Encouraged by Someone

On a street, I saw a scattered tiny sketch book on a garbage collecting day. In it, these wonderful encouragements were written in all capitals by hand. 

• THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD THAT CAN BREAK YOU. 
• NO ONE CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU LIKE YOURSELF. 
• YOU WILL BE JUST FINE. 

How sweet they are and so true! 
Artists tend to get isolated in society because of the nature of work.  We sometimes either get stuck in creativity or suffer in technical development or experiments. We, artists are only human. Of course, we feel like crying.  In such a tough time, I hope these kind messages comfort you and encourage you. Just a little bit set back, have a cup of tea and remember these words.  

As well as the self-encouragement above, it's very important to make friends with others. Don't be alone, Friends! Group activities are lovely and essential. This is one of Sydney Sketch Club members who always encourages me. "Oh, I know this guy. He looks much better than me," he said to make us laugh in a pub. Thank you. Oh, really God bless you! How much I appreciate his smile! Last Sunday, we enjoyed sketching and had lunch together. One member would leave Australia. We chatted, hugged and had a great time. Friendship is a priceless assets in an art journey or anyone's life!   

A former owner of the sketch book, a lady seemed to study about digital design. I hope that she would endeavour to a new adventure or gained success in her area. I hang each of her hand writings in a study and a kitchen. She would never expect her graffiti encouraging me. 
Now, I'm working on other projects and preparing for the book launch of My Dog Socks in the midele of October.  
In difficulty, please remember the messages and friends. I hope everyone of us will reach at a dream. Thank you for your support! 
Friends, Happy Painting! 

Encouraged by Someone

Friends Win 2017 Michael Clyne Prize and Australian PhD Prize

Two friends, Alex and Shiva won amazing prizes in linguistics (Language on the Move post)! I celebrated their achievements with my fun drawings. Certainly, Prof Ingrid Piller and the LotM team are delighted. 
"Dr" Shiva Motaghi-Tabari, is the winner of the 2017 Michael Clyne Prize for her thesis about “Bidirectional Language Learning in Migrant Families”. The Michael Clyne Prize is awarded annually by the Australian Linguistics Society for the best postgraduate research thesis in immigrant bilingualism and language contact. Prof Michael Clyne is our superhero in sociolinguistics, pragmatics, multilingualism, second language learning, contact linguistics and intercultural communication. Congrats, Shiva!! Let's go to a pub! 

Prof Michael Clyne

Another friend, Alexandra Grey is one of two joint winners of the 2017 Australian PhD Prize for Innovations in Linguistics. Alex's thesis discusses how language rights affect minority languages in China. Congrats, Alex!! Let's have champagne! Btw, Alex was in charge of social media of "Bridging Language Barriers Symposium" hosted by Prof Ingrid Piller and Language on the Move team. Almost without lunch, she worked hard to do twitting for a live coverage. Alex collected questions directly from broad audience, interpreted the point of questions and the symposium answered. Beauty of friendship! I saw other LotM team members supporting Alex behind a scene. LotM members, you did a fantastic job! 

I wrote in Chinese, "I love sociolinguistcs" at the top of Alex's thesis, below. 

It's wonderful to see the legacy of Prof Michael Clyne is alive, strong and nurturing new talents who will lead linguistics and academics. When Michael passed away, he generously funded Michael Clyne Award. I feel the importance of good mentors and pioneers. His lovely personality and enthusiasm of research and want for social justice are alive in my heart. His most famous defined concept is "monolingual mind set" which fails to either recognise or capitalise on the existing linguistic assets/potential in increasingly multilingual societies such as Australia. I was lucky enough to enjoy Michael's lecturers...and sketched him. Aw, it made my direction to a visual artist?!   

Me, too, hope to do something in a visual art, like LotM team does. 
Now, let's have a productive week! 
Friends, Happy Painting!! 

Prof Michael Clyne

Friends Win 2017 Michael Clyne Prize and Australian PhD Prize

The Study of Masters, Winslow Homer

I studied a favourite watercolour painting, "Sailing a catboat," originally created by Winslow Homer. The colour use of this work interested me. It was fun to make greys in my palette. I've learned lots of different greys in colour mixing. I will use greys more and efficiently. A composition was lovely. I made a thumb nail to check values : highlight, middle and darkest. Regarding a thumb nail, the simplest one is enough. See below. The point of a thumb nail is to help understand where to make the strongest contrast and balance values in the work. 

I love a seascape, splashes and waves. Homer's colour use was very fascinating and different from mine. I arranged his colours in my own way. His work inspired me so much.

One more, Sadami, have confidence in landscape. You understand value well and can organise it from your experience/memories by heart. Don't look at a landscape too much that distracts you often. Simplified images are good and enough. Trust yourself, get on work and have fun!! (...but I love figures more, hahaha?!) 

Btw, last week, many people celebrated the news of "My Dog Socks" to be published on 1st Oct 2017) on my facebook. Thank you, Friends! Among them, Wayne Harris, a former illustration lecturer clicked Socks's post, too! Wow, I will never forget that he and Donna Rawlins taught illustration in their workshop and discovered me in Sydney uni. Also, very happy that mentor Ann James clicked it, too. Thank you!!  

Let's sail away into a bright future!!
Friends, Happy Painting! 

The Study of Masters, Winslow Homer

My Dog Socks October 1st Release

My Dog Socks, written by Robyn Osborne, will be published by Ford St Publishing on 1st October 2017.  AU$24.95 hardcover, AU$16.95 paperback. A sweet and humorous story shows the bond between a dog, Socks, and a boy’s imaginative world.  My Dog Socks is full of fun, life and love. I really appreciate my publishing team's hard work and support, particularly the people at Ford St Publishing, especially Paul and Meredith. I hope this front cover and the back cover will make you smile. 

The back cover. 

A flat cover is below. 
Friends, thank you for your strong support! I'll let you know the schedule of our book launch. 
Happy Painting and enjoy picture books!!

My Dog Socks October 1st Release

Australian Landscape, Study 1

I post the study of an Australian woolshed based on Harry Sowden. I found his book, "Australian Woolsheds" in a market, published by Cassell Australia Ltd in 1972. All the photos included in the book were black and white. Today, woolsheds are disappearing in Australia. They are a part of Australian culture with the unique architecture that fascinates me. I always seek for a similar architectural structure in bush or on a field. But like a last year, we have rain in June and very cold. In a studio, I study landscapes, add colours on them from "memory." It seems my memory works well to complete a landscape = I do not get distructed by other visual information. 
Only a few colours were used in this study. 

Credit on Harry Sowden

The study of a woolshed in black and white. I imagined sunshine, a wind and rusted roofs. 

Credit on Harry Sowden. 

The most outstanding impression is the very strong contrast between sunshine/highlight and a dark area in Australia (*we have many skin cancer patients, btw). Once, I sketched an all handmade house in bush, below. I will study more about landscapes in winter, now. 

The other day, I saw a little boy drawing a landscape. He once looked up a subject and got on drawing without looking at it until he finished it up. His work result looked nice, which inspired me. I thought of my landscape study above. Trust in my memory and add colours -- it could be one solution, I feel. Many colours are not needed, which confuse me at this stage. When it becomes fine, I'll enjoy sketching in sunshine! 
Friends, Happy Painting!  

Australian Landscape, Study 1