Special Thanks for Birthday Cheers & Show

Hi, Friends, thank you for warm celebrations for my birthday. Oh, beyond language! I really had wonderful "days" (and still ongoing!) and ... have a clear head, without a hangover! 

Now, a busy season has started for exhibitions at the end of a year. 
Ku-Ring-Gai Art Society annual exhibition will have an opening this Friday. I put this work in a show. 
If you come near, come over. You can see me on a roster from 12 to 3 o'clock next Tuesday.  
St Ives Shopping Centre
29 October -10 November 2013
                                                    "LUV U" at Library 

Also, special thanks for your warm cheers for Victoria Cancer Council exhibition at Gasworks Arts Park. Manager Kim says, "The exhibition was a wonderful success and truly showed the variations but also the common themes of going through a cancer experience. I really think you are all very brave for sharing your with us and for that I really do thank you, Entrants." 

Anyone can join that exhibition, who has been involved with cancer. As I lost my friends from cancer and submitted the work. 
An annual exhibition is a wonderful event that certainly brings hope, comfort and encouragement for people affected by cancer.  

BTW, I'm preparing for a meeting with Editor and Mentor next week. I can't wait like a little child before Christmas! Very excited and so happy. Oh, what could I say, sooo happy! I seriously hope I will not have a heart attack from joy. Story boards, black & white, colour roughs are all in order. I keep exploring watercolour techniques. Below, a doodle just inspired me to use another technique for the illustration project. So, Friends, make lots of doodles. You'll find interesting effects and get ideas.  

Thank you for warm encouragements at my rainy days and sunny days. I do appreciate silent support for me, too.  

You, too, please take care and enjoy drawing. 

Friends, Happy Painting!

Special Thanks for Birthday Cheers & Show

Loose Up Life Drawing & My Birthday

Hi, Friends, enjoying life? My birthday is next Tuesday (thank u, Lydie, you already celebrated it in a comment!). So, instead of next Monday, I upload this post for a make up (= I'm not sure I can post with a hangover).  Also, Editor will come. We'll talk over the project in person at the beginning of November. I'm preparing for it. Lalalala~~~ ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ·.•*•♫°•♫·.•ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

Now, a life drawing class, no tutor, has started. I'd share tips to loose up watercolour life drawing on A2 in a very short time ( = in 1, 5, 15 or 20 minutes). 

1)  The lesser, the better, brush stokes are.
Don't overwork, is a rule of thumb. If you wonder more strokes or not, "Stop it" is a wise option. Actually, no time to think twice in 1 minute! 

2) Limited Palette & Have Your Own Colours
The lesser, the easier, to unify colours in a busy work. Try one colour to study value and movement. Then, pick up your favorite colours to work on in longer minutes. Selection of colours demonstrates your uniqueness and style. Find your own colours.

1 minute

Well, I often pick up too much fresh paints in a big hurry and paint thick on papers. But it comes out more vivid, stronger and much clearer than ever, see below. Her sharp eyes and a scarf's green caught my eyes. Look at her intense eyes! *When I get tired, I SECRETLY sketch other members!! Hahaha, we enjoy results over coffee. 
... and I'll lose my friends one after another?! Gulp.

 

3) Control of water & Know Colours
Control of water is the key for successful watercolour. Each colour has a character like a person. It behaves differently with varied amount of water on paper. To maximise a colour's personality, amount of water is crucial. It's an adventure to manage how much brushes pick up water.
Of course, lots of messes are essential. It's fun for me to taste messes. Yum! I always find something useful! Remember Beethoven did not compose nine symphonies at once. Michelangelo did not make Cysteine chapel at the beginning of a career. All great masters are great hard workers. "Love creating messes" is a watershed to divide people who enjoy life with self-esteem from people end up in regret. 

4) Big Paper is all your playground 
Drawing is a physical exercise! Don't be shy. Move well and use your body, arms, hands, feet, everything rhythmically. Then, you can be stress free! 

