Talent Can Be Learned

A talent could be "learned." Apart from a talent, this is true that an individual's drawing skills are in parallel to her/his painting skills, I've read in an established portraitist's say. I'm not confident in painting skills. So, I draw lots, when I wonder how to paint a subject. Further, in my experience, this is also true that drawing skills are equal to an individual's ability to observe a subject. Very the basic artistic skills are the ability of looking at a subject. If so, a talent can be "learned." If observing is the starting point of an artistic talent, it's not difficult. Drawing skills could be a painstaking process to learn, which takes years. But if we love it, we do not mind keeping it up for ages, don't we? Let's enjoy it.  

Did Michealangelo create a Sistine chapel painting in a day? Could Beethoven compose all nine symphonies at once with ease? No. They studied incessantly, researched amazingly, practised well like suffering. Then, they created great work with pain. Their great efforts comfort me and I feel they are same humans. I want to observe a subject well and draw lots, at least! I sketch anything that interests me. 

On the way to a beach I met a horse. "Judy" was nearly 20 yrs old = She was 90 yrs old in a human age. A girl looked after the horse and enjoyed riding. Calmly standing Judy came near to me and sniffed around watercolour paints and papers. Friendly! I scratched her back and face. Judy quietly closed eyes and looked sleepy. Her peaceful eyes and modest mood captured my heart. Then, I got on a job! I always do not want to miss out an opportunity. The girl delightedly allowed my sketch of the horse. Their family and I shared a joy. 

A photographer asked me about a sketch, what for. A "reference" I explained will be used for my studio work. A reference is a good study of an object. My eyes and hands remember it in 3D. I can reorganise its image easily from memory.   

One more really important thing is to have wonderful supporters or genuine friends in art like you and my mentors. 
Mentor Ann James says,
"You have amazing strength, positivity and courage Sadami - and BRILLIANT talent with capturing people and animals inside and out!! The true portraitist!!" 
Her say is too much of me. I do not know if I have a talent, but I love drawing and painting. I love looking at a subject with curiosity and care. I want to be an artist who deserves the encouragement above.  

The picture book project, "My Dog Socks" is at the final stage of illustration, colour on a real size paper. It was challenging for me to work on a dog. But since childhood, I've always dreamed to create a picture book on animals, especially, a doggy! Once our team has got on the project, my drawings get approvals well! After an Easter Holiday, we get back to work. I hope you had a wonderful short vacation and get energised. Thank you very much for your patience. You kindly waited for my blog post.
Friends, Happy Painting and Happy Observing!   

Talent Can Be Learned

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Brave Sydney Sketch Club enjoyed the mad panic, when it poured in Neutral Bay. In all, I've got three or four bruises = I fell in the hole and slept away twice on a wet rotten wooden structure step --  a risk of life! We got drenched yet we had fun in the fiasco like a party. The bruises were painful. Because of poor balancing, I could not make a hurry. The members offered me a great help. All participants talked to me, "Ok?" in the rain. One was kind enough to protect my watercolour with her work in the downpour. Another took me to her unit near the bay and dried my hair and clothes. With their friendship, I could make this work.  

A local member kindly suggested an interesting subject, a wrecked fishing ship that had Chinese characters. We chatted over it. A rumour was that boat could be a drug smuggling boat. Or it was used for smuggling people. Was an illegal boat scattered there? Who knows? "A gossip makes tea tasty," also it is said! 


I love looking at rusted and old ships. When I was in a teenage, I met this quote, like it and to the present. Today, I found this author's poem on internet (*what a handy research methods!). 

"On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion is the gale. --- Alexander Pope"

I still have passion and want to challenge many things. The silly new question came up, is how much time is left for me. I felt Mark Twain's wise say has answer below. 

A kind member who helped us.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ---Mark Twain. 

In short, "Just do it without any question!" 

