Congrats my mentors, Ann J, Ann H recieved Order of Australia

On an Australia day, Ann James and Ann Haddon were honoured for their significant service to children's literacy. Very happy that their distinguished work has been recognised publicly. *They are in the middle of the article, ABC news. 
"Books Illustrated" (= Ann James, Ann Haddon), they have been working so hard for illustrators, authors and promoting Australian picture books to overseas, day and night. I heartily hope that Ann James and Ann Haddon's honour will gain a public attention to children's literacy and picutre books in Australia and a world. Really the amazing two.

Ann James  

Ann J and Ann H have been so sweet and mentoring me for these five years. When I started my mentorship, Libby Gleeson (already recieved Order of Australia) and anyone said to me, "You are so lucky to have Ann!" Yes, indeed. It was blessing. 

Ann Haddon 

I always wondered how the Books Illustrated could make time for a mentree. Not many people can do such sensitive and caring support like the pair do. While they were achieving significant works nationally and internationally, they helped me. When they were overseas, Ann said to me, "Send me your work by email (*I was struggling to illustrate "Moon")," and gave me feedback in such extremely busy circumstances. I do not have words how to say thanks to them. I thoroughly celebrate my mentors' honour. They have been dedicating their lives to promote literacy. 

I've been working on the two picture book projects under the supervision of Helen Chamberlin and with the assistance of Books Illustrated. I'm creating stories and developing a storyboard for a project. Right now, I'm reviewing the first storyboard. Sometimes, I have a headache and get stuck, but very happy. With what I've learned from the mentorship, I will create picture books and make children happy in Australia and around a world -- is my dream!  

A physio therapy has started. The left wrist functions very well. The left shoulder needs lots of work. A bit painful though, I'll make it happen. 

Friends, Happy Painting!  

 

Congrats my mentors, Ann J, Ann H recieved Order of Australia

Acquittal Report = Grants Report

An acquittal report is a grant report on funded project activities, expenditure of given money and what you've learned from the project. A grants body verifies your achievements by a report. An acquittal report is the final step for a grants recipient to accomplish a project. Like a title, "acquittal" is a formal declaration that will set a recipient free from it. But if there have been inadequate and wrong expenditures, a peak body will take action to recover misused and unused funds = a recipient will have to pay back all or part of given funds and will be ineligible to apply for funds onward. Gulp.
My acquittal report was accepted. Happy ending! A "successful grant user" remains as achievement in a CV. It will become advantage in future funds application. An artist is, idealy, good at both : a brush and a pen in a practical aspect eg) grants application and statements for exhibitions.

In a report, a recipient of funds has to show : 
• the project activities and achievements - what, when, how etc 
• spent money in detail 
• answers for questions set by a grant foundatifon = drawn the insights from a carried out project 
with concrete evidence such as photos, a video and so on. 
For example, I used the video of the Moon and joined project "Building Dreams" edited by Wesley Mission. It eloquently showed what I did in the project. Many funds have "templates" of acquittal reports. Check them, when you become a successful applicant of a grant. Plan what sorts of proof is suitable for a report.  

It is preferable that a grant recipient will start to writing an acquittal report earlier, not far after the project activities, in my experience. I started to write a report nearly at the end of the Moon project. Unfortunately, I experienced serious two injuries just after the Moon exhibition. I could hardly use hands at hospital. But my early started report saved myself! I could review the report and finished it up with my "one finger" typing before a due date. No panic and the report got through the committee. Yey! "Plan ahead" is important. Also, clear and good writing skills are essential in art industry.

Regarding Accessible Arts NSW Quick Response Grants, my honest impression :  

• So quick! Wonderful! 
• Very kind and amazingly supportive. 
The team wants candidates to make their dreams come true. In 2015, Accessible Arts NSW provided $198,000 in Small and Quick Response grants to not-for-profit arts and disability services/organisations and/or for groups or individual artists with disability living in NSW. I was one of them! 

A great bonus! In the first grants experience, I could establish connections with Australia Councils of Arts, Accessible Arts, National Association for the Visual Arts, Wesley and many organisations across Australia and have enhanced relations (*grants hunting is a national and international job!). As I always made tons of mistakes in writings and asked peakbodies many questions. They are so supportive and encouraging me, a novice, as you have seen in the past posts. All the peak bodies mentioned above have grants information and useful workshops. These established contacts will be an artist's assets in art industry. Of course, my mentors, too, have supported my try. That's the way a mentree will learn through experience. 
Friends, Happy Painting and Happy Writing! Make your dreams come true! 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Australia Council of Arts (2016) http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/funding/acquitting-your-grant/
Accessible Arts NSW (2015) http://www.aarts.net.au/news/2106/140/CEO-Quarterly-Message/

      

Acquittal Report = Grants Report

The Ephemeral City in Sydney Festival

French artist Olivier Grossetete is constructing a huge Cardbox City on Barangaroo Reserve in Sydney Festival. Sydney Sketch Club joined it! Why did I put the busker first? I met a musician whom I had sketched before in the Ephemeral city. He remembered me and talked to me. Oh, it surprised me so much. I was very happy. (**the posted sax player is not the same musician).  

