friends etc, etc, please pass this information.
Anyone can try the Awards, who is involved with cancer directly or indirectly. The real aim of the Awards is to lift up anyone touched by cancer. The Victoria Cancer Council's hard work has paid off. The benefits of Arts Awards have been well and widely recognised at The Ability Media International Awards 2010 for its creative excellence and social relevance.

Regarding my disability in the leg, the idiopathic chronic condition motivated me to explore who I am.
Lots of psychology books reading (*ended up philosophy) at uni and after uni on identity, life, death and love. The reading helped my psychological growing or maturing at the tough time. The most important finding is how to love myself properly and love others as well.

My on-going maturing is
know who/what I was/have been,
encounter "who I am"
...and becoming "what I will be most."

The very interesting experience! Are we really happy with being ourselves? If not, why and which element? I dug it deep and met a distorted self and examined my value system. Then, I understood why and could accept "who I have been."
Further, a fascinating experience is a shift begins in me that goes through the past, the present and to the future. I've found the meaning of my life in art and being convinced.

I've started loving myself properly. It means I can love others, too in a proper manner. Then, liberation. I chose to be an artist. I enjoy life fully and expect a good future, whatever the situations are/will be. Neither jealous of others nor wrongly proud of myself. Celebrate my even tiny achievements and happily applause others' great work, too.

Does my poor English make sense above?
I cannot tell them well, but that is a very profound truth(many famous psychologists are philosophers).
The violets from a dear friend are blooming out now.
Under a heaven, there's a season. My time for thinking and reading was over. Take an action, create art work, love myself and others---is my season. When I make portraits, everyone is so precious and unique. When I sketch something, everything is shining and beautiful. Of course, so you are, Friends!!
I deeply appreciate the encounter with you on net and on the earth.
Let us move on and live life fully!
Happy painting!

Great Fun! Sketching at Luna Park Under Sydney Harbour Bridge Opposite to Opera House

2011-05-23T01:50:00.019+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you have a nice weekend?
On Sunday, I enjoyed an event, ArtAlong as an invited artist by North Sydney Council. Actually, Sydney Sketch Club members also joined it. There, people can enjoy watching local artists working on paintings on a pavement. The event(9am-3pm) is a painting competition at
the same time.I set up a stall just at famous Luna Park entrance, a children's heaven.
But I did not see other artists around me. It puzzled me and I realized all other artists wanted to paint "landscapes" for the competition.
I enjoyed quick watercolour "portraits." Well, men and boys would not sit for me. Mmmm....they might be much shyer than us?! Only girls and women cooperated me. GIRLS POWER! Thank you all the models and ladys.

People showed a great interest in my sketching. My idea to display original and copied works on "boards" worked out very well.
Passerbys often looked at my other works and picked up business cards. We really enjoyed lots of chats. Some friends came to see me. Later, the staff told me that my stall became quite popular among watchers and tourists. I was too busy to realize it and could not have a look of other artists working.

I often enjoyed a chat too much and might be a bit distracted.
BUT the point was to communicate people there. I do not need to make a masterpiece everytime or all the time.
Making portraits is a very intimate human interaction between a model and an artist. Indeed, each model and I had a long chat. Usually, I make a quick sketch in 15 or 20 minutes, even in a train cart, I do it (this blog readers well know it). Today, I was a bit slow for watercolour.
Only the problem was...we, human beings cannot keep a laugh or a smile for minutes = we turn to be serious soon!The conversations were very interesting. Each model gave me their life stories, which I felt my priviledge as an artist to share a model's inner world.With one lady, we chatted over when & who & what is the most important. I quoted Tolstoy, "Three Questions." The answers are, "Now," "A person whom I'm with," "Do good a person whom I'm with." The answers always remind me of a Japanese tea ceremony. It has philosophy that "Do your best to a guest at a ceremony, because we may not see again on the earth."

When I sketch people...I feel the same above.
Of course, I had a great fun today, but also these sketches are my prayers. I hope I will keep on and learn lots.Finally, special thanks to Jennifer, our guardian angel of the Sketch Club, who took all these photos and other members' as well.

Happy painting & have a nice week!!

Develop Sketch to Illustration ; 3D Perception of Subject

2011-05-16T00:42:00.016+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you have a wonderful weekend?
I enjoyed events and swam 1.9km in a rock bath at a beach. Only 3 other brave swimmers were there in a cold weather. But very happy, my longest distance! I sketched a girl watching a magic on a stage at the wine festival. Daddy loved it so much! Ah, wonderful fine days. This week, I'll show an illustration developed from daily sketches.
Below, "Poor Shoe Shining Boy" is created from sketches. Designed for a picture book use.
In the finished illustration above, the two people have distinct characters. I set a young boy in trouble and an old man is a complainer. The setting is in public apathy. A sub character, the boy's royal friend, a dog is patiently and anxiously sitting beside the boy. A red is chosen for a carpet that implies the powerful and rich....and an arrogant hegemonic identity.
It's fun to check how an illustrator sets a mood.

Below, the work was just before finishing.
Shadows and values are checked and enhanced. Eventually, I put slight colours on passer-bys.
Compare the original, "Black & White drawings" made 2 or 3 yrs ago. You find two people do not have specific characters. The sketch has neither settings, symbolic meanings in colours/devices nor body language. Just they are plain sketches. Picture book illustration requires great techniques.

Apart from picture book illustration skills, how do you sketch a subject? Often people ask me, "Isn't it difficult to sketch moving kids(or subjects)?"
Not really. But I've wondered why I can draw moving subjects and why I can capture subjects freshly in watercolour.
Then, I've realized the key for successful sketching and drawing.

