Used Goods Hunting & "Your Face" Project

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?!

Used Goods Hunting & "Your Face" Project