The Ephemeral City is a large community participant event. Anyone can join constructing architectures. We can tape boxes and build them up. We are not strangers any more there. We are working mates to build the imaginative city! Amazing - especially it was great to see children so enthusiastic about understanding the concept of buildings. It sounds like a utopia? 

*Behind the building, you can see a man flying across the sky on a lift. There is a wire and you can fly between these constructing buildings like a flying fox. Ah, what a shame! I could not try it, because of my fractures. 

Indeed, that utopia certainly exists in our eyes, here in Sydney Festival! I felt the cardbox city, as if it were a miniature of our lives -- impermanent and momentaly, yet it has genuine relationships and friendship. In the Ephemeral city, we love, help and work together happily and joyfully. To lift up architecture needs timing and cooperation. Often close people work together. It is interesting to see the interaction of people. Often adults and children play around. Is it unrealistic paradise?  But it is certainly there and only for a short time. Also, I remembered the quote, "Our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness" by Vladimir Nabokov. That paradox makes me smile.

Indeed, in a temporal city, we are good friends and cooperators. The gentleman below in the sketch remembered me. We enjoyed a chat. I sketched his son and him about to lift up the building and a wife was ready to put another block. Many people talked to me and even took photos of my sketch of the building. I have no doubt that skething makes friends. 

Or I'd say, because our lives are such short and temporal, we want to love others well and be happy fully in every moment. Later, I'd like to visit this event again to check the progress.

Thank you for Sketch Club organiser Jennifer and all participants who gave me a wonderful afternoon. Many members kindly asked about my fractures and even cared for my difficulty in walk. They encouraged me so much. I'm on the mend and working hard for rehab. Friends, you are such nice people!
Happy Painting!! 

The Ephemeral City in Sydney Festival

The hand, the shoulder are recovering well!

Good news! The surgery of a left wrist is successful. A fracture in a left shoulder is recovering. A doctor says, "I did not expect you move the wrist like this. I've never seen a patient moving like you after 6 weeks (from a surgery). No one moves it like you."

= Function is very well. Thank godness for computing that has become a rehab for a wrist and finger movements. I do not need to see a doctor again untill I feel uncomfortable in the left wrist. I'm so relieved that the surgery went well. 

Time and physio will heal the fractures. The left writst is still puffed up than the right wrist and the left shoulder has dull pain. Full recovery will take a year. I'll take it easy. 

Thank you for lots of cheers, support and great friendship. I'll work on illustration and drawings! 

Friends, Happy Painting! 
*My most recent sketch above is one of Sydney Sketch Club members (*Hey, nearly 2,000 members now!). Yes, come and join us. There, you'll become my victims and models!? (*we often sketch each other for fun!) Cheers, wink, wink.  

The hand, the shoulder are recovering well!

Awesome Recycled Architecture Fair in Sydney Festival

Any family, come, join "Architectura de Feria" = "Architecture Fair" in Prince Alfred park in Parramatta. All the rides are free and run by manpower -- on nothing electronic! Parents and children play together from rides, shooing, a bicycle racing game to fascinating machines in a fairground. An artist, Jordà Ferré has recycled materials and turned objects to surprising machines/architectures. I sketched most of the works! They have classical, yet, unique, elegant and amazing shapes and brilliant functions! What an ecological and environmental friendly “Antigua I Barbuda Catalonia Australian Exclusive”!

A very sophisticated art work I realised is at the entrance of Riverside Theatres opposite to the Prince Alfred square. Friends, can you guess what the machine (below) is for? Can you tell how it works? “For a dentist use,” a lady said – Na! What else? Any one?

It’s a wine server! How graceful it is! Can't believe it? Here we go, its YouTube. A distinct and incomparable concept is the key of all the art works created by Jordà. 

I met the artist Jordà in person, while I was sketching a Ferris wheel. Lovely Jordà is a Catalan speaker. Come on, Spanish and Catalan speaking blog readers. Let’s have fun!  

This Ferris wheel is run by a mom or a dad’s hands! Children ride on toilet seats. Hilarious and a wonderful humour! Of course, riding children are so happy. Look at this smiling boy. Only the shame is that I cannot enjoy it because of my weight (max. weight 45kg). Lovely staff always asks audience and children to put hands together for a volunteer's vigorous exercise at any machine. The art work and the event are very heart warming, comical and entertaining as well as serious and beautiful. 

All the staff centralise children and respect them as well as parents. The children and disadvantaged people are heroes and winners in the event. Parents wind up handles or spin pedals to work these machines for children. Below, at the right side of the Ferris wheel, you can find two tyres and a belt. THERE, a volunteer cranks a handle. Parents, it's a good exercise and sure, you'll be fit! 