Lastly, I'd dedicate this quote for all of you, Friends!!  
"My youngest son has a very clear idea of what he wants to be when he grows up: he wants to be Indiana Jones, Batman and Jack Sparrow. Yes, all three at the same time. So he basically wants to be an archaeologist who wears tights and fights crimes on pirate ships. That's pretty cool, huh?" Rhys Darby Read (actor). 
Yeah, me, too, dreamed to be an archaeologist, when I was young like his son and ended up a watercolourist. So happy with it. Why? I can be anything and everything in drawing and painting. Imagination and creativity are the wings of an artist. 

The publisher's feedback on my submitted colour spreads is very positive. I'm very happy. 

You, too, throw off the bowlines. Sail away. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Friends, Happy Painting!

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Hello! From Australia in Bologna Book Fair 2017

Friends, my mentor, Books Illustrated (Ann James and Ann Haddon) is heading to Bologna Book Fair in Italy, leading the Australian team from 3 to 6 in April! They will promote our Australian picture books to the world. I'd share their newsletter with you. If you bump them, say, "Hello!" 

Hello! From Australia rights and cultural exhibition 2017 Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Australian children’s books shine in the lead up to Bologna Book Fair 2017- April 3 to 6 Hello! from Australia exhibition We are delighted to be able to accompany the Hello! from Australia exhibition to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in April this year. This fair is the largest international book fair specialising in children’s books and is most prestigious for its particular focus on book illustration. The 2017 Hello! from Australia promotional exhibition, curated by Books Illustrated and funded by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, will feature on a collective Australian stand - this year made possible through the collaboration of publisher Allen & Unwin and Books Illustrated - with the support of four independent Australian publishers Berbay, Melbournestyle, MidnightSun, Upload Publishing and the Australian Publishers Association. 13 Australian authors and illustrators will attend the fair and be guests on the Creators’ Table on Hello! from Australia stand - Lee Burgemeestre, Maree Coote, Leigh Hobbs, Ann James, Andrew Joyner, Alison Lester, Caroline Magerl, Marc Martin, Anna Pignataro, Anne Ryan, Jayneen Sanders, Rosie Smith & Bruce Whatley. A highlight this year will be the attendance of Australia’s Children’s Laureate, Leigh Hobbs, who will participate in the Third Children’s Laureate Summit. Laureates from several countries will be take part in this initiative, in which Australia has taken an active part in organising In the lead up to Bologna Children's Book Fair 2017 there has been significant              international acclaim for Australian Children’s picture book publishers.     Congratulations to Berbay Publishing for their nomination as Best Publisher, Oceania, 2017. And Melbourne Style and Maree Coote for Spellbound: Making Pictures with the A-B-C, awarded special mention in Bologna Ragazzi Award, 2017 and Alphabet City Zoo, awarded 'Distinction' in NAMI Concours 2017.                                   The 2017 Catalogue has been launched! It will be distributed widely at the book Fair from the collective Australian stand -  Exhibition Hall 25 Stand B118, Bologna Children’s Book Fair. View the online catalogue at ISSUU Download as a PDF For more information contact: Ann Haddon  Email: info@booksillustrated.com.au www.booksillustrated.com.au #HellofromAustralia @bksillustrated        And just to hand .... great news for this promotional initiative.                         We are thrilled that it highlights the importance of creators !                                  Media Release March 28 !  Government support for Australian showcase at Bologna children’s book fair The Australian Government will provide more than $160,000 over four years to promote Australian authors and illustrators through a strong Australian presence at the pre-eminent global Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy …    follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2017 Books Illustrated, Gallery & Showroom, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to Books Illustrated eNews. Our mailing address is: Books Illustrated, Gallery & Showroom 74 Mills St Albert Park, VIC 3206 Australia Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Hello! From Australia in Bologna Book Fair 2017

Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice wins Prose Award 2017!

Prof Ingrid Piller’s "Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice" (Oxford University Press, 2016) won the 2017 Prose Award in the “Language and Linguistics” category. The Prose Awards presented by the American Association of Publishers have been recognizing “the very best in professional and scholarly publishing by bringing attention to distinguished books, journals, and electronic content” since 1976. I organised its cover! The reason of why the lady Justice puts on earmuffs is in the intro, here. Congrats, Ingrid! 