The tips is "3D understanding of a subject." Sketching reveals my 3D perception of a subject. Even though a sketch is from one angle, in fact, I seize a subject as a mass. So, I can capture moving figures and put values correctly.

Because already, I've sketched an object from different angles for many times in the past, with memories, I understand an object in front of me. Interaction emerges between an object and me. Very intimate relation. Then, a current object turns out to be "my subject," not a simple object any more.

Sometimes, I intentionally CHANGE an angle on paper, remaining at a same position. I practice it and enjoy sketching a subject in different angles from a same spot. Yes, with it, I check my understanding of the subject. If I know the subject well, I can draw it from a different side without looking it physically. It's fun, later, to check the drawing from an expected direction. See below. In addition, a photo reference often fails to show correct 3D visual information. Experienced artists compensate accurate images for distorted ones. Very interesting to observe how elegantly trained artists rebuild visual information from one simple photo.
The 3D understanding is critical for me to develop sketches into illustrations. especially, in a story board and at a stage of "rough."

Anyway, Friends, let us enjoy drawing and painting!
Have a wonderful week!

Sketching Brings Friends : Capture Moment & Beauty of Life

2011-05-09T00:40:00.030+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you have a wonderful weekend? Yes, I had! Mom, you're a forever idol, hero and cultural icon!!
Now, I'll chat over quick watercolour on people around us. I usually sketch people just sitting next to me. Always sketching brings me new friends.

This guy's beard, moustache, so gentle eyes and very very soft smile melt away my heart at a flea market. Quite rare to find a young beard man with a so nice smile. After getting his and his girl friend's permission, I got on sketching! Technically, I pinned down only the necessary information on paper. Also, light was interesting. Wow, this young man was on the way to get a PhD of applied math and the girl friend was, too, going to get another PhD. (*Why does a PhD holder tend to have a big moustache??) We enjoyed a chat, while I sketched him. At once, the hand craft jewellery artist at a stall came to me and we became friends. Do you come across artists and sketch them? I love it. Often their high tension has beauty. Below, I met a man taking a video in the Botanical Garden. His passion touched my heart. After quickly sketching him, I came to know he was the famous documentary director! His partner was a very big name as a portraitist who uses collage. Very lovely to know each other. They were working on film making as a couple. We'll keep in touch. Yey! Unfortunately, some of us, artists tend to be socially isolated in studios. Being a lone wolf is not good. So, I join events as many as possible. Last week, I attended the seminar on contemporary art & artists. Over there, I made friends with other two lovely artists. The agendas were contemporary artists' difficulties in cracking into market, which often result in commercially unsuccessful. Contemporary artists' struggle is nothing different from me, a traditional illustrator. A bit surprise. In my eyes, exhibitions, galleries and art market tend to embrace contemporary art. So, I chose portraits for a life long pursuing work, because a traditional style will remain as a main stream in portraits. Mmmm....the truth is that whatever the style is, an artist is having the same trouble in society.
I sketch anyone at anywhere.
Another fun encounter I made was at a Chinese restaurant in the evening. The shop demonstrates making noodles and dumplings in a show window. Always four or five working people face a street(= They and onlookers cannot carry a conversation in sounds). Very interesting. I always look at it with a big curiousity from a street. One staff's smiling and rosy cheeks were so nice. Quickly sketched him making dumplings(?). Now, in the window all the workers began to make big "Wows" and asked me to come in with a body language. Ooops, I thought of a boundary issue and a manager. When I was just leaving there, the manager was coming to the window. (*Phtew!! Hahaha! Weldone, Sadami!)
From now on, the shop workers and I will smile at each other.

Making friends with others is my greatest bonus. Blessed are artists! Sketching captures a moment and friezes the beauty of our life. Eternity is in sketches. Unpacked beauty of life always reaches viewers forever and ever.
...and my sketches and art work are dedicated for us, ordinary people living ordinary lives.
Happy painting!!

The City at Night : People are People

2011-05-02T00:31:00.001+10:00

Hello, Friends, did you have a wonderful weekend?
Thank you for a lot of feedback on the last post. I'll be true to myself and live Sadami.
Even though we have a lot of rain these days, you and I will go for sketching people on streets in the City at night today.

Busker at Station

The night City has many faces. Homeless guys, rich&poor, young&old, buskers, illegal traders, police, drunkards, sex industry workers, happy&sad, overseas, artists, all kinds of people get together at the one place, the "City" and disclose their lives boldly. Night darkness curtains fiascoes off guilt. Alcohol helps people leave shyness, moral and social norms far behind. Freedom and chaos are praised.

In the chaos, sketching is much like finding gold from mud, scoop it up and scatter it on papers. Value study at night is very interesting. Unfortunately, paper did not get dry well in the rain. Expected washes never came up. In the pub. Just the royal wedding was on a TV. Securities and young people enjoyed my sketches. Technically, rough sketches, quick watercolor and pin-down inspirations are my tasks.