5) Drawing Skills & Painting Outcome go hand in hand 
Ultimately, drawing skills decide any painting's result and level. 
I've found the quicker, the better a result comes up, because I very much concentrate on work and make a right and brave decision. Next time, I'll try 20 minutes work with the speed spent in 1 minute work. 

Regarding papers, please use qualified papers even for practice (the thicker, the better). Practicing expensive papers looks wasting money, BUT no! It's the short cut to know papers and learn how to use papers = technically, you'll get better more effectively! 
Talking of me, thin papers are for really a quick job and save money. 300gsm are for interesting subjects and for washes. 
In a class, I'm very happy and never demand myself too much. When I make "one" favorite work, I celebrate it with members. When I joined the class, I challenged watercolour life drawing for the first time. I get faster and faster to organise work. Brushes dance merrily on papers. Friends, challenging is nice! In addition, you will find your own way. Other people's ways are, eventually, for others. 


BTW, I got myself an easel for a birthday present. Ahem! I found a brand new one at Vinnie. Can you guess how much it was? Hehehehe, I'll answer it later. 
Friends, have a wonderful day.
Happy Painting! Lalalala~~~ ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ·.•*•♫°•♫·.•ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Ah, party, party! 

Loose Up Life Drawing & My Birthday

Be You. Be Proud of Being Different (2washes, figure sketches)

"Have your own colour(s)" is my motto (= build up your own style). The other day, I was invited to an anti racism symposium in City. On the way home, I popped up a friend artist's studio (sculptor) and enjoyed a chat. But another young artist standing outside looked not so happy. I talked to him. 

A young man does photography and drawing. He pretended to be ok in art work and said, "I made a half way through drawing months ago. I have to finish it." I gently smiled and responded, "No, not, I "have to," but I "WILL."" My say opened his heart. The young artist realised, "Oh, not obligation, but my own will. I will!" 

I also told, "Many people and children come talk to me, when I sketch outside. In my observation, after 6 yrs old, kids begin to compare themselves with others. They get hurt by other people, parents and care givers comments. Furthermore, children get a huge pressure to be perfect in this terribly competitive society. Then, they  stop drawing." 
The artist carefully listened to me. His body language and face expression showed some reluctance and half trust in me. But he appeared to ponder about himself. 

Key Speaker

I continued, "No, that's not right (,kids stop drawing). Don't need to be perfect. Be you. Make tons of messes. Joy must come first." The artist beamed and began to repeat what I said like his digesting. Seeing is believing. I showed him my sketchbook. The sketchbook has many messes and nice sketches. "There's no magic. I keep sketching everyday. A few minutes is enough. Who can draw like Michelangelo from the beginning?" My say assisted the artist to find himself hurt, lacked confidence and stranded in the huge expectations from himself and others.The young man picked up the point from my say and summarised it in his own words, "Be nice to myself!" Yes!

To a big surprise, the artist suddenly took my hand and kissed twice like a noble knight! "I needed your say! I needed it! I'll make a mess! Lots of messes!! I'll do it," he claimed with full of joy. Brilliant. Oh, the young man looked so happy, which made me very happy, too.
The artist said with a beautiful smile, "See you! Next time, I'll show you my drawing!" Good!!!

I know, Friends, you might say, "Hey, Sadami, you write the similar stuff." But I often come across too many people suffering under heavy pressure in society.
So, I'd say,  "Be you and be proud of being different." We do not need to be someone else, but be ourselves.
Friends, Happy Painting! 

Be You. Be Proud of Being Different (2washes, figure sketches)

Capture Waves Rough and Calm

Hi, Friends, which season are you enjoying? We enjoyed a long distant swimming at Narrabeen. I sketched a sea. So, these are the souvenirs for you.

Have you ever tried capturing waves with watercolour? In my eyes, a sea is not simple blue at all. Waves have several colours and dramatic movements that create value. So, an ocean's mood always fascinates me. A careful observation of waves helps to capture a pattern of movements and decides positions of varied colours.

