Victoria Cancer Council Art Awards & Encounter Myself

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!

Victoria Cancer Council Art Awards & Encounter Myself

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

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.
Friends, Happy Painting & Have a Nice Week!!

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

Develop Sketch to Illustration ; 3D Perception of Subject

This week, I'll show an illustration developed from daily sketches.
This is an example of my daily sketch. I sketched a girl watching a magic on a stage at the wine festival. Daddy loved it so much! I keep these references in stock and in files. Below, "Poor Shoe Shining Boy" is created from sketches or references. It is 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 two or three years ago. You find two people do not have specific characters. The sketch has neither settings, body language nor symbolic meanings in colours/devices. They are just 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)?"
No. 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!

Develop Sketch to Illustration ; 3D Perception of Subject

Sketching Brings Friends : Capture Moment & Beauty of Life

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!!

Sketching Brings Friends : Capture Moment & Beauty of Life

The City at Night : People are People

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!

The City at Night : People are People