I saw an old lady busker. Quite rare to see a granma-like figure play a guitar. Not many people gave her money tonight. Her very sad face ached my heart badly. "Oh, you're so sensitive. But the truth is truth!" she said cheerfully. She'd rather enjoy the miserable situation than cursing at others. Great and I admired her attitude. That pensioner was planning to go home, UK and saving a little bit money from busking.
One, I assume, a homeless lady passionately looked at my sketching for nearly 20 minutes(=till the end) on an under ground way to Central Station. She talked to me in Non-English. I had no idea. She tried hard to tell in English my portrait captured a model's inner world and emotions(*the first uploaded busker's portrait). "Spirit! Model's spirit! My English is bad." Once, she loved drawing in her country. "Very poor. Very poor. My English is bad."(*sorry I did not get her story well.) She took the brush from me, "Pen. Horse. Animal. Rice paper. Expensive." (...I wish I could tell her mine is made of a "Squirrel" another animal!). She kept on talking and would not go away. Looked very poor with 2 worn out plastic bags stuffed with cheap daily needs -- a typical homeless appearance, even though she said, "after work." Nearly 12 o'clock?! You do not look like a Cinderella. A face and hands were very dirty, full of wrinkles with some cuts or cracks. Big patches were here, there on her jacket. Honest, I've never seen a middle aged lady wearing a patched and thin cloth in autumn Sydney. Even a homeless guy wears well and warm, because charity provides clothes. If a language difficulty hinders this lady from accessing help and art work, it's pity... She passionately talked on how marvelous materials and how wonderful Chinese painting was.

I picked up a Chinese brush from my bag and ... gave it to the lady. Of course, I'm not rich at all!!(*I bought it this year.) I might be too simple...
The lady looked to get a bit surprised, happily accepted it, walked away and disappeared in a crowd. Ah, if that lady could have been the sympathetic millionaire, that'll be wonderful! (*The Model Millionaire (Oscar Wilde) is my favorite short story. Big laugh and so subtle!! ) But a fantasy would not happen on me. I'm ready to die in poverty. My dear artist friend says, "You're not alone! We're in the same boat!!" Oh, what a great friendship! Hahaha!
Now, let's go home. Home, sweet home. I'll take a train.
So many different people, some might be cunning. But I'd believe in people's good will. One homeless and beggar gentleman offered his jacket on steps for this poor artist. Many people actually respected the artist and never scorned me even in the chaos. Friends, that's my great and genuine honour. I'll keep up drawing and painting. I do not expect a commercial success(=galleries are not happy to display subjective portraits), but one day, I'd exhibit my daily sketches of people at somewhere to share joy with others.
Anyway, happy painting!

True to Myself : Get High With Help From Friends!

2011-04-25T00:30:00.014+10:00

Hi, Friends, did you have a wonderful Easter?
I sketched this old lady reading the Chinese Bible. I could not resist her cute and lovely smiling. We easily overcame a language barrier with my watercolour painting. The lady, me and onlookers really enjoyed the sketch in the Easter afternoon.

Hallelujah!

Thank you for very precious feedback on money hunting and prizes or fame chasing up games. Many encouragements and candid advice encompas my direction to go. I'll be true to myself, although entitlements give an artist money and galleries = income in a commercial and business aspect.

I will keep up my own style. A heart and a soul cannot be sold for 30 Drachmas. Above all, these wonderful Friends' cheers are my true honors. Indeed, many people love my sketches on streets and at exhibitions. What will I need more? Gallery searching is a bit good homework, but I will find a way. From now on, I'll check competitions in order to get some income, but that's all. Thank you for back-ups!!! I'm a happy artist! Yey!!
Now, the Garden Sketchabout was over, the "6 weeks sketch marathon." Even though I enjoyed some landscapes and architecture, I re-recognized myself as a portraitist. While I was sketching people, I was in a heaven. Also, always children picture book illustration is my priority and dream. The final day was a bit hilarious tragicomedy for me, no sense of direction girl! I got lost at the Opera House to see other sketch club members. Eventually, even though I could catch up with others, a horrible hour for me, gulp?! What was worse, I and the papers became "drawn rats" in the heavy rain. Anyhow, I made one watercolor. Friends, white spots on the watercolor are not salt, but rain drops!! While I was sketching, I was lost again. Already my feet were like "tea bags." I was worried if I could walk back from the Opera House to the Botanical Garden within the time.

Tadadada~~~! An angel came to me! One sketch club member was waiting for this lost sheep. Furthermore, I soon realized the lady walking along with my walking pace. How kind and caring she was! I'd really, really appreciate her help.

In the Tropical Centre, I sketched other members, as figurative work makes me most comfortable. The drawn rat came back to life and turned to be a woman again!

When I look back the sketch marathon, the greatest bonus is making friends with other sketch club members, the Garden Trust staff and ...even with rangers(*They helped this wondering sheep!). Second, it eases my "landscape & architecture allergy." Particularly, 2 sketches, the "Palm Grove Centre & Bats" and the "Government House in rain" were a great fun. I was surprised at myself ~(*o*)~. Third, another big surprise, this no-direction-sense girl walked around in the huge garden with a map! Oh, challening brings me confidence.

One more bonus is that we are invited for the opening night of
The Paginated Garden Exhibition
at Rathborne Lodge in Royal Botanic Garden
(Friday 29th April to Sunday, 1st May, 10am-4pm).
Hey, this poor artist loves to eat away "freebie" food like Homer Simpson. Friends, come and have fun.
You'll meet my big smile ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. The map is below.

Finally, thank you very much for the Gardedn Trust staff and other backstage players and hardworkers who have organized the event with great efforts, sensitiveness and care. The success is your fruit. Let us enjoy it together at the party evening next Thursday!!
Once again, special thanks for you, Friends!!
True. Money cannot buy precious things all... but a "card" does, ooops, no, no, that's kidding!
Your friendship is one of my most precious assets on the earth.
Happy painting!