The first sketch was done around four to five before a sunset (*NOTE we're having a day time saving!). Nearly black-like, very dark blue interested me. In parallel, a sky gets dark.
The second sketch was created in a very day time. Greenish cerulean blue was most eye catchy. It reminded me of fresh mint. I had a deep breath and enjoyed the mood. The mood is very different between them. The day time ocean looks very cheerful, as if it were laughing below. In contrast, the evening sea looks serious.
Which one do you like more? My friends seem to prefer the first one. 

People often came to me and asked questions. Most questions were...
Q1) "How do you draw?"
No. I just draw some "lines." The lesser, the better or more comfortable for me. Once, get on colour, colours tell me which next and where to put strokes to build up a value.
Q2) "How long?"
30 minutes to 1 hour. Try not to do overwork. Within 30 minutes is preferable.
...and "What media?" That question puzzled me so much. Or is watercolour not known as I have expected?

The third sketch was done around 2 o'clock. It was so windy. Hard winds blew away waves' heads with no mercy. Swish! Fume and foam! It was amazing and beautiful. Oh, yes, sea sounds were so amusing and stirring. Hopefully, I can send you "some."

Waves are never the same. Changing sun light alters a sea's colour from time to time. Winds and clouds work together on its changing.
Many adults silently look at the dancing waves for a long hours...

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea”. Isak Dinesen quotes (pseudonym of Baroness Karen Blixen.) 

Looking at dancing waves washes away negative feelings, etc, whatever from a heart. Yes, refreshing our hearts, really. Probably that's why a sea has an indescribably deep colour that accepts anyone's emotions and silent talks...
Friends, come to a sea, chest off and set yourself free. In addition, well, all the people at a beach are friendly. As you can see high and big waves are popular among surfers.  

Technically, I also feel watercolour has no limitations to depict any subject and expresses our inner world. 
Let's explore watercolour more and more. 
Friends, Happy Painting!!

Capture Waves Rough and Calm

Parramasala Indian Festival & Multiculturalism

Hi, Friends, did you have any event? We enjoyed a Labour Day long weekend and summer time started! I joined Parramasala 2013, the annual Australian Festival of South Asian Arts that celebrates cultural diversity. Many events were free. Family and kids enjoyed Indian food, music, dance and film. Bollywood super star and world most popular actor, "Shahrukh Khan" did a close concert tonight in Sydney Olympic Park. 

I walked around the Masala markets, a stage and "Chai temple" set up for a rest, free music and family programs such as "storytelling time" like a library.  
It was lovely to see children and adults in ethnic costume proudly and naturally. Very colourful, see above. But any child behaves same! Whilst this girl's family were enjoying music on a stage, she really got bored. Oh, so cute and beautiful like a bloom outed flower!


Actually, this year, camels joined the event! They became super stars among kids...and me!! 

Wonderful to feel embraced multiculturalism. Multicultural Australia Council claims that since WWII, over seven million migrants have settled in Australia. Today, Australians speak more than 260 languages and identify over 270 ancestries. We, Australians are flourish in a wide range of linguistic and cultural diversity.

We danced and sang along to the music played on a stage. Hey, we got excited with  music and lights in the evening. Also, I became a friend with a guy who was in charge of stage lights. A very kind man! I always thank for backstage players and love them all. 

Different cultures and languages enrich our lives and society, while our universal language such as music and art always unites us. Oh, yes, kids were enjoying putting "paints" on boards to create a big drawing in a park. Nice, joyful and so peaceful! 
What about your countries, Friends? 

May Australia will maintain this rich cultural and linguistic diversity forever! 

BTW, wow, I've learned a lot about camels and how to organise value for a stage at night. I'll sketch forever!
Friends, Happy Painting!

 

                                 Bibliography

A Multicultural Council (2012) "A Multicultural Australia," online.  


Dept Immigration and Border Protection (2012) "What is multiculturalism?" in National Agenda for a Multiculral Australia, online, media release. 


   

Parramasala Indian Festival & Multiculturalism