Vintage Indian Chief, $32,000!

Oh, ignorance is blessing! I did not know that I sketched the model at $32,000!
Sydney sketch club went to the Indian Motorcycle shop. I just liked this old fashioned style and very interesting colours, all opaque. Then, I started sketching. Water use was not allowed in the shop. After sketching it, I went outside and picked up a similar one for a value study and put colours in patchy rain. The work impressed both manager and other members. One man said, "I thought you'd sketch only people!" Na! I sketch everything that interests me! I'm not a big fan of cars, but drawing motorbikes is a fun. 

Now, I'm nearly finishing "colour roughs," of "My Dog Socks." That's why I could not post these weeks. Thank you for your visiting and sorry, my absent. Yes, very busy. What are "colour roughs" in a children picture book? A good question! "Colour roughs" are coloured work smaller than a real size illustration before getting on the real size work in a picture book creation process. Maybe, a next week or so, I'd write about it. So, pardon me, I must go. 
Friends, Happy Painting and Illustration! 

Vintage Indian Chief, $32,000!

Dragons Abreast Sydney in the boat race

In a southern hemisphere, the biggest Dragon Boat Race returns to Sydney Darling Harbour! My favourite team, Dragons Abreast Sydney belongs to Dragons Abreast Australia that advocates breast cancer experienced women and empowers members. They celebrate life, show the joy of life and share pain with others. Brave fighters or great paddlers in pink uniforms and beautiful games are captured by my work. Enjoy them all! 
This is the president, Christine. A friendly team welcomed me. We shouted!   

Paddle strong.

Live long.

Go, DAS, go.

Hooyah!!

What a great spirit! I love it!! DAS did a charity fundraising races as well as competitive ones. "Go, DAS, go!!" I cheered and sketched them. Who cares scores? The point is to celebrate life and gain well-being through this sport. Who can enjoy sports, if a person is in bed? Health is the concern. 

Survivors feel and know the warmth of sunshine than anyone else. They know how precious life is. In my eyes, the group members were shining and appreciating life fully. There are other cancer groups in Australia. Their activity touched others' hearts. 

Suddenly, one lady dashed to another cancer group in a different area of Australia. She began to shed tears and talked to paddlers. It seemed that she was involved with cancer and could not help but share her story with the cancer survivors group. Lovely to see the paddlers gently pat the woman's back and warmly surrounded her like protecting mothers of a crying girl. All cancer survivors groups are brave fighters and our heroes in local areas. Check your local group here. https://www.dragonsabreast.com.au/groups

Saturday, it was terribly hot! My paints got dry at once. 

The bond and friendship of Dragons Abreast Sydney is wonderful. They support each other and share joy and pain. After surgery, rehab and exercise are not an easy task, especially, if a patient tries to keep it up all alone. A dear friend and survivor has been working hard to do exercises. Sadly, it bores a patient. It's a great idea to join a group activities and use important muscles ( *Side muscles beneath arms and a tummy's muscles move a paddle). Rehab, sports, great mutual support and happy life are in this group! 

The muscles you can move! 

I spent all day long with Dragons Abreast Sydney for last Saturday and Sunday. It made me thought of life lot. Me, too, need the exercise to move the leg's muscles. I know how difficult it is to keep on exercises. The activities of the breast cancer survivors are very encouraging. They show the beauty of life, demonstrate positivity, empowerment and friendship. I've looked through their facebook. Their photos have made me smile. Certainly, their mission is accomplishing : well being, public awareness and inclusion. Sketching is lovely that makes me friends with others at once. Thank you very much, DAS, for welcoming me!! You are great! 

To stay positive is the methods to survive tough time in life. Positivity is the key that opens to a happy life and friendship. Of course, it's not easy to stay positive and that's life. But sharing pain helps me keep it up. Friends, I always thank for your support. 

My colour rough of "My dog Socks" is more than a half way through. I'd shout,  

Draw strong. 

Live happy. 

Go, Sadami, go.

Hooyah!!

If you're experiencing cancer, you're not alone.  
Friends, find groups and enjoy life. And you, too, Happy Painting!     

Dragons Abreast Sydney in the boat race

Intercultural Communication published by Edinburgh Uni Press - cover

"Intercultural Communication" written by Prof Ingrid Piller is published by Edinburgh University Press. I'm very honoured and proud that the cover is my sketch of a crossing point in Parramatta where linguistically and culturally very diverse people are living. The book cover captures "snap shots" of many people's daily lives. I love people. In the exhibition and at else where, people love that work so much. 

Here's the book's information.
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-intercultural-communication-13735.html
The content of the book is wonderful. 
1 Approaching intercultural communication 
2 The genealogy of intercultural communication 
3 Language and culture 
4 Nation and culture 
5 Intercultural communication in a multilingual world 
6 Intercultural communication in a transnational world 
7 Intercultural communication at work 
8 Intercultural communication for sale 
9 Intercultural romance 
10 Intercultural communication in education
11 Becoming an intercultural mediator 
References, Notes, Index

• ISBN
• Paperback: 9781474412919
• Hardback: 9780748632831
• Paperback: 9780748632848
• eBook (ePub): 9780748688326
• eBook (PDF): 9780748632442

I know that Ingrid has been dedicating her life to do research that area. I admire her so much. I really look forward to the book and celebrate a book launch party with her students and colleagues. I also deeply thank for Edinburgh University Press team. They are so sweet and supportive for years. I hope I will visit Edinburgh to meet the team in person. 