Archibold, Most Famous Portrait Prize in Australia

2011-04-18T02:02:00.019+10:00

Hi, Friends, I'll take you to Archibold Prize 2011, just opened Saturday 16th April at New South Wales Art Gallery.

Archibold prize is the oldest and most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. Any portraitist dreams to be a winner and a finalist. Of course, me, too. This year, 41 participants are selected out of 900 paintings. You can imagine how competitive it is. The winner is Ben Quilty, "Margaret Olley" (oil on canvas). Margaret Olley is the famous lady in art. She did a model for Archibold 50 years ago as well. It has become a hot topic and public attention.

NSW Art Gallery

While I was copying the work, I really felt like making my own work, not anyone else. Above all, my media is watercolor. Unfortunately, no watercolor painting is in the entry this year.

Often people encourage me to try Archibold. Of course, I want to try it. But always I feel these difficulties....

1) The entry condition, particularly, finding a model.
A subject is, preferably, "famous." So, often politicians, entertainers, sports players, etc, etc or big names in mass media.
I can hardly find a big name for my model. The quote from the entry form is below.
“preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics, painted by any artist
resident in Australasia during the 12 months preceding the date fixed by the Trustees for sending in the Pictures”.

If it's hard to get a famous figure, another option is a self portrait. Mmm....I'm still thinking over it. (NOTE : A caricature is not appropriate for entry.) 2) Many obstacles for watercolor painting
a) size
Most paintings(oil & acrylics are a main stream) are huge like a big door or a wall. It always makes me sigh... My favorite size is A4.

b) framing
Archibald requires to frame watercolor work, while other work on a canvas does not need it.
Ouch!! It means a big work costs a watercolorist expensive. Honest, if a work does not get through a selection, is it possible to keep a huge frame like a wall...? Also, depends on work's colors, a frame should be changed. Not wise to spend a big money in framing each try.

Another concern is a style.
The Gallery also exhibits "SirJohn Sulman Prize" and "Wynne Prize."
I looked through them all. Have a look of the web.

The honest impression... my style is not like contemporary art.
Many years ago, already my friends said, "You have to make something sensational and controversial to get into it." I feel a difficulty to follow a stylish trend.

So far, I've determined to challenge any prize in my own way and keep my own style. I assume fame and money will not come to me. BUT I feel many people love my sketches and watercolor on streets. I'm very happy. Be what I am -- is the most important for me ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ .

Oh, lastly, Friends, I'll show you a very funny and satirical work. In the Sulman prize, have a look of Ms Peta Morris, "An old English breakfast." She cut out an English royal family and put them into a tea set: tea bags, a pot & cups! Clever! Very subtle!! In addition, I've begun to feel confident in landscapes since the Sketchabout in the Botanical Garden. Hey, I'm overcoming my "allergy"!
Thank you for cheer up that enables me to move on.
Have a wonderful week and happy painting.

Time Travel In Macleay Museum

2011-04-11T01:41:00.010+10:00

Hi, Frieneds, did you have a nice weekend? I had!
On Sunday, we enjoyed sketching at Macleay Museum in Sydney University. It's a museum of natural history, ethnography and history.

Let's enjoy a time travel from 18th C and from a micro to macro world. Indeed, the biiiiig bones welcome you at the entrance. Manmos? No, an elephant. Ohh...huge!Regarding nature, the museum has more than half a million insect specimens in the collection. Wow...!! A wide range of collections impressed me so much. Pioneers' passion and enthusiasm for study also touched me. The display showed used devices, too.However, the Macleay Museum is often overlooked by visitors. I have to confess I did not realize it and only know Nicholson museum till today. A bit shame, the Nicholson Museum seems to to be very popular. I wonder if the Macleay museum has got enough budget to maintain the collection. I saw one insect collection being damaged. Hopefully, more public attention and a financial support will come to this historical and precious Macleay museum.

Yes, I was sketching...

In respect of ethnography, more importantly, the Macleay museum has a great collection of Aboriginal people's culture and life. An amazing number of photographs are there. So, researchers and professors still visit here for study. I had a fun in finding a historical Japanese new year greeting card and Japanese old fashioned geta(="wooden sandals") in display.

(*Can you guess what animals are they?)

But some collections in ethnography surprised me such as an ornament made of human teeth. Another historical one is human foot bones used for an educational purpose. (*I did not sketch them all...a bit scary at night?!)

Imagine. Once upon a time, no internet, no DVD, no computer! Certainly, lecturers and scientists have used these collections for education, research and study. These influential data has contributed to the development of science, anthropology and so on, even though today, internet and computers are taking over some part of the museum. I sincerely hope we can maintain this museum for the future.

Apart from the serious stuff above, sketching was really a fun. Very dim and dark. One friend had to "keep dancing" on a floor in order to get light. Why? A light sensor turns off every several minute. Oh, poor girl, but we giggled. Other friends said, "feel a bit headache" from too much concentration. But Friends, you know, I sketched Chinese First Emperor at NSW Art Gallery nearly in the darkness. So, the Macleay was quite kind to me.

Well, I whispered to other club members... one day... after the explosion of nuclear power plants... we may find this display....Of course, the friends burst into laughter!!!
But Friends, this is a scientific joke. According to a biological research data, cockroaches would survive radiation exposure.
"Sadami, they don't understand literature."
"Well, after the nuclear exposure, they will achieve a miraculous evolution--get a great brain! That needs education for kids, too. Excursion for Macleay Museum."
"Hahahahaha!!!" we laughed, but...hopefully, it will never happen on homo sapience in the future.
Anyway, have a wonderful week and happy painting!!

