Biennale Sydney, Cockcatoo Island

I'll take you to Biennale Sydney at Cockcatoo Island by sketches. Although it's freezing on Cockatoo Island in rainy days, a friendly chat, happy family and smiling visitors around Anya Gallaccio’s work keep us warm. The ongoing work is made by dropping cray. Of course, kids get excited most! 

Koji Ryui's "Singing Vessels" is beautiful and tranquil, my favourite. Many transparent balls and vessels. It's inspiring. Seeing is believing. Come and feel it.   

The most eye provoking work is Ai Weiwei, "Law of the journey", refugees and human rights issues. Being an exhibition host is privileged to have an interpersonal conversation with visitors. Anyone can interpret Ai Weiwei's work in her own way, yet, this work certainly conveys a strong message – which amazes me. Wow, I’m learning a lot. 

Biennale Sydney Cockatoo Island has a lots more fascinating art works. If you have a time, come and enjoy interesting art work. Biennale Sydney will wrap up on 11 June. You may see me on Cockatoo Island. The great bonus. Through a volunteer work, I could learn lot about contemporary art and saw many lovely and interesting people having dreams in art. 


Now, my teaching at primary school is going well. Other projects, too. Very busy though, I love a creative life and thank for many supporters. Friends, I appreciate your strong support and friendship. 
Friends, Happy Painting! Art brings us friendship. 

Biennale Sydney, Cockcatoo Island

Exhibition at Canberra Monterisso School

Very happy and honoured, I'm included in Australian celebrations in the exhibition : Anna Walker, Shaun Tan, Felicity Marshall, Ben Wood, Alison Lester, Narelle Oliver, Annie White and Owen Swan! The print exhibition will continue at Canberra Monterisso School for years, which will swap an artist's work in each semester. Kicking off is Shaun, "The Lost Thing"(see below)! The school website explains well about an artist's biography and the features of the work (see above). Oh, what sort of explanations will come up for me? It thrills me.

Sadami Konchi, My Dog Socks
*A copy was sold to Canada. Thank you very much. Find my signature?

Shaun Tan, The Lost Thing

Anna Walker, The Florette

Felicity Marchall, You & me Murrawee

Ben Wood, Big Bad Bushranger

Alison Lester, One Small Island 

Narelle Oliver, Don’t let a Spoonbill in the Kitchen

Annie White, Clementine’s Walk

Owen Swan, ANZAC Biscuits

Books Illustrated, my mentors from Melbourne curate the exhibition. I'm very proud of being one of Australian illustrators. I deeply appreciate my supporters', YOUR cheers. I feel as if I were in a dream. I'm in the superstars. But I'm making it come true with many people's encouragements. Thank you very much. 

Now, it's my turn to pass that love to children in the class. I'm organising the handouts. Based on the colour theory we learned, we'd like to paint. Yes, let's COLOUR a world in a happy way. Also I've been working on other projects and discussing about upcoming projects with third parties. Oh, yeah, I'm doing Biennale Sydney volunteer!  Extremely busy, but happy. If my blog post becomes late, please understand it. Thank you for support! 

Friends, Happy Painting and Live Your Dreams! 

Exhibition at Canberra Monterisso School

Week2 Colour Theory

Friends, school children and I are having a great fun! We enjoyed a colour magic. A class started with only three colour paints left on the tables. 
I asked, "Does light have colours? Have you ever seen its colours, if any?" The students began to think and answered, "White!" "Rainbow!" I affirmed, "Both are correct!" The two students showed big smiles. One student wondered if colour mixture would make other colours. A wonderful thinking and problem solution skills. Then, we explored why only three colours can create so many colours. I added, "Do you want to save your money in spending in paints?" the teacher and Westwords staff giggled. "Let's make all the colours in the world by only three primary colours : red, yellow and blue!" I invited. The children got excited. 

I explained, "Why is this colour theory helpful? The colour wheel gives an idea, if you want to make a strong contrast and a good harmony in paintings. Colours at a next door are friendly. Opposite colours cancel each other." One student noticed the similarity among colours, "Some are light?" in a circle. A good thinking. I endorsed, "Bingo! They are called "warm colours," and others are called, "cool colours." Colours can show temperature and our emotions." The students understood it well.    

All students are great! They love art and painting. When I asked them which medium preferred, they all chose watercolour paints -- thank you, students, my favourite medium! Each of the students created a bit unique colour circle that displayed an individual personality. I equally visited each student, assisted them and encouraged all. All the students were smiling! One student was a bit late. The girl and I worked together to finish up the colour wheel. When she made it, the so happy girl drew a "big smile," in the centre of her colour wheel. Aw, your smiling was the most reward for a teacher, Westwords staff and me. We love all the students' colour wheels. We'll use a learned colour theory for a next week class.  

The school teacher and Westwords are giving me a very positive feedback. "You're energetic!" Hahaha, I love interaction with children and respect them. Friends, I'm getting very busy though, teaching is lovely. I fully use what I've learned in uni. Uni lecturers give me suggestion, too, regarding my course content setting. 
Friends, enjoy your job!
Happy Painting!!  


