earth day prints

Today I volunteered at the San Francisco Center for the Book's Earth Day celebration. It was a cozy, low-key event with lots of free activities to introduce people to printing, book-binding, collage, etc. I thought the fair was going to be outside, like Roadworks, so I panicked a little when I got there and didn't see the street closed off. But when I got to the front of the building, a sign reassured me I was there on the right day: Free Squid Printing on Saturday!

Some cute letter pressed bookmarks were made for Earth Day and free to attendees.

Inside, I checked out the other booths before starting to work at mine (veggie printing). I went to see the main attraction first and found two large squid sitting quietly on the tables. One looked at me with a reproachful eye and seemed as though it might be alive ~ although at the same time it appeared too eerily calm for that to be true.

A volunteer was rolling ink all over the other squid. I felt a bit sorry to see them like that, but someone explained that the squid are donated to an educational science group by fishermen who accidentally catch them in their nets. The squid are frozen and then donated to schools for educational purposes or community groups like SFCB for making prints. I felt slightly better knowing that they hadn't been killed just for us. Now they would transcend death to become works of art... still, it was hard to escape their mournful eyes. I've printed with tiny squid before and didn't feel too bad or squeamish, but these large ones seemed to have a lot of personality. They did make grand prints, though:

Immortalized in ink.

Next I visited a postcard station where I ran a letterpress fish print, then drew on it some more and added collage to make a fine little card for Senator Feinstein to thank her for her earth-friendly actions and votes. Hope she likes it.

SFCB provided the stamp, address and everything ~ thanks!

Then it was time to report to my veggie-print-a-greeting-card station. It was pretty busy the whole day. We had potatoes, yams, carrots and onions for printing and used Speedball washable ink. Here's one made with potatoes and onions:

The dolphin shape is achieved by using a cookie cutter to cut the potato.

My favorite vegetable for printing turned out to be the onion because of its versatility and delicate effect. The concentric circles can be taken apart or stamped together and the texture of each ring can show through if the ink is not applied too thickly.

I had a great time at my booth and met lots of creative people.

At the end of the day I managed to bind a mini-booklet at another booth and had a brief opportunity to admire the items for sale by Maiden Hand and Gold Rush Press. I've come home with lots of printed goodies that I'm planning to start including in some of my mail art packages so I can share the bounty!

art for japan

Everywhere I turn there are people doing something to help the people of Japan and it's very uplifting.

Here in the Bay Area, artists are donating their work to Bay Area Artists for Japan and there will be an art show with 100% of proceeds going to Red Cross Japan! This is possible in part because Mina Dresden has donated gallery space for the event at the Dresden Gallery.

I may have responded too late to be able to donate a piece of artwork, but I've sent them an email and hopefully I can contribute something to help the effort. Crossing my fingers...

I would love to attend this event and support Japan through the arts. If you're in San Francisco, try to make it!

Taking Flight

1,000 cranes flew in to the school garden this morning! Now they have taken flight (via the US Post Office) to Students Rebuild where they'll become part of a huge art installation with 300,000 other cranes from around the world. The art will also magically turn into $200,000 for Architecture for Humanity to rebuild Japan, thanks to the Bezos Family Foundation!

Due to the outpouring of support, more than 1,000 cranes were delivered to my desk and I expect more will arrive on Monday. All of the "extra" cranes will be taken to Osh Kosh B'Gosh where each one will become an article of children's clothing sent to Japan.

A big thank you to all the children that helped surpass our goal of 1,000 cranes! We hope that our wish will come true for Japan to heal quickly with lots of help from people all over the world.

1000 Birds

We have over 300 cranes folded so far. About 700 to go!

 I taught the students to make origami cranes yesterday and they have been folding away with such sweet dedication. A little girl about 11 years old came to get a bunch of origami paper from me since she is leaving on a short vacation and wants to fold while she's away. Another little boy who is only 6 shows up morning and afternoon to drop off a few more rough little cranes he's designed from scratch paper in his classroom. There is a steady stream every lunch and break time of colorful cranes landing on my desk.

We are trying to fold 1,000 paper cranes to send to Students Rebuild because each crane received will result in $2.00 donated to Japan rebuilding. The most exciting part is that they have just announced a deadline, so we are going to be racing to fold 1,000! The kids are very cute, excitedly spreading the word to each other and making plans on how we're going to make the goal. We have to complete 1,000 sooner than we thought!

* ** *** ** *

I have recently been following a generous and talented ceramicist on twitter, Makiko Hastings, who is making 1,000 birds for Japan. These ceramic birds she is selling are so cute and can be used as chopstick rests, too!

Japan had another 7.4 earthquake today and there is another tsunami warning.