It was fun and exciting to see the former lecturer, Ingrid and nice to made friends with her team in the language barrier symposium last week. Now, Ingrid has become a super hero in socioliguistics. I'm very grateful for her giving me the part of her publication. 

My picture book project, "My dog Socks," the colour is ongoing. It's fun. I hope myself to overcome obstacles and realise plans toward a bright future. It is the great joy to do a favourite job. Even in the middle of pain, we say "Happy!" 
Friends, you, too, enjoy your work and happy painting!    

Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice wins Prose Award 2017!

Bridging Language Barriers Symposium

Prof Ingrid Piller and her team, "Language on the Move," made a great symposium, Bridging Language Barriers at Macquarie Uni. Thank you for the wonderful content and the lovely time (Here's the report)! Especially, live broadcasting by twitting is a brilliant and genius idea. The theme, the language barriers is crucially important, which directly relates to human rights, equality and social justice in our multilingual societies. Cutting edge research methods, the newest data and interesting approaches in critical analyses are wonderful. Every participant really enjoyed the symposium. Oh, the LOTM team worked so hard to organise it. All the team members are our heroes!

Prof Ingrid Piller, the host 

Presenters, Prof Ingrid Piller, LOTM team and the right, me! (in a red shirt)

Photo Courtesy of LOTM. 

Thank you very much for the twitter. LOTM members, you did a fantastic job! Twitting or a live coverage worked very well. Moreover, the member collected questions directly from broad audience and the symposium answered. Amazing! Another benefit is that it recorded the symposium. I reread it to review the presentations and could pick up the missed out information. 

This is the LOTM twitter site. Enjoy it.
I found three photos of me. A bit blushing up. Thanks, the team!
https://twitter.com/Lg_on_the_Move

It was a very hard and demanding task to make a spot-on summary in short sentences. The twitting LOTM member sacrificed her own time. I felt so sorry for her. But lovely to see other LOTM members brought her a food plate in every break. (*although she hardly enjoyed it.) I cannot help but think of hard workers behind scenes. Backstage players should be valued.  

Keynote Speaker, Prof. Dr. Ingrid Gogolin

Each presenter demonstrated very stimulating, forefront and serious social issues regarding language barriers. In a break and a lunch time, I could make networking. (*I always do preliminary research on presenters, set target persons and attend conferences.) A keynote speaker, Dr Ingrid Gogolin encouraged me to make my dreams come true in picture book publication. She gave me the fascinating information on a successful picture book project that has advocated non legitimate language speakers in Germany. (*I'm checking the information right now). 

Keynote Speaker, Prof. Dr. Drorit Lengyel

I was interested in Prof Amanda Miller Amberber's project and the data that focuses on the aphasia in non English speakers, its treatment and recovery. We had a chat. I always wonder if I should get aphasia, is there any help in an Australian medicare system? As far as I know few experts are available at hospital, yet the reality has gone too further ahead of a current service --- sadly Amanda and I agreed. There's an interpretation service and patients use it in need in Australian hospitals. But a professor from Germany said that the reality of Australia is much better than Germany. It raised a question of our health care system at a global level.      

Prof Amanda Miller Amberber

Btw, Ingrid (Piller) has got "slender" and "Nothing different from 10 years ago"! HOW COULD SHE DO IT?-- I said so to her at a first sight. "Sadami, what a performer! (hahaha!) You, too, nothing different from 10 years ago!" replied Ingrid. Hahaha! Ingrid's say is a compliment. Mine is a truth, a solid fact! Instantly and magically, we could catch up over the 10 yrs gap and enjoyed a chat as if we were seeing all the time.  