   

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Week2 Colour Theory

Teaching Children at Primary School Week1

In a program, "School Residency," I'll teach the students at a public primary school from this Wed for 6 weeks. Thank you, the school and Westwords, for this great opportunity. The course will cover basic drawing/painting skills with different medium. Above all, joy must come first! I'd tell the children, "We do not compete, help each other. Each one is different. No right answer in art. Explore it and find an answer on your own. If you find an answer, you'll never forget it in your life. Creativity and imagination are our wings to fly across the sky. Let's make a mess! Woohoo!"  

Teaching is learning. Empower each child, respect them and promote literacy and art, is my mission. I'll ask the students to tell me, "If my say has big words and if I bore you, tell me at once, "Boring!" ok?" An equal power relation is preferable. In my experience, any child is sensitive and very well respects a teacher. I will learn a lot from the students and this School Residency.

I've organised the curriculum based on my own experiences and research. Regarding drawing skills, the students will learn about values, a colour mixture, some painting techniques. The researched information of art will respond to each child's interest. I hope the students will realise that technical things will follow enthusiasm and there's no right answer in art.   

I greatly appreciate many people's support. Particularly, my favourite art supply and their staff, graduated from fine art have helped me. The staff said, "I wish I could have you for my art teacher at primary school, aw!" Oh, thank you. 
Friends, it's very exciting! Also, I've been working on picture book projects that make me very busy. You, too, enjoy drawing and painting fully. 
Happy Painting forever! 

Teaching Children at Primary School Week1

Chris Riddell and Leigh Hobbs in Sydney Writers Fest

I met Children’s Laureates of UK and Australia : Chris Riddell and Leigh Hobbs on Sydney Writers Festival final day, 6 May. They showed the importance of individuality in art. In a café, Chris, a 2015–17 UK Chilren's Laureate was sketching people who wished. Although I knew his art work, I did not know his appearance. His strong black lines and good shapes intrigued me.  "Can I sketch you?" I asked. He enjoyed a very smart conversation with models and gave them freebie sketches. Wow! How generous he was!

When I finished up the sketch, a Festival key staff came to us. Chris politely asked me to show my sketch. “Wow!” Chris and the staff exclaimed, which surprised me (*I felt shy). I praised at his drawing with strong lines in black and white. Chris’s drawing lines were amazing that I did not have. Kind Chris and the staff praised at my fluid watercolour painting. Thank you. In this work, sunshine came through from his back, which I wanted to play with. I hope it comes up! We have different styles that are fine.  

I joined "The Mr Chicken and Old Tom Draw off with Leigh Hobbs," our superhero, the Australian Children's Laureate for 2016 – 2017. I wanted to see how he ran workshops. He was very sensitive and caring to approach children. Leigh kept telling to children, 

"Each work is different, because we are different," 

"There isn't a right answer (in art/drawing)," 

"No one is the best. Each one is different." 

They overlap my belief, the importance of uniqueness and becoming who we are. Wonderful, Leigh. Of course, I drew Old Tom, but it was very busy to draw both Leigh and Tom at once! Children came to me after the class to see my sketch. We enjoyed a chat. Nice! Always drawing brings me friends.  

I’m working on the projects. I hope I will lead children and adults to be who they are fully in my art class. I hope I will show what I am fully in picture book illustration and fine art. May imagination and creativity will bloom out.

Friends, enjoy being who you are and Happy Painting!  

Chris Riddell and Leigh Hobbs in Sydney Writers Fest

1) Notables at CBCA NSW Blue Mountains 2) mentorship program

I was invited to CBCA Blue Mountains Notables event at Pinerolo in Blackheath on 5 May - with Emily Rodda, Freya Blackwood and Owen Swan. Did you enjoy my dummy, a storyboard, colour roughs and final images of "My Dog Socks" in presentation? Thank you very much for Margaret Hamilton, Children's Book Council of Australia and a sub branch.  

Courtesy of CBCA. Sadami presentation. 

The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a Non-Profit, volunteer run organisation which aims to engage the community with literature for young Australians. The CBCA presents annual awards of books literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature. So, we, authors and illustrators love CBCA and respect the activities. CBCA is our guardian angel. It is great to know committee members and members. Yes, we had many visitors for the event!

CBCA committee

To listen to other creators was interesting. This is Freya Blackwood, an illustrator, an author and a superstar in Australian picture book industry. "The Great Rabbit Chase," is notable. Well, I did NOT have champagne, only orange juice, Friends!   

Emily Rodda is an author of "The Shop at Hoopers Bend". Owen Swan is an illustrator of "My Friend Tertius." We enjoyed the afternoon so much. 

If you want to study children's picture book illustration with a publisher Margaret Hamilton, it is highly recommended to try a "mentorship program" at Pinerolo, ASA and any available programs across Australia. I became one of the first successful applicants of Pinerolo program last year which gave me a priceless benefit, as you know. 
In a following blog post this week, I'll upload my sketches of Chris Riddell, 2015–17 UK Chilren's Laureate and Leigh Hobbs, our superhero, theAustralian Children's Laureate for 2016 – 2017 in Sydney Writers Festival. Yes, I've been very busy.  
Friends, Happy Painting and Illustrating! See you soon!   

Sweet Margaret!

1) Notables at CBCA NSW Blue Mountains 2) mentorship program