Every little bird helps! Please help Japan.

colors of spring

Outside my window everything is growing. Grape vines are climbing, wisteria are blooming, trees are sprouting tiny bright-green leaves and of course, there are weeds poking up that have to be plucked. Color is popping up everywhere and I long for a vacation week to sit around painting and making art from all this inspiration.

This past week was a bit rough with lots of work and overtime and deadlines. Not that it wasn't fun ~ it culminated in a very charming day of art and culture at the school where I work ~ but my own creative energy was a bit drained by the time I got home. I just wanted to go to bed!

As a result, I don't have anything new to share with you this weekend. *sigh* But I found these watercolor flowers from the archives that I thought to share with you. They reflect the colors of spring that I'm starting to see around me.

Hope you're enjoying a good weekend and that the new week brings more time for art and dreaming.

Oh ~ one more thing! A twitter friend @jojoebi in Japan is holding a bracelet/necklace raffle on her blog that is open to anyone that donates to Japan Relief. The raffle ends tomorrow, so please visit her site and enter today!


Happy Weekend!

for writing home ♡

Tried my hand at making fill-in-the-blank note cards today. I was a bit rushed on this project, but they were well received and seem like they'll be useful, so I'm pretty pleased. ^_^

My colleague's 19 year-old daughter is leaving home tomorrow to begin her independent life in a new city where she'll study music, dance and theater. Her mother was proud but a little distraught that her "baby" was leaving the nest. She held an impromptu going-away party this evening, so I quickly made this card set for a gift.

Naturally they'll call, email, text and communicate with all the modern methods we have today. But the note cards will be a personal item in her own handwriting that I hope will bring happiness to her family's mailbox. (I deliberately neglected to put any space for writing bad news or disappointment on the card. They're *just* for sending good news and cheer!)

The daughter is a very cheerful, bubbly and outgoing girl, so I wrote the prompts on the cards to reflect that. I was also thinking about what her mom might want to know: who her friends are, how she's spending her time, how things are going ... even what she's eating! I added some music and art prompts on the card too, since these subjects are such a big part of her personality.

I gave them to her with a tiny bouquet of colorful paper flowers. Each card fits perfectly in a pretty little envelope upon which I placed a Forever stamp (since I hear rates are rising in April).

My idea is that it will be easy to jot a few updating tidbits on a card, seal it up and send to whomever she wishes. Although they started out as postcards, I'm glad I decided to give them envelopes ~ if she gets inspired to write more, it will be easy to mail everything together.

I wish her good luck in her new adventure!

what he did

inspiration ~ {jerrod maruyama}

In my opinion, this is one of the cutest and most inspiring "Help Japan" posters around. Jerrod Maruyama is the artist and he has generously made this image available for download on his Flickr page so that we can all spread the word. I think the juxtaposition of the sad sun and the happy red cross, both とっても かわいい (very cute!) communicate perfectly the important change that a donation can make. Everyone's help, no matter how small, can make a difference!

Jerrod does all kinds of kawaii art, but one of my favorites is this one of Astro Boy. I think he should submit it to Illustration Rally for the Ganbare Nippon project. It's so uplifting!

Take a browse through Jerrod's work and decide for yourself what characters you like best. He has everyone from Dwight (of The Office) to Toy Story, from Speed Racer to Ernie & Bert, plus a lot of super-kawaii inventions of jellyfish, nighttime magic (one of my favorites), hot dogs and more.

If you ever need to smile, just look at his art for a little bit ~ that's a link to his portfolio. ^_^ He also has his work for sale on T-shirts, cards and such at his shop, aptly called Casa Kawaii.

gathering

I attended the vigil for Japan in San Jose's Japantown, where the Japanese Community Congress raised $30,000 for the Japanese Red Cross Society during the short event! San Jose Taiko played a quiet and peaceful drum-and-flute song to open the ceremony. The leaders of numerous churches spoke to express their support and fund raising efforts amongst their own congregations. Next week there will be a funeral service for all who lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami.

his silent action

This story touched my heart, too. Thank you @s_hayatsuki for sharing it and thank you Aya Watanabe  @vida_es_bella for the translation.

a little boy was standing in line

I'm really touched by the generosity and altruism characteristic of so many of the stories I read coming from Japanese twitter posts. In the face of horrendous crisis, individuals (even children) are not just thinking of their own well-being. I keep reading story after story of strangers helping each other and people staying calm even when stretched to the limit.

This tweet (above) from @makiwi was the first one that I decided to illustrate. There are so many beautiful sentiments being expressed on twitter alone that I will have a lot of drawings to do if I want to acknowledge each one that moves me. But I will do my best.