Dr Tobias Schroedler 

Ingrid, that sweet professor and the symposium host introduced me in a humorous way, which was a happy surprise. I could not move from shocking at very the beginning of the symposium! 
"We're lucky to have an artist, Sadami. She had been always sketching lecturers in lectures (= did not study well!) and has become an artist (*partially, true! ... or almost?!)." Ingrid showed the two bookcovers created by me. "If she comes near to you, tell her, 'No! (stop drawing) Go away!' " We/audience laughed. Well, actually, all victims gave me a positive response and they loved my sketches.... Or, were they all flattering?!

Prof Ingrid Piller

A mission was accomplished. Prof Jane Simpson, the expert of Indigenous/endangered languages and Australian English had asked me to sketch her supervising PhD candidate, Ms Susan Poetsch. How sweet Jane is! I'm sure a supervisor feels like a mother nurturing students like my mentors. Susan was very happy to know that Jane had been thinking of her. She wondered when I had studied linguistics in Sydney uni. We found Susan and I studied at the same time in Sydney uni! What a small world! We became friends at once and chatted over our old lecturers. As far as I know, not many students get into the sector of Indigenous people's languages. I'm sure Jane should be very happy and proud to see Susan fledgling from her nest.  

Ms Susan Poetsch 

A light topic in the symposium.

Ingrid's mother tongue is German. The symposium hosted Hamburg Uni from Germany. I met a LOTM member teaching German in Macquarie uni. Another LOTM member is a PhD candidate in the area of German. "Oh, for you, today's symposium will be easy!" said I. The German familiar LOTM members showed a big smile. I knew one sentence in German, "Ich liebe dich." So, I told it to LOTM members. Some laughed and others did not. "What does it mean?" a member asked the PhD candidate or the uni German lecturer. They said, "Oh, that's the most practical expression!" Hahaha, I laughed and kept silent about the meaning! The puzzled member asked again, "What does it mean??" The others answered with a smile, "I love you." I giggled.

Prof Loy Lising was taking photos. Really a lovely lady told me her academic interest. She included me in the photos. (*I kept myself away from the LOTM team, when Loy took photos.) Thank you very much. That was another great bonus.

Ms Hanne Brandt (Hamburg University)  

Those young linguists will bridge a rainbow of love, hope and dreams in their areas, fighting for social justice like Ingrid has been working on. I believe Ingrid has been doing a great job in her life long career at a front line. The same is true of Prof Jane (Simpson) and all the presenters. I sincerely hope many young linguists will follow these great linguists and go beyond them. My area is in art, picture books and portraits. Like Prof Ingrid Gogoling said that a picture book has the great potential. I want to chat with my mentors (Books Illustrated and Helen Chamberlin) to explore the potential and make it happen in Australia. That's the mission in my life. The symposium has become my big encouragement and inspiring!

Dr Miriam Faine

Lastly, I'd say, the LOTM team and Ingrid are real heroes. Their TONs of unknown hard work has made such a fruitful symposium and an intimate mood among attendees. Oh, yes, food was excellent! Yummy and I felt the team's very sensitive thoughts of calories and health. Very Glutton Sadami wanted to have more, but a stomach had limitation. If they have another conference, I'll happily join it and take away?! Sociolinguistics is my very good brain exercise. Kind Ingrid suggested the team to give me their T shirt. Wow~~~! It made my day. Special thanks to Ingrid and the team!

Dr Stephen Doherty

In addition, the Ford St publisher "loves" my colour roughs of "My dog Socks." Yey! I'll move onto a real size paper. I hope I will make a good picture book. 

Friends, Happy Painting and Bridge a Rainbow! 

Bridging Language Barriers Symposium

Yes, We Can!

I enjoyed sketching and swimming. I made 2 kms recently. 1 km is not hard today. Teenagers asked me, "Is that training?", as only me kept on lap swimming in an ocean pool. "No. It's rehab. I have a disability," I replied from the water. "Awesome!" "I can't do it!" young guys said. Like their say, at first, I thought I would never make it. But I changed my thoughts to "Yes, I can." I simply wanted to swim and made it happen. It took years to come to this level. On my own pace, I will go on. 

