1) Wash & Timing 2) 2015 Book Launch, Exhibitions, Author Talks

Hi, Friends, I'm enjoying a new interesting project for publication.
While working on it, I play with washes. If you love washes, I'll post them more. Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

1) Wash & Timing
This work (A4) was absolutely fun! Timing is critically important. Sounds contradicted though, being "spontaneous" is, in fact, a carefully planned job in a loose style. Especially, in wet-in-wet, if you can find the appropriate moment when to add a colour, sure, you'll be a winner of a loose style. 
In this work, I left only a bird blank and started up a first wash all over the paper. All wet. Then, I kept on adding paints and moved them around on the paper. It's thrilling to balance between a half-wet paper and adding paints. There's a "time" in watercolour under heaven. 

(*That paper was originally used for life drawing. I always use both sides of papers.) The first try came out not so bad than I had expected.    
This fun experiment gives me a breakthough of washes in a loose style. 
I've got the feeling how to handle washes or played with paints and water. A reference photo was taken in a country side this year. 

This is the original photo. It seems I'm a happy and colourful person! 

Some more study of washes I tried. Landscapes came out of my head.   

Studio work is not so exciting. I went outside and observed bush, while enjoying cricket in the park. I got it -- colour, shape, value and pattern. Then, I got on this wash practice. 

Technically, another important factor for wash is the amount of water. I imagined a typical old-fashioned farmer's house in Australian bush. 

This is a bad example. I could not handle either timing or the amount of water. Also, a mono tone bored me too much. So, (**this is the point for me. I do not push myself too much, particularly, in art. I always listen to my heart and have fun) I moved onto colour instantly. Then, you already saw the better result above. 

Now, thin sketch pads do not hold my washes any more. Gulp... sketching, too, will cost me more than ever?!! 
Anyway, if you like this sort of work, please let me know. I'll keep up. 

2) Planning of Book Launch, Exhibitions, Author Talks in 2015
My illustrations are at the stage of layout. Layout is called, "marriage between a text and illustration." I've left editing in a book designer and an editor's hands. I keep praying it will go well...

We're preparing for a book launch next May. Already, a high-profile bookshop, Gleebooks delightedly welcomes our book launch and an exhibition. All the things are first experiences for me. I have no idea how to do it. The bookshop staff, Australian Society of Authors and top-notchers guide me, totally, a novice. Big names celebrate my debut such as Libby Gleeson, Shaun Tan, Margaret Wild, Elise Hurst, Sally Rippin, Jeannie Baker, Donna Rawlins, well-known editors and lots more. They all represent contemporary Australian picture books and to the world as well. Above all, my fabulous editor Helen Chamberlin and fantastic mentor Ann James back up me well. (*Right now, Ann is bridging culture between Korea and Australia by picture books!) I'm certain they want me to bloom out as one of Australian Illustrators.

Friends, I also appreciate Lynndy Bennett (Children's Manager at Gleebooks Pty Ltd), her warm cheers for such long years and her remembering me, this nameless children picture book illustrator! Once, our linguistics professor Jane Simpson and other notable authors such as Libby (Gleeson) did book launch at Gleebooks. I was there and sketched them. Lynndy and I knew each other quite a long time ago. I dreamed... I wish I could do book launch here...

BUT now, my publishing is becoming true.
When I rang up the shop to tell Lynndy my good news, she, -- to my very surprise -- promptly, said, "Oh, Sadami, what a coincidence! I just looked up your work on net a few days ago. Beautiful! I saw how quickly you sketched our guest speaker." Wow, I became speechless. I so much thanked for her strong support. In addition and for Lynndy's honour, she received the award, ABA Elizabeth Riley Fellowship for Children's Bookselling 2013. 

I've found myself surrounded by super stars and constellations of Australian picture book industry. ...I sometimes wonder I'm in a fairy tale or a day dream. No. This is real.
Thank you, Friends. Your cheers have enabled me to come to this stage.
My hands have still pains though, I'll do my best to pay back what I've got to society through picture books and art activities.

Libraries also celebrate my debut and we're planning author talks.
Yes, a school holidays program! Come over my watercolour workshop. Children aged between 8 and 12 years @ Parramatta library,  on 1st October,11am-12pm. $3 per person. To book, please contact the library, 9806 5159. Let's have fun!!

Friends, Happy Painting! Special thanks and smile from me, Sadami!

1) Wash & Timing 2) 2015 Book Launch, Exhibitions, Author Talks