Rhythm & Blues in Autumn

2011-04-06T12:25:00.012+10:00

Friends, I sketched jazz players last Saturday in the Botanical Garden. "Close-up" excited me so much and a great fun. Enjoy them all.
Jazz players were happy with my sketches, whcih made me happy, too.
...a bit embarrasing, I missed out the meet up with other Sydney Sketch Club members in the garden. I expected it at 3:30. BUT it was 3:00! (Thank you, Liz for "baby sitting" of this big girl!)

The jazz players had concerts at Vista Pavilion. After separating from Liz, I went back there and sketched this. We, sketch club members often get together in front of the "Palm Grove Centre," the shop in the Botanical Garden. Friends, could you guess what's hanging from the tree behind the shop? Many nuts? No, too huge as nuts! Tourists' bags? No, too high to hang on. What's that?

They are BATs!! ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

But, bats~(*o*)~ ? Yes, bats or another name, "flying foxes."
Bats hanging on trees always give me this image. Shhhh... once, I made this illustration for a picture book... ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ
(*NOTE: It's a stuffed toy, not a puppy in the story.)
Bats are stars for tourists. Even though Sydney siders are not happy, becuase they enjoy farmers' fruits and do dropping, but being protected by law. Mmmm....from bats' point of view, we, humans are invadors. Hopefully, we can find a compromised ground to live together peacefully. Lastly, the notice from a friend, sketch club member.
Melting Pot of Love-Charity Group Exhibition for Japanese Earthquake victims Created By: Nao Hirata.
Opening Night : Thursday April 21st (6-8pm) Exhibition Dates: Thursday, April 21 at 6:00pm - May 3 at 3:00pm Location: Gaffa Gallery, 281 Clarence St, Sydney 2000

Well, the Sydney Sketch Club makes me very busy and productive. Brillinat. How many sketches do I make per week?? My updating date is Monday, but in fact, I need upload work more. Otherwise, sketches will be piled up!

Anyway, I hope one day, I will enjoy sketching with You, my blog friends all over the world ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ.
Have a wonderful week and happy painting!!

Daily Sketches In Australian Autumn

2011-04-04T00:00:00.003+10:00

Hi, Friends, in this post, I'd share my daily sketches in autumn. Today, our day light saving is over. (* Later, this Wednesday or Thursday, sketches on jazz players in the Garden come up.)

Unlike the northern hemisphere, we do not have a "sentimental" fall in Australia. But winds get cold. Big waves mercilessly crashes into white and a sky gets grey--is autumn. I sketched this a few days ago after swimming.
By the way, I still search for specific leaves that represent an Australian autumn. If anyone knows it, please let me know.
"Chanson d'automne" (Autumn Song) Paul Verlaine is my favorite poem. What sort of image do you have for an autumn? My image, Autumn weaves life and death into her colorful cloth. Probably, life and death is the most impressive drama in autumn that captures our heart and thoughts, even though it's always happening on at anywhere and anytime.Life and death are like a coin's heads and tails. Two in one. Unable to separate them. End is beginning. Vice verse. If so, always hope stays with us in any context.

While adults feel sentimentalism, children enjoy playing around outside like other seasons(who cares sentiment?!). Their energy is like a go-around-clock for "36 hours per day." Any child loves watching my drawing and painting. Soon we get friends.

Once, my friend's son came to me and clang to me till I had to leave. The friend confessed me with a surprise, "My son is so shy...a slightly autism-like child. Amazing... he likes you at once."

Another friend's daughters wanted to keep me playing with them and would never leave us talk together. At last, the friend said, "This is mom's friend!! Please let us have a chat!" I had a big laugh. Those children have grown up to teenagers. Their memories are in fallen brown leaves.

A bit strange, when I was little, time stayed with me. Today, time flies away quickly, unless I grab it.
Well, it means I'm getting older?--I smile in falling leaves.
Also, autumn is a good season for art, sports, ride, and any outside activity. The other day, I saw a sexy bike with attractive purple. The owner said, "Women love this purple." Huge money was spent in the bike, more than a usual car price. Men's passion for bikes is beyond girls' understanding. (Of course, they nag?! at our enthusiasm for shopping.)
Friends, enjoy EVERYTHING in autumn...and live fullyʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ!!

Sketchabout#3 & Daily Work

2011-03-28T00:00:00.030+11:00

Hi, Friends, before the topics,
special thank you for great cheers for Japan. Art Auction for Japanese Disaster Relief goes well. Today, my Japanese blogger friends say, "Please pass our best wishes and thank you for your Friends and nice people. It really lifts us up!"

One more, very happy news is swimming has improved my muscles very much. 4 kgs increased, but the waist size gets tightened up. Hospital nurses say, "Look healthier and fitter. Keep up swimming." The podiatrist also recognizes my putting back muscles.

Now, Sketchabout#3. On a patchy rainy day, we went to the Government House. But I already sketched it last week. So, I sketched my new friends. See how we work hard...and chat more?!! (*Tiny dots on her shirt are rain drops, not salt.) Sadami: "Don't say, 'It's the end of our friendship!!' "
Friend just had a big laugh and we really had a great fun. Hahaha!!Friend: "Oh, that's nice. I like it." She'd like to use it for online.Sadami: "From next time, I have to charge ye (hopefully "millions"?!)." I will sketch members as many as possible.
Another statue is a Scottish poet, Robert Burns.
To really a happy surprise, my admiring artist John Haycraft popped up the Sketchabout. He has been mentoring me for these years.
We really look forward to next Saturday! What a friendly club!

