New Yrs Resolutions and Review of 2015

Thank you for visiting my blog in 2015. How was Christmas and your 2015? What are you planning for 2016? I'll concentrate on picture book projects. I'm sketching around and exploring watercolour techniques. Chilren's body language is lovely. Architecture is interesting. These sketches are references for picture books.

My new years resolutions. 

1) Never hurry. Hurry slowly = never fall again! 

2) Make a progress in the current picture book projects. 

3) Try competitions more. 

4) Work with Wesley Mission/Welfare peak bodies for a project. 

5) Join group sketching more in 2016 : Sydney Sketch Club and Urban Sketchers Australia = no accident, healthy! 
I'd join book festivals, especially, for disadvantaged school children. 

2015 has become a very big year for me. I achieved these things : 

1) a trade picture book Moon launch = a picture book debut, (Windy Hollow Books) 

(*Children picture books have two categories : trade picture books and education picture books. Education picture books are not ratified in "children picture books" in publishing industry.) 

2) two solo exhibitions : "Moon," "People of Parramatta,"  

3) Accessible Arts NSW Quick Response grants, 

4) Wesley Mission, "Building Dream project." Watercolour painting workshops for people with disability, 

5) a finalist of City of Ryde Women Competition, 

6) a front book cover design of "Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice,"  (Oxford University Press) 

and other new projects are ongoing. 

I've learned a lot from grants application and solo exhibitions. Always so many people have helped me. Thank you. These activities are establishing more network that is developing my projects now. With those experiences, I hope myself to grow as a visual artist in 2016. 

Btw, I finally came back to an Urban Sketcher Australia meeting this Dec after the fractures. I bumped a sketcher at Queen Victoria Building in City several weeks ago. Fortunately, the street was closed for construction! No traffic! Another member's great idea, "Sadami, let's draw it now." We could not miss very the best opportunity to sketch the QVB from the front. Yes, this sketch is, too, my reference for an ongoing project.  

It was wonderful to sketch QVB with the friend. It lifted me up. The fractured shoulder was very painful though, we really enjoyed it. In all, I spent two days to finish it up. 

I am on the mend. Soon, I'll see doctors. I hope I will get good news. 

May 2016 be a wonderful year for you all. 

Friends, Happy Painting. Have nice holidays! But don't hurry.

New Yrs Resolutions and Review of 2015

1)Style File calls for next round 2)Animal drawings

A little "Christmas present" for you. Australian Society of Authors calls for Style File next round of assessments. Friends, the Style File gives emerging illustartors a great chance. It has a great reputation in publishing industry, particularly, among picture book publishers. Because of the high quality of registered illustrators at Style File, publishers directly “buy” illustrators from the file. Here’s the application site.

http://thestylefile.com/apply

Friday 22 April 2016 is the closing date of the submission.

Also, a currently featured illustrator can update images. All new images are subject to approval of the Style File assessment panel. I’m thinking of changing images or not, now. I still have a time to submit images. 

This is my stylefile site. You can include other information as well as images. I've added a CV. Have a look around in the Style File and you can get a feeling.

Btw, I've loved to draw animals since childhood. 
I see those blue wrens at Narrabeen beach. Yes, we're in the middle of summer in Australia. Another is my dear friend's dogs. Their eyes always capture my heart.

I'm working on two picture book projects, whilst looking after the fractures. I'm getting better. Now, Publisher/Editor Helen Chamberlin and Mentor Ann James are on a holiday leave. Yey!!  

Friends, Happy Painting and have a nice vacation! 

1)Style File calls for next round 2)Animal drawings

Sketch Nativity @ St Mary Cathedral

We, Sydney Sketch Club went to St Mary cathedral to sketch their famous "life size nativity." I so much enjoyed sketching the nativity for the first time that I had longed for sketching in my life. The famous scene that Jesus was born had many symbolic animals, in my eyes. A donkey, a white dove (in a shepherd's hand) and sheep which has meanings and roles in Bible. I imagined... and a little bit changed statues -- Mary and Joseph are smiling at a little Jesus. Baby Jesus is smiling back to them.  

The Bible is an interesting book. It does not tell us in which season Jesus was born or his appearance such as race, height etc. Do you know? The Bible does not have the depiction of Jesus's laugh and smile. I often wonder and imagine when He smiled and laughed. Whilst sketching, I was thinking over, when He was born, He had no Christmas tree nor Santa Clause etc.... 

After the sketching, the Sydney Sketch Club members had a very friendly dinner, plus, my graffiti, a portrait session! It was a great fun and members love it. Usually, I respect new members and they become my "victims," hehehe?! Sketching people always makes me happy. Insanely happy Sadami keeps on laughing from a heart! Members said "You never stop!" I smiled at their say. I have to admit "I can't stop it." 

It was really good and a great comfort for me to join meetings again. Nice. Same minded members cheer me up in a friendly mood. Thank you, organiser Jennifer!! I also thank you for all other members, particularly, models, who gave me nice chats over dinner and while sketching!

The left shoulder is healing and less painful. I'm doing rehab of the left wrist. I'll get well! 

Friends, Happy Painting! 

