On The Mend

I was discharged. Although I mainly use one hand, a mobile phone helps my typing. I saw many brave patients/fighters coping with serious problems. When I think of this lady, my case is a mosquito's bite. My portrait comforted her. As well as the lady,  it lifted me up in pain at a tough time.

A hilarious episode was snoozing in a ward! We experienced dreadful snoozers twice. When for the first time a snoozer came in, I asked a nurse to move me to a lounge and did it. Oh, but for the second time, a wise nurse pulled him out of our room and let him snooze as much as he liked in the lounge. A win-win result. A silent night was really a holly night at hospital. 

Now, I'm doing rehab and physio for the hand and the legs. I hope my quick recovery. Thank you for your warm cheers!!
Friends, Happy Painting!

On The Mend

Sydney sketch club at Woolwich Baths

I popped up the Sydney sketch club to catch up members at a little warf. Lovely. We enjoyed sketching very much. Always one or two members become my sketch victims at lunch time. We share a laugh and exhange technique information. It's nice to belong to a same minded people's group. It was wonderful for me to relax myself after the Moon exhibition. 

This is the view of Woolwich Baths. It's an inner harbar beach. When you step down to the warf, you can see many boats closer. It had been bit raining on and off, but a weather was on our side. Eventually, a little bit sun came up. These days, I have interest in landscapes, as you know. I'll enjoy landscapes more often. Another member teased at me, "What are you doing? Where's your human figure?" Hahaha, members know me well! So, I moved onto a figurative work after this landscape.  

I ask a first time visitor to be my model or a victim, too! It's another fun during our sketching! Often we are joking while working on watercolour painting. I keep telling a model, "I hope this will not be the end of our friendship." But my models like my sketches and will happily come back to the club! Good! Yes, it would be the beginning of our friendship.   

All of us, members appreciate our organiser Jennifer's wonderful schedule based on her research. Each time, we enjoy an interesting spot or a fun event as well as sketching. Sensible Jennifer provides detailed public transportation information and does all other concerns. At meeting, she always cares for every member and greets each one. We have to set a special thanks day for Jenniffer.

Now, I'm preparing "People of Parramatta" exhibition. After this post, I'd upload the information. I hope visitors and I will have a good time. 

Friends, Happy Painting!! 

Sydney sketch club at Woolwich Baths

Street Smart vs Educated in Art

"Funny! You don't do all the foundational things I think all fine artists should have!  And yet you still create beautiful things. Perhaps it comes from years of drawing on site and learning - muscle learning and eye learning and mind learning which you have that doesn't mean you've had years of art education - you've got street smarts :)" 
"Street smart" is a very good expression and spot on. I had a big laugh! A dear friend and I have been chatting over drawing methods, theoritical issues, styles, her approaches and my approaches. Street smarts are my case. 

People ask me how to draw, colours, composition. I have to confess that I draw like a happy child and it's enough. Other famous artists do preliminary sketches and well organise composition, colour etc, etc. I always... do not do it. I've never thought of theoretical stuff. My good work is a sub product of coincidence. Or when intentionally / deliberately / consicously / calculatedly I had tried to organise these theoretical things in my work, all of the attempts died in theories and lively work never came up. Probably, I'm not a type to obey to disciplines. My honest feeling, "I like it. I want to draw it," motivates me to get on a painting. It works well. What about you, Friends? 

My study of David Davies, "A Summer Evening." 

I made his oil work much brighter than the original. 

I assume that a theory or theoretical stuff are all made by clever people in an art history. Sometimes, theories are helpful. However, any theory has limitation and it's not almighty to cover all areas in art (*My study at uni taught that a theory is not perfect). Always we have exceptions. We can do work different from a theory. In addition, a publisher or an editor asks an artist to demonstrate or show drawings, not a theory at all. Don't worry about a few publications in your CV. A publisher/an editor searches for an illustrator who has drawing skills and matches their projects, not a number of books.   

Instead of "street smart," a very famous picture book illustrator often told me, "Instinct" to organise images and checked the balance of colours etc in composition. The illustrator was originally from design. She said with surprise, "You understand what I've said about picture books and illustrations (*composition, colour, page structure etc). Often others do not get my say!" Her feedback made me happy. We have instinct to feel something good or comfortable in drawings/art like a golden ratio and it's universal. All of us have it, don't we? I emphasise it in my workshops. I encourage anyone to feel that "instinct" or "street smarts," when we need to check technical things in work. "You know where's wrong in drawing. You can tell which colour is uncomfortable. We all have knowledge accumulated in our eyes. Use it!" My say lightens up participants. In my opinion, only the difference between an artist and a non-artist could be being activated by instinct or not. Technical things will follow it. It's a matter of time and as long as a person has enthusiasm to draw. 

The street smart is great, which has been gained from life long drawing! It's resilient and capable. Good craftsmanship gives shapes credit and enables an artist to play with colours. As long as tonal value is correct, all the colours get credit and you can use any colour -- is my belief and any artists agree with it (*particularly the above is applied in Western art. Asian countries' drawings do not have tonal value such as Ukiyoe.) Also, very good drawing skills can simplify subjects. Then, we can distort subjects and play up images. A good cartoonist is a great portraitist. So, I draw, draw, draw anything interesting and whatever the results would be. I hope myself to make tens of millions of drawings than a word ... and I will find answers I pursue in art. My "just-do-it" approach is fit, flexible and full of fun!   