Now, my daily works. After joining the Sydney Sketch Club, I have begun to feel comfortable with landscapes. Sometimes, I feel like painting it like a figure to tell a story.

Awaiting You

This stair way is just in front of my favorite beach pool. So many steps and people do exercises. One day, I will climb it up smoothly without a walking stick! The pool water gets cold in autumn, while some blogger friends are celebrating spring. So, I'd devote this image, "Children, Herald of Spring" for Friends in the northern hemisphere. Kids are full of energy and always in spring or summer. These Pablo Picaso's say are my favorite.

It takes a long time to become young.

And...

Youth has no age.

Children, Herald of Spring

Experiment and first experience for a computer work.
"Photoshop" put together several quick sketches on the daffodils.
I came across a very famous caricaturist, Paul Moyse anyhow remade work to meet a due date by a "computer." His lesson scared me, a watercolourists and hand-only person, but an illustrator in publishing industry that chases up a dead line. So, I'd learn how to use Photoshop more.

Finally, my cartoon! Friends, do you use a paper for checking colours before painting? I do and always feel these colourful dots look beautiful. I turned it into for "Warms Hide&Seek." Thanks for cheers. With your cheers, I made the longest record, 1500m swim without cramps! Other regular people at the pool celebrated it, too. Anyone with disabilities, please never give up.
I have a dream ; one day I will see you, all blogger Friends in person on the earth ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ.
Happy painting!

2nd SketchAbout:How to Conqure Huge Garden

2011-03-20T14:30:00.007+11:00

Hi, Friends, thank you for wonderful cheers for my adventure, "Sketchabout." I'll show you the Garden has precious historical, cultural and natural heritages of Australia for the future.

Government House

Despite rain, we got together and enjoyed sketching.
I also made some sketches yesterday before rain (lucky!).

OK, you and me, let's have a walk together in this huge Garden.
Have a look of the map. Enlarge it, please. Get it? How big it is!
Opening: 7am to 6:30pm.A strategy, "How to Conquer the Garden" is essential. Otherwise, waste of time and you cannot go home?! (*no worries, in fact, so many rangers always patrol.) Let's walk around the left side of the map.
...and hopefully, I can over come my dislike of landscape during this adventure:).

Head to Government House and the end of the path to see Sydney Opera House.
From the Herb Garden to the Government House, there are beautiful greeny open fields full of biiiiiiig trees. How big? Good question! Trees are "monstrous" big or gigantic. Can you see a person under a tree? How small it is!

Sculptures are here and there along path ways or on terraces--some are extraordinarily big and contemporary art. The below depicts "waves," according to Toni from the Garden Trust. Ooohhh! Waves!! ...sorry, in my eyes, it looked like a big warm. Of course, art is the thing to feel it, not understand it though ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ. The left side, a white one is a huge sculpture made of white rocks and inside is hollow where bats' sweet home. *Please respect a bat. Toni says, "One bat eats thousands of mesquites,"!! Salute bats!

Still, we keep walking ahead. Now, left hand side, see "Government House." (*please see the first image and the map.) Hey, we have a castle in Sydney!! One more surprise is a freebie to see an inside. So, next time, I'll definitely see an inside and report you. Although a bit miserable to sketch it under a tiny umbrella in rain, it has paid off.

Finally, we get to the end of the path, near the Queen Elizabeth II. Yey, "Opera House"! This egg-shells-like building is our cultural icon! Many people take a rest here and sit on green grasses.

Sydney Opera House

From now on, I'll boast, "Hahahaha! I'm living in the GORGEOUS castle and the Opera House is in my backyard!" Yes, our legends are in the Garden.

In addition, the organizer Liz asks me to make the portrait of her precious mascott Borromini. Gulp?! I'll just do my best. Did you enjoy a walk with me? Next time, I'll try the middle section or the right section.
Happy painting and have a wonderful week!!

Art Auctions for Japanese Disaster Relief

2011-03-18T10:45:00.003+11:00

Dear Friends,

Please pass this blog post to others interested in donation.
I found the auction info at Iain's blog.
Iain Stewart Watercolors
Further, Iain has set the blog, Art Auctions for Japanese Disaster Relief.
The website tells "Beginning bid: $50" and contact each artist listed there.

In Australia, sakura(=cherry blossom) like trees always remind me of Japan. The news was shocking, as if the landscapes were like WWII or after the atomic bomb. I could not hold tears.
Japanese people, you're not alone! Hang in there and pull yourself together. You've already shown great courage and amazing discipline in this dreadful catastrophe.
I hope everything works out for the best.

Kind regards,
Sadami

First Garden "SketchAbout" & Sydney Sketch Club

2011-03-13T22:38:00.019+11:00

Hi, Friends, thank you for the cheers from all over the world!!

The experience is wonderful!! I sketched "figures" in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

Alissa & Liz

The most impressive thing is that organizers, Liz, Alissa and Jennifer are so caring for all members while working on painting(wow, so busy!). They welcome me and incessantly talk to each member with respect and rapport. It makes anyone comfortable and feels at home. Also, each member is totally autonomous and free, regarding subjects and media. Particularly, Jennifer so much helps me, a new member with a walking stick. She took the photos for me. (*Click and enlarge it. You can see my tiny watercolor kit in the left hand.)
Friends, a friendly atmospher, no criticism but encouragements are just like Teri's "Twenty Minutes Challenge". Get the image of Sydney sketch club? Isn't it nice?