Btw, the picture book project, "My dog Socks," is steadily ongoing at the stage of colour roughs. More than a half way through. I heartily appreciate the great support of Ford St publishing team, my mentors, Books Illustrated and Helen Chamberlin and your warm cheers!!! I'll make a good picture book.  

Best wishes, kind regards, Sadami 

Friends, Happy Painting! 

Intercultural Communication published by Edinburgh Uni Press - cover

Where Do You Come From?

An old uni friend, her sister and I enjoyed the movie "Lion," nice dinner and wonderful "gelato"! (in a very popular Italiano shop!) The theme of the movie is identity, home and belongingness, based on a true story. A story is of a lost Indian boy, Saroo adopted to Australian parents. 25 yrs later, he desperately seeks for his biological family in India. Grown up Saroo's agony and obsessive seek for the place where he once had belonged to moves audience. A young boy played little Saroo very well. Landscapes in India are beautiful. I could hear many audience sob in a theatre. Me, too, tears up.

Identity is a very private, personal and delicate issue.
...,that's why I do not ask others, "Where do you come from?" I came across several people adopted in Australia in university and some meetings. Some people ask others to introduce themselves and question, "Where do you come from?" Of course, that question has no malicious intention to hurt others. But it could be too heavy to answer for adopted people. All adopted people I met were still searching for their biological parents. Like Saroo, they were frantically tracing back and could not find answers. It is heart breaking. When I heard their self introducing, I felt that question was too much. 

Yet, identity has a public element as well as private facts. So, we search for who we are individually in any form and socio-cultural aspects. Sometimes, we publicly get together, as if we ensure our identity and the belongingness of a group or a community. A clan is a good example. On Australia Day, Sydney Sketch Club enjoyed Celtic festival that had clan bands marching and dancing. Bagpipers and drummers were particularly gorgeous and glorious. My sketches are a bagpiper, a drummer and a lady drummer with pom poms. It is lovely to see the "performance of identity" in different forms. Each person looked so happy. 

However, if a person cannot either claim or clarify her/his identity openly and publicly, it is tragedy and a great pain. I'd like to think of such voiceless people or who have lost their identities in time. What do you think about identity and that question "Where do you come from?", Friends? A bit more sensitivity and kind concerns for others is necessary, if we ask a third party's origin such a personal topic. In my experience, once, others open their hearts, they tell their whole life background. Until that day, I do not ask others and silently await it with my genuine empathy.
Friends, Happy Painting!

Where Do You Come From?

How Young Are You?

Regarding "How old are you?", we might as well change ways of asking such as "How young are you?" When I play with children in a park or elsewhere, kids ask my name and "How old are you?" Quite interesting to see their parents secretly smiling or giggling around me. I feel adults want to know how old I am, too.  My answer is clear. "When I was born, I saw dinosauruses walking around my house. I'm very old. They were huge. I saw a T Rex." One day, my answer impressed a little boy. He asked me, "Were you scared?" "No, some of them were friendly and not so big." Ah, what a shame, I had to go home after exercises in a park (*the picture book illustration is waiting for me!). I wish I could have a chat with that boy! In our imaginative world, the boy and I could have played with dinosauruses. I love to do pretending with children. Why are children young?

A girl between a woman and a child

I think because children have dreams, creativity and imagination. As long as a person has a dream and strives for it, she is young, I believe. Among us, adults, I feel some people are much younger than their real ages. They have dreams, working to achieve it or enjoying their work. "How young are you?" sounds appropriate to ask such young heart people. I do not mean to deny our physical aging though, the sentence sounds nice. People enjoying their work are shining. I feel that Emma Bennison is one of them, young people. 

Emma Bennison steps down Accessible Arts Australia Chief Executive Officer and will move on to lead Blind Citizens Australia, the national consumer organisation of Australians who are blind or vision-impaired. She was the first AAA CEO with disability since 2012. Thank you very much, Emma, for your wonderful work in the arts, disability and cultural sectors. I'd express a deep gratitude for Emma's genuine empathy and huge efforts on behalf of artists with disability. She's kind and brave that she even disclosed a private life as an example in conferences to talk of the quest of equality and human rights. It was lovely to make friends with world leading peak bodies through her in Arts Activated Conference 2016 held by Accessible Arts NSW. 
Also, her attitude has become my role model. Not only being staying passively in a peak body, but also, taking initiatives in society is the beauty of a participant.  
I'll take initiatives and want to pay back what I've received from AAA and Emma to society. 

Emma, please keep up your wonderful work. I'll do my best in my own way. I wish her success, joy and a bright future. 

"How young am I?" I ask myself. I enjoy my work (*oh, I love it absolutely!!) and hope myself to keep a fresh eye to see the world like a child. 

Forever young Friends, Happy Painting! Enjoy dream and life! 

How Young Are You?

Keep It Simple

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing." -- Marc Chargall.  
Idealism though, my favourite quote. In my eyes, some works are technically not so sophisticated, but they well talk to viewers and will remain in our heart. Take examples of the paintings created by young children and people with disability. Some are striking and moving. The same is true of the opposite case. Technically, some work could be spectacular, but they perish from our memory in a few minutes. A Japanese proverb, "仏作って霊入れず," means "a sculptor forgot putting a soul into a Buddha statue."     

When I get stuck in creating work, I ask myself and go back to a very basic original motivation, "Why do I draw it?" The simpler, the stronger a motivation is. A naive desire, "I want to draw it!" bears time and will get through difficulty. I encountered the quick sketches of moving people in an art magazine in my teenage. It was sensational and very fresh. The ordinary people in sketches were spontaneous and lively. How beautiful...! I felt. I wished to describe all walks in ordinary people's ordinary life. Technically, I determined to capture moving people like those sketches. Imagine, my real drawing skills were far behind the goal at that time. 

But the thirstiness was so strong. Technical things and knowledge will follow an enthusiastic pursuer in art. After school, I diligently studied human anatomy, learned about materials and kept sketching in anywhere for years... and to the present. To gain drawing skills is a painstakingly time consuming process. My strength "love of drawing," compensated a painful practice. The zeal has filled the gap between the poor drawing skills at my starting point and a current produced/ing art level. When I closely look at my motivation, I can trace it back to a childhood. 

To keep the high ground is not easy that demands a huge energy in a longitudinal work such as big size paintings and picture book illustration. They are equal to an incessant process of personal growth. A new horizon comes up after a horizon in my art journey. I cannot rest in labour, want to move on and enjoy challenge. I want to learn lots more. Yes, I'm hungry in a healthy manner. 

I keep my way simple and be careful not to get blinded by technical things too much. I hope people will feel heart in my work. I want to depict the inner world of a person in figures. 
What do you want to do in drawing this year? Let's enjoy drawing! 
Btw, don't ask me what I was doing in church. Ahem, drawing is my prayer. 
Also, I'd express gratitude to your support of my facebook and instagram. People in publishing industry, Accessible Arts NSW, National Association for Visual Arts, fine artists, art lovers, Sydney Sketch Club, Urban Sketchers Sydney, Urban sketchers Australia visit my posts.    
Friends, Happy Painting!  

Keep It Simple

Weaving a Life. Choice of Colours Up to Us.

I think life in a positive way, move on and keep weaving my life with joy. Living life is like weaving a fabric. I feel how to choose threads and put colours on them, is the key. Things happen in our lives. They are plain white, not sad or happy.  Or facts do not have colours. It's up to us or our value system, how we see it and what sorts of colours we put on occurrence. Always we have options how we see or feel ongoing things. It's natural to feel sad, etc, emotions about events. I enjoy my emotions in ups and downs. That's life. But I do not want matters to ride on me. I'm the boss of my life!

I will enjoy weaving my life with colourful threads. I do not want to look back. Already, the woven part is "here" in the present. It's not wise to do it again and only mess up "there" in the past. Physically, it's impossible to go backward. Rather, I appreciate mistakes, errors, called whatever and love them all. Without tumbling down, I will never learn how to dance! I will make a colourful and beautiful life story. 

I've learned the importance of the control of life from psychology at uni. I've gained positiveness in me. I read through many psychologists : V.E Frankl, Rollo May, Carl Rogers, Maslaw, Karen Horney, Judith Herman etc, etc ...and Yalom. Lots of reading has given me the insights of life. It was, indeed, my psychology lecturer's help, a second generation of Auschwitz survivors. She tried hard not to cross the boundary though, she wanted to assist me to find a future direction to go. I chose art. It was right. 
But today, I feel, "JUST DO IT! Time of reading was over!". I forgot what I had read, hahaha! 

Positiveness is the strength to make us happy. If I choose life passively in a negative way, it means that I become a loser. The person who learns from setback is always a winner. Of course, we cannot change all the elements of life, but we can change lots. Yes, we know, how to accept what happens on us is crucially important in the control of life. 

Btw, I've started Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/sadamikonchi/ The logo is below. The Instagram will be the selection of my best art work. Look forward to it. I hope I will make a lot of quality work so to enter my own Instagram. Established Australian illustrators, Elise Hurst and Anna Walker have helped me to set it up. I, a technological wondering sheep, still do not know how to upload images at Instagram and facebook at the same time. I do not get how to answer a comment in instagram. Keep patience, please. I will learn it step by step and certainly reply for each comment. 
Thank you, all friends, for warm support!
I hope 2017 will be a creative and wonderful year for all of you and me. 

Weaving a Life. Choice of Colours Up to Us.