My study of Sydney Long, "The Hour Of Romance," oil on canvas. 

The simplified and enhanced contrast in a subject interested me so much. 

I enjoyed playing with colours in watercolour.  

At the same time, the street smart has made this woman quite humble in a group because of no official education of art. "I'm a starter. Please teach me," is my say in any group. I met art students or graduated people in life drawing class and an open teaching day of Julian Ashton art school.  My life drawings amazed art students and impressed their teachers. (*their response surprised me so much. I blushed up.) The excited art teachers said, "Your next stage is to express different styles," and suggested me to explore different approaches. 

I study other people's approaches like above. When I read the art books, I understand them well and reproduce their work in practice from my street smarts. I remember that famous illustartor's say above. My experienced simple drawings have allowed me to study other's work and learn techniques. Also, I've been looking at good art works since childhood that have taught me well and are still teaching me. The little girl dreamed and vowed to draw like the greats in a humble manner. (I'll see them in NSW Art Gallery!) In picture book industry, I fell in love with leading Australian picture book illustrators' work such as Robert Ingpen and Ann Spudvillas etc, etc. I still dream to draw like them, but in my own way.

I do not focus on others styles too much. I always remember my wise publisher/editor Helen Chamberlin's say, "Where's your stance!" and "Enjoy it!"  In picture book illustration, Helen Chamberlin wanted me to keep what I am fully. It's is so true and important. Thank you, Helen.  
Whilst keeping my own stance, I want to grow in art. Friends, teach me and guide me so that I will bloom out in my own way. Educate this street smart. I'm a life long learner. 

Btw, if you have any feedback to my study of Australian landscapes, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!

Friends, Happy Painting!  

Street Smart vs Educated in Art

The show turned out a big success!!

Moon exhibition has advocated people with disability, achieved a huge sale, promoted Moon's aesthetic value and established networking and future job opportunities! Sea scapes were all sold. A great supporter Maxine Mckew bought her caricature and encourages me so much! Many visitors have bought Moon after looking at the illustrations. 

We had a great fun! 

Yes, my work has convinced visitors of the aesthetic of picture book illustrations. Comments are all positive, "Beautiful!" "Amazing!" Visitors want to know more about watercolour techniques and ask for Sadami's workshops! Margaret Hamilton AM loves my illustration and says, "I'll keep an eye on your work from now on!" The result is my wonderful market research and a future direction to go. 

Hi, all, "Whisky!" (is my favorite say than "cheese.")

This is my demo for participants. 

Wesley Mission came to the workshop on Monday. I ran a workshop for our clients. Their media team shot the video to promote "Building Dreams" project. I hope my exhibition and activities will contribute to the equal access for people with disability and public awareness of human rights issues. I'd like to post the video when it will be edited. 

Regarding workshops, "Joy must come first. Share joy with others. We don't need to make a master piece everytime," is my motto. Adults enjoyed favorite subjects or figures. I explained the very basic and theoritical understanding of a "human head's ratio" in a square by drawing. After my watercolour demo, each participant had a fun. I asked children to draw their dreams and I did demo. But excited children tried to squeeze tubes bofore my demo (thank goodness that tubes were all sealed under caps!). We all had a fun.    

Very happy surprise was Libby Gleeson AM and my old uni frined visited the gallery. Busy Libby came and encouraged me so much (*she's been looking after this fledging bird for ages). Kind Libby asked, "Did you get a following project?" Yes, I did. When she came in, I was just working on another picture book story board on a table. I deeply thanked for Moon publication, Matt, Helen, Ann, Jess, this exhibition, Accessible Arts NSW, Marrickville Council and all involved supporters. Without them, I could not get either a following project or even the encounter of Libby. 

This is another bonus from the show. Oh, I could see my dear friend again and we celebrated my achievement and our friendship. My dear friend studied philosophy and we shared time in anthropology at Sydney uni. She is older than me and a quiet and very thoughtful lady. I haven't seen her for nearly 10 years... I told her, "It was the toughest time and I was at the bottom of life ( the onset of my disability. I cried lots in front of her). But now, many topnotches in Australian publishing industry have paved a way for me and support me. This was the direction to go. At the tough time, I wondered if I would die a next moment, what do I want to do RIGHT NOW. I thought drawing and watercolour painting! So, I chose it. It was right!" Yes, drawing and picture book illustration have saved this crashed soul from the bottom. Today, I'm known as a happy person! We shared a wonderful time and made up a ten years blank instantly.  An old uni friend is so nice!! 

This is one of the sea scapes all sold. Visitors wanted more!

This solo exhibition has given me the concrete confidence to run a show. I wondered if my exhibition would get no sale..., awggg...disastorous..! I was a bit scared before the show. 

But in fact, the result makes me really "Over the Moon"!! I worked so hard everyday and made a huge sale! In addition, these two boards invited visitors well. *Visitors must walk into an alley to get to the gallery 

Monday is the last day of Moon. I have to move onto another solo exhibition, "People of Parramatta" right after that. A solo exhibition is not easy and a very demanding job. But lovely. I'm now, very proud of myself. But I know I all owe to you. Thank you for coming and Friends, for your all support! I want to give you a biiig ((Hug))!! 

Friends, Happy Painting! 

The show turned out a big success!!