Sketch Nativity @ St Mary Cathedral

“Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice” to be published by Oxford University Press in 2016

Good news! I created the cover of Prof Ingrid Piller’s new book “Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice”, which will be published byOxford University Press in 2016. ISBN: 9780199937264. The book will release in the US in February. Ameriacn blog friends, you can have a look of it! You can see the contents of the book above. I'm proud of this work with Ingrid. It’s my great honour and joy. Their research blog "Language on the Move" has massive readers across the world and is a great portal of sociolinguistics. It's so popular. I hope more people will read Ingrid's book and their research blog and think about language, language rights, social issues and society in the world. I deeply thank Ingrid for giving me the wonderful opportunity to work with her. I look forward to the book launch here in Sydney and meeting up Ingrid, involved people and her team.

Do you have questions about the cover image? What does it mean? Who is that lady? What is she doing and why does she put on earmuffs? Or is she forced to be a deaf? Your question will open discussion on linguistic topics. If you want to chat over such questions, come over and see Ingrid and us! It's sociolinguistics. 

Sociolinguistics studies about these topics : social dimensions (age, class and gender), bilingualism, power and inequality, cultural beliefs, values and practices, socialisation, interaction, social identities and roles, and language variation across time and space etc. I've loved it so much! 

Do you feel like knowing more about sociolinguistics? Go to a book shop and look up Ingrid's book or read her blog posts. If you like, try Macquarie University where Ingrid is teaching! Macquarie uni has reputation of linguistics. They have published an Australian English dictionary, "Macquarie Dictionary." We're proud of that dictionary. 

Ingrid is a wonderful and humanistic linguist and an active researcher all over the world. She has taught at top universities in Europe, US and Australia. Her sociolinguistic research covers a world map and history in a profound and braod way! She has taught us beyond sociolinguistics -- the importance of human/language rights, a humanistic attitude, fight against inequality, empathy, respect and love of others. She has been a very much beloved lecturer at any uni. 

Regarding the fractures of my shoulder and the wrist, a physio at hospital says
1) use the splint, the sling until the sixth week = new year!
No drive, no swimming. 2) prioritise healing the shoulder and the wrist
After the sixth week, review the shoulder, then, give a new shoulder rehab menu.
if I move tendons now, tendons may stop healing. So, don't move the shoulder and behave a good girl. Give up swimming. Woa, not easy. My only sports and indulgence at narrabeen beach.
But I'm positive and working on images with my right hand.
Friends, Happy Painting and ... linguistics is fun!!

“Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice” to be published by Oxford University Press in 2016

Image hunting for next picture book projects

While doing rehab of a hand, I enjoy sketching people for my ongoing next picture book projects under the supervision of Helen and Ann. I post colour and black-and-white sketches. A blog friend says, "I love all of these and am amazed at how you convey so much with so few lines!" Her say implies that my work tells stories. Friends, "narrative skills" which are publishers after. 

My blog friend's say overlaps Wayne Harris and Donna Rawlins's comment on my sketches, when I was in their picture book illustration workshop. For me, the fewer, the better; simple is beautiful.  

If my simple sketches convey messages, I'm very happy. I always draw, study and learn about picture books and children literature. But it's fun at the same time. I sketched many people in train. Sketching always makes us friends. All of the models gave me nice cheers.

Ann James's feedback. "I LOVE the way you capture the soul of people in your sketches and portraits. They have such authenticity and heart.
I think you’d bring this extra unique ability to your next book and story."  
Sweet, sensitive and wise Ann added, "Don’t overwork you mending arm." No. I'll behave a good girl. Ann's encouragement really cheers me up. 

...nice! Drawing lifts myself up so much in a tough time. Which black and white interigues you most?

In addition, the first image is a kind gentleman who pretends "Captain Cock" at Circular Quay. My sketching has made us friends! Wow, he speaks Gaelic. We chatted over endangered languages and hoped our mother tongues would be passed on to next generations.

Well, my writing is messy though (pardon me!), I hope you will enjoy sharing time with me. The fractured shoulder and the hand are still painful. I'll rest well. Thank you so much for your support.
Friends, Happy Painting!!

  

Image hunting for next picture book projects

Building our Dreams Art Exhibition-Watercolour Workshop with Sadami video

Thank you for your strong support, dear Friends. This post warmly invites you for Building our Dreams Art Exhibition. Wesley and my Moon project cooperated. I really  thank for Wesley, too. The video shows the inside of "Over the Moon with Watercolour!" exhibition and my Moon project funded by Accessible Arts NSW. Click it below and share time with us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnC8-VS48R8

3 December 2015
7 am–4 pm
Upper Room Café, Ground floor, 220 Pitt St, Sydney
Free
For more information, contact Kristie on 0417 271 563 or Kristie.Stamford@wesleymission.org.au

Be uplifted by a selection of artwork created by artists with a disability from Wesley Disability Services.

Look through a window to their world: their dreams, desires and passions.

And because they’re hanging in the Upper Room Café at Wesley Mission’s 220 Pitt Street headquarters, you may find yourself tempted to take a seat and peruse the menu as well. Or just relax and order a coffee.

Watch the video below to learn more about the great art program that creates these artworks.

Lots of love, Sadami

Building our Dreams Art Exhibition-Watercolour Workshop with Sadami video