The fountain is near at the entrance and so attractive. Technically, I used a very "limited pallet" learned from French classic artists exhibition at NSW Art Gallery last year. The Garden has many statues, too.

I'm still thinking how to finish it up or stop it now.
Simplicity and light is all my concern. Of course, mischief Sadami always seeks interesting subjects. Here we go! A very cute scare craw, I'm afraid it easily makes friends with birds?! This little girl is in a section for pioneers' "first farm." Kerry from the Garden Trust explains the purpose of the event, "SketchAbout" (from March 12 to April 16) that has a competition and an exhibition at the end. The ultimate goals are public awareness of environmentalism and the maintenance of the Garden.

Kerry

The Garden has so many visitors from all over the world. A lady resting her sore feet was from New Zealand. While waiting for the meet up time, she happily did a model for me. It was her first Australia visit.
"Oh, wonderful. But someone should have told me, 100 degree slopes here!!" Oh, dear. I know! 100 degree is a play-up number. But Friends, the huge Garden is sitting on a large slope. So, walking through the Garden from corner to corner is a great challenging.
It could be a reason that the Garden has a cute electric chu-chu train for visitors. Next time, I want to ride it and sketch it:).

Same minded people get together -- is absolutely fun. It is exciting to look at different techniques and unfamiliar media. The lady sketching me uses pastels. Her green hair is very impressive. Exchanging info on techniques and looking at varied skills are lovely treasures. I'm learning a lot! Liz does architecture and landscape with watercolor & pen in a few minutes. Sooooo quick!! Wow, it's a miracle in my eyes. Like my quick figure watercolor, she finishes up a work and goes to another spot. A bit surprised that my A4 size is reasonably big among participants.

The event will be run till 12 April. The Sydney Sketch Club will always have a meeting every Saturday, shine or rain.
It's really good for me to challenge landscape and meet same minded people. See how it goes.
...but, Friends, don't expect me too much every week?! Sketching and making lots of watercolor at once consumes a huge energy, even though I'm so happy. Yes, my heart is in a heaven!!! Ahahaha!
Friends, with your sent energy and cheers, I could enjoy the first garden sketch. I could park a car at a disability parking spot in front of St Mary cathedral early in the morning. I went into church and made a short prayer for Lord and Mother Mary with thanks and...for you, all readers of this blog!!

P.S. Today, I delivered this work for KuRingGai Art Society exhibition in St Ives. Yes, Friends, you loved it and me, too. Feedback from other artists is very positive. People, I love people so much.
Have a wonderful week!! Happy painting!

I'll join Garden Sketchabout in Sydney Tomorrow!

2011-03-11T21:45:00.010+11:00

Hi, Friends, exclusive!!
Some people already know the "SketchAbout" in Sydney from UrbanSketches. I'll join it tomorrow. Yey~~~!!It is the part of big events, "Autumn of Arts" from March to April.

Once, even though other artists and bloggers encouraged me to join Urban Sketches, I was reluctant because of the walking difficulty and a slow walk for a long distance.

This time, the Royal Botanic Garden is huge and I haven't visited there for more than 10 years. Gulp...
But I walk better now. If I do not challenge, I will never open another door. Com'on Sadami! Friends, your cheers and friendship are my energy. And my guts and humor will overcome the difficulties!

Above all, I could contact a Sydney sketch team. The member already contacts back and kindly helps me how to get there and sketch there.
I really, really look forward to meeting other sketchers and members there:).

So, keep patience for another post, if I am late for uploading it next Monday.

Ah, like a little kid just before an excursion from school, I'm excited too much tonight?!
Have a wonderful weekend.

Cheers,
Sadami

Banana Flies Like an Apple : Invitation for Linguistics

2011-03-07T00:00:00.101+11:00

Yahoo, Friends, I'll chat over linguistics--one of my majors at uni.

Hopefully, none of linguists nor postgraduate students reads this post?! Linguistics has these areas.
Phonology = Sounds. Phonetics = Sound Articulation.
Semantics. Pragmatics = Word Meanings.
Syntax = Sentence Strcuture.
Morphology = Word Formation.

social psychology lecture

Syntax and morphology are my favorite areas. NOTE: "Favorite" does not mean I did it very well AT ALL. I'd devote this cartoon for any student struggling in a semester all over the world! Hang in there! You're not alone!!In syntax, analyzing sentence structures, especially, the ambiguity of a sentence was fun. Try it below.

Q) Is this sentence acceptable or not?(=grammatically correct or not).

"Banana flies like an apple."

(*Does a famous English proverb, "Time flies like an arrow" come across your mind? But how come "banana" and "apple"??)

"Unacceptable," a linguistics student claims, "Because a subject, a noun, "banana" does not have an article, "a." Thus, Incorrect and ungrammatical."But "Yes, acceptable, " a clever biology student asserts,
"Because "banana flies" are tiny fruits flies that are fond of fruits and the subject of the sentence. Therefore, correct and acceptable."Got the joke?
A structurally ambiguous sentence has different meanings.
Where to cut a sentence structure and the feature of parts of speech(noun, verb etc) change syntactic functions(subject, object, etc) and meanings, too. In other words, what speakers assign to a sentence changes a meaning.

I uploaded that famous joke for a linguistics board. Other students seemed to enjoy it.