But also the artist and the team have set special seats for exhausted parents like the rides offered for children. Only parents may take comfy big seats and children move fans, in turn of their parents’ hard work after all the rides! How’s that! How well-organised event this is! It is wonderful to see a sweet interaction between parents and children in family. I’d like to say special thanks to the staff, especially, the team who came a long way from Spain. It is their sensitive and enormous efforts that run this wonderful family event successful and happy for anyone! Children, please handle the staff with care, because they are fragile and easy to be broken. 

Let’s try another ride of a merry-go-round. Each ride in it is has a unique shape designed for a parent/carer and a child. Yes, the artist designed two seats for children and parents to have fun together. I love to watch each “art work” in carousels. I like the double seated red airplane most! Originality is outstanding. If you like, you can try another carousel. It has a cool airplane, a funny crocodile, a rocket and so on. Children, people, all cheer up Mom or Dad working hard for carousels!   

Ok, would you like to try something different from a ride? Here’s the shooting for children. You can try three times at a bicycle bell. Do you kne? The bullets are pits of olive! Each time, a child must EAT up an olive. Excellent humour!! According to staff, “No one has ever shot three times. Only twice. If you can make it, you’re the champion!” Kids, go and try! You may become a world record holder. What a clever setting! An out of mark hits piano wires and makes a dramatic and formidable sound in a low key. Another fun game is a bicycle race like "Le Tour de France"! Two people on station bikes move their miniature and tiny bikes in a course on a big table. We cheer up participants around the table! Children, go for it! You may beat adults! I love all the games and to hear people's hot cheers and big laugh, here, there, everywhere. 

Parents, children, you can't miss this fantastic and free event. Come and say hello to the wonderful team from Spain and locals. A local Sydney Festival staff talked to me. He said, "I saw you communicate people. Very open and approachable. You don't have a wall." His say was my great reward. Children, too, talked to me, sketching something. Oh, yes, nice live music is also free. The machines are beautiful in lights at night and in a comfortable cool weather. (*we're in summer!)  

Parramatta Prince Alfred Square (View map) 
7–26 January 
Tue–Thu & Sun, 2pm–8pm
Fri & Sat, 2pm–10pm
Closed Mondays
Cost: Admission is free.

Finally, I'd say special thanks for all the staff, anyone involved with the event and children and parents. You've brought us such a wonderful event freebie! You've also cheered me up to keep on these sketches. Thank you for your friendship! 

Friends, Happy Painting!  

Awesome Recycled Architecture Fair in Sydney Festival

Fresh Start from Sydney Sketch Club, "Ashfield Park"!

I made a good start from a Sydney Sketch Club first meeting in Ashfield park. There, I sketched members and a bronze statue of Mary Poppins. It is a memorial to Pamela Travers, the author of Mary Poppins who lived in Ashfield. Do you know she was originally from Australia?

Anyway, I'll show you the whole process of my portrait work. I quickly sketched a new member at the meeting, while organiser Jennifer was talking about our exciting event "A to Z of Sydney." A fabulous leader, Jennifer has planned that we will sketch around Sydney! A first place was Ashfield park. (*NOTE: We, members do not know where to go. It thrills us!)

The new lady looked a little bit in high tension in an unfamiliar group. I'd like to relax her. My sketch made her smile, laugh and chat! I was looking up her from the bottom of steps. The angle always fascinates me. We are in summer. Her hat, face expression, light, green and the freshness of summer breeze strongly remained in my eyes.

So, I put colours from memories in a studio. Mmm.... This work urged me light and green in her back. But I often failed with a single colour background that did not match my work. Then, I played with colours in a background. You saw the first image. Not bad, I felt. I really enjoyed experiments. This work has given me confidence to put on colours on a face and create a background from impression. I will explore this methods! I thank for the new member who allowed me to sketch her. It inspired me so much. 

While we were sketching around the park, we were chatting over lots to catch up and the unveiled fact -- the author of Mary Poppins was Australia born. Btw, I felt metal was too boring and lack of a dream and put on colours on the bronze statue. Only me, I coloured Mary in the club members. The statue was not thin or tall. I wondered if I illustrate that story, what sort of lady would come up.  

This is Ashfield park. People have a walk and bowling games. I'll enjoy landscapes in 2016. First of all, I'll do value study of landscapes = work on black and white.


A great bonus of our group is we could get teaching/information from other members/artists in person. We often chat over technical stuff over lunch and coffee. So, I say, you should not miss out our socialisation! It's a fantastic time. The last of we dozen sticky-date-puddingers didn't end up leaving the bowling club till 5.40pm! What a wonderful way to start the new year – 33 members, a great turn up and wonderful artworks! We, all members deeply thank for Mother Jennifer's hard work and unique ideas of a yearly schedule. 

How is your new year start? I hope each of us will make / has made a nice and fresh start. Soon, I'll see doctors to review the fractured shoulder and the hand. I hope I can bring good news. I want to draw, draw, draw~~!!
Friends, Happy Painting!

Fresh Start from Sydney Sketch Club, "Ashfield Park"!