Waves were very beautiful and big. They had sands that turned to a lovely yellow ocher in green or cool mint blue. Yes, in the morning, waves show a "cool mint" colour. It was fun to have a chat with children and adults who came to me. A warm communication and human interaction was a bliss and a wonderful bonus in creating art work. 

I saw my dear friend at the pool. He has had two embraces on the legs and kept swimming for rehab. Oh..., if I were him, I might have felt life was too tough. But he was upbeat. His guts and a positive attitude have encouraged me. He says that I AM the very positive person. (thank you for cheers!). Our mutual support and a good friendship is another bonus from an ocean. Oh, his little child has grown, which impressed me so much. "Taller than a mum," he said. "Aw, I've got old!" I said, laughing. "You look better!" the friend said a compliment. We, three had a nice catch up. 

If I stopped swimming, soon a gait got worse and I would never walk again. It's very simple though, this magic word, "Yes, we can!" is nice and worth trying it. As long as I tried something at least once, I could give it up. So, I like, "Give it a go!" Once, my neighbour and an old couple said to me, "Sadami, you have nothing to lose, (even if I cannot make it)." An old husband encouraged me so much. Yeah, his say was true. I wondered why and what I had been worried about so much. Then, I told myself, "Nothing to lose!" I always send you my best cheers, Friends. 
Happy Painting and let's enjoy challenging! 














     

Yes, We Can!

Colour rough, text placement, page layout in Picture Book Illustration Process

I'm creating colour roughs, nearly there. A "colour rough" is a smaller size coloured work to get an idea of colour balance, layout, etc in a picture book project. A colour rough is a miniature and an experiment of a real paper size one. That fun process comes after "black and white" and a sb ("storyboard"). In black and white and a thumbnail sb, images are roughly set.

In a colour rough, an illustrator tries different colours in black and white drawings and check balance and harmony in spreads. Which colours will work out for the spread or not? In an entire book, what colours are preferable? I tried different colours to create the fur of a dog, "Socks." So far, I'll keep this colour use and see how it goes. I'm looking at the colours all through spreads.

My Dog Socks 

I'll chat over a text placement and a page layout. It's a design and a composition of spreads. The space of a text and the balance of layout were already set in the stage of black and white. Like black and white, ensure to leave a good space for a text in colour roughs. Printed sentences consume a good amount of space in a page. Have a look of any picture book at hand and study where spaces are in a spread. For example, move around cut out sentences on illustrations and check where's the best spot in your project. You'll find the difference in varied places of words. A text placement and a page layout are crucially important in a children picture book.

Apart from a technical stuff, when a page layout is decided, colour rough needs to be approved by an author, an editor, a publisher and a book designer. It's a group work in a publishing team. In discussion, colour rough is changeable. Certainly, that's why called, "rough." Any image and design could be replaced in order to create the best.

Cutting out a text for placement

Of course, an illustrator gets stuck and struggles hard to create images. Sometimes, I'm down and out. Ford St Publishing, which is run by Paul Collins and Meredith Contain, assists my illustrating. We suffer together, work together and share joy!
My wonderful mentor Ann James encourages Sadami, "You have amazing strength, positivity and courage Sadami - and BRILLIANT talent with capturing people and animals inside and out!! The true portraitist!!" Wow, that's too much for me, but it makes me very happy and lifts me up. I'll try! 
Friendly established illustrators and sweet publisher Helen Chamberlin, too, support me. I deeply appreciate all the involved people's kind help. Yes, your cheers, too, Friends!  

To sum, the colour rough is coloured trials in a smaller size in order to examine a page layout, a colour balance etc. It demonstrates what kind of picture book will be "roughly." Any part of colour roughs is changeable. After the approval of a colour rough, an illustrator moves onto a real size work. Some friends and people ask, "Do you do it again?!" Yes. My answer surprises others. A picture book illustration process is very time and energy consuming. But it's a group work. I love it and it's a great joy. I'll get back to work. Busy.
Friends, Happy Painting. Enjoy illustrating!

Colour rough, text placement, page layout in Picture Book Illustration Process