BUT a biiiiig surprise, a professor beat me back beautifully and demonstrated a new analysis!
"If "Banana" is a proper noun, such as a name of a person, for example, "Mr Banana" (the professor said, "Such a thing hardly happens though"), the bare noun is able to be a subject. Therefore, grammatically, acceptable."Ohhhhh, my...!! Yes, logically correct and syntactically right. Wow...a PhD level goes far beyond a common sense?!? I changed a direction from linguistics to sketch lecturers:).Yet, I love linguistics. If anyone is interested in linguistics, just pop up a lecture and have fun.

Have a wonderful week.
Uni students, get through a semester!! Make good memories!
Enjoy your life fully!!

P.S. Don't ask me Qs! Try PhD level guys around you.
"My hobby is linguistics," artist Sadami says and linguists have a laugh.

Pleasure at Restaurant

2011-02-28T00:58:00.008+11:00

Hi, Friends, did you have a good weekend?
This week, I'll chat over dinner at a restaurant.

As we, Australians have many different cultural backgrounds, food and dishes are full of variety. You can go round a world on streets. Looking at a menu is a great fun with family and friends. BUT foreign languages are tricky to make an order. Guessing is not helpful. Seek advice straight from a waiter or a waitress is the best option:). Or "ini mini mani mo"?!!--good luck! (*"Ini mini mani mo" is a kids song to choose something from more than 2.)

I love any dishes.
Observing cooking is another fun. It's a culture. Skilled chefs and workers techniques are art. Sophisticated and elegant movements astonish customers and guests.A most fun is bringing bottles of wine to a shop and have dinner with close friends and family. Chatting over stupid stuff and exchanging dishes are my favorite.

Great stress busters.
Nice food, good wine and familiar faces make us happy.Only the "side effect" is the fear of a scale. Gulp...??!!
Lastly, a bit punchy joke.
During WWI, an anthropologist was doing a field work on cannibalism in a tribe. One day, the academic explained about the ongoing war.
Barbarians asked him, "What will you do with dead bodies?"
The scholar proudly answered that cultivated people would not eat human fresh.The answer upset the barbarians so much,
"How savage! You kill others without any reason!"
...may peace be on earth.Friends, have wonderful weekdays!!

Oshima Internaitonal Handmade Picture Book Competition 2011

2011-02-23T22:28:00.004+11:00

Hi, Friends, exclusive!

Little Sadami in summer

"Oshima Internaitonal Handmade Picture Book Contest 2011" (*English) invites you for a competition run by a Japanese picture book museum.
If you win, your handmade picture book will be published in a year.
Entry will open from 7th May to 29th May, 2011.
Application form
In turn of publishing, the museum will keep the copyrights of a first prize book.

More info and my once-submitted work are here,
label PictureBookCompetition

By the way,
...I'm making cartoons based on my young day funny episodes:). One day, I will upload them.

Anyway, wish you good luck for the comp!!
Enjoy making a picture book!

Universal Language, Art

2011-02-21T00:00:00.074+11:00

Hi, Friends! Did you have a wonderful weekend?

A birds-eye-view sketching is from a shopping mall. A snapshot of us, Australians. People's movements in different perspectives coexist at a same glance. Very fascinating.

Isn't it a "miracle" that each of us has a precious life story in rich linguistics diversity? So many languages are coexisting in NSW (source "Language Spoken at Home1999 to 2001" conducted by Community Relations Commission ).

Last week, there was a Chinese new year festival.

Actually, Korean Buddists ran a stall for paper crafts. Many children enjoyed making colourful water lily lanterns. Also, colourful languages!

Oh, I did not come across a Chinese fortune teller, who had been extremely popular last year. A bit shame, I missed out the secret tips, how to become a millioner?!?

In a daily life, language barriers could make communication difficulties. But any language speakers, young and old, whatever differences, communicate in drawing and painting. A sketcher is always popular at anywhere. People and children come around me and enjoy looking at the watercolor painting.

I'd make work that will bring others joy, love and hope.

Art is a wonderful device for communication, although sometimes, it needs a "bipartisan support" or an "informed consent"... :).

...I sincerely hope blog visitors will take a rest, share joy and happily exchange thoughts in our journeys on the earth.
Thank you for visiting.
Let us enjoy art work!!

Blog-Versary, 1yr Old & Happy Valentine

2011-02-14T00:00:00.040+11:00

Hi, Friends, Happy Valentine and 16th Feb is this blog anniversary. The blogging has lifted me up so much.

I could get many wonderful blogging friends. So many beautiful art works are on internet. Internet is an amazing world.

This blogging has given me wonderful leg exercises.
In order to upload something interesting topics, I've sketched anything, moved around or joined events every weekend like a journalist who hunts a subject.

Now, I can move the leg much better and stronger! Very happy!!

The light heart has imporved my art skills. Drawing skills get much quicker and better. In parallel, a watercolor style becomes more loose, vivid color use, spontaneous, free and full of joy. Better drawing skills and loose watercolor have given me wings to fly across a sky.

Not to be a "one-trick-pony," I've challenged any genres in art. From portraits, still life to cartoons, whatever I like. Challenging different areas helps me not to "beat a head against a wall" or not to narrow a view. "Tomorrow is another day. Try something different at the moment," is my mantra.

Then, in varied experiments, I've found new Sadamis. Very exciting!! Friends, make lots of messes and have fun! You'll find so many possibilities. No need to ristrict the individual potential.

Another bonus is enquiry of my work for use or purchase through the blog.

Thank you for the great support and encouragements. Special thanks for the linguistics professor and the lecturers who encouraged me to set up a blog.
Blogging is lovely. Now, Sadami, go, go!!
ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Cheers!! ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