Sketch Machinery or People? Both!

I enjoyed a Sydney Sketch Club meeting at 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!

Sketch Machinery or People? Both!

The Beauty & The Potential in Aging

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 come back to parents.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 answers (answers are not always one!). 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!!

The Beauty & The Potential in Aging

Who We Are & Art Work

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!

Who We Are & Art Work

Sketch Movement : Ice Skating & Falling Kids

We're enjoying skating 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!!

Sketch Movement : Ice Skating & Falling Kids