Thank you, Japan, for showing us how to be civil and noble under pressure.

thinking of japan

An acrylic color palette experiment. I was thinking of the Miyajima torii and the Shinto ideas of respect for each other, all life, our ancestors, and natural forces.

On Thursday night, I intended to do some painting after getting home from judo practice. I needed to work out some ideas for a large painting that a friend requested, and I wanted to start making smaller paintings with different ideas to see what she liked most. But my plans were interrupted by news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Once I heard the news, I did not feel like painting anymore. I sat glued to the television and twitter to learn what areas were affected and to check on friends. I suppose I am lucky that everyone I know is safe. Some have been inconvenienced, but they are alive and well. Many live far enough south as to not be physically affected.

I grew up in California, so I am used to earthquakes. The biggest ones I have been in were strong enough to collapse buildings, overpasses and pieces of bridge. The shaking was severe in each one but I was never personally in any real danger. Some lives were lost, but the most I lost was electricity. In the Bay Area, I helped answer emergency phones at a radio station and prayed for people trapped in a collapsed freeway structure. In L.A., I helped return books to library shelves that all fell to the floor. There, I was shocked to drive by a three-story building that lost one wall. We could look straight in to all the homes as though it were a dollhouse.

I saw a video someone took from inside the Sendai airport, looking out of huge windows to the parking lot outside. People are gathered at three different story levels, watching the waves come rolling in. The waters pick up cars and shove them all along, floating past the windows. If I had been watching without sound, I might have remained more composed, but I heard the people shouting a familiar expression, "A-ra-ra-ra-ra!" ~ the same exclamation I heard as a kid for much lesser dangers, such as a flower pot getting knocked over or a nezumi hanabi (whirling sparkler) getting lit and chasing our feet. Hearing the expression again, for such a terrible calamity, nearly broke my heart.

The Japan earthquake is on a whole different level than anything I've experienced. The tsunami floods washing everything away make a double disaster. I am also truly hoping that the Fukushima power plants do not leak or cause further harm to a population already reeling from quake, flood and fires.

Both my home and workplace are pretty much right on top of several fault lines and there's a nuclear lab over the hill in Livermore. Perhaps it's because I know that this could just as easily have occurred here that I feel so gripped by this event. We try to be prepared, but Mother Nature is very powerful. In such a case, I hope we would have the resilience and strength the Japanese people have already shown.

I feel powerless to help in any substantial way from across the ocean. About all I can do is donate to the Red Cross and offer my encouragement to the survivors and deepest sympathy to those who were lost in this natural disaster.　がんばって ください。



 xo

Update: Providing some links for donations to Japan relief...

Red Cross
Salvation Army
Give2Asia ~ Artists Help Japan
Doctors Without Borders
Oxfam
Care

say it like this

We've all been so very busy at the school where I work, so I took a moment to write my colleague a fancy note instead of the usual scrawl on a post-it or a bland e-mail.

 

When I found a similar response in my basket, it was such a day-brightener! Really, this made me inordinately happy:

 

I think we've got a new, preferred way of intra-office communication now. :)

workspace

Lately I've been wishing for a place in the house that I can retreat to. Somewhere to work, create, paint, daydream, or whatever...

My easel is in one room, my supplies in another, and when I want to do some art I often end up at the kitchen table. It's fine but it would be nice to have a space just for me. We don't have an extra room in the house, so I'm thinking of carving out my mini-studio in this little corner of the bedroom for now.

The potential corner awaits transformation.

Some of my art supplies are already in those large boxes on the shelves, my art books are there, and the printer is hooked up and ready. I'd put some stuff on the walls and get a cute rug, but what I really need is a desk, so I've been looking around... 

I don't think it's easy to work on these, but I love them so much! Impractical, perhaps, but one of my favorites ~ chul an kwak's tables that look as though they might run away.

At the other end of the spectrum, this desk is Utterly Utilitarian but useful on wheels ~ from CB2. I wouldn't mind easily rolling to face the window, the shelves, or go out in the open to work from any side.

There is an unused wooden table that we have tucked away right now, but I think it's a little large for the space. This is just a tiny corner and I don't want to overwhelm the bedroom with my art space. I also have a long, narrow table top that just needs legs. Maybe I can find some for it?

The search is on... and one of these days I'll have my own place for art. If anyone has some links to pics of their studio or an inspiring workplace, please let me know here or via twitter. I'd love to gather ideas about creative spaces to work in.

Thanks! xo

spring anticipation

A storm came through, leaving a crown of snow on the mountains around our valley. Now we have a little respite of sunshine before the next rain blows through. The meteorologist tells me to expect a wet weekend so until then, I'm happily donning my skirts, light sweaters and more delicate shoes that can't abide puddles. And out of my ink pen and brush are coming thoughts and images of springtime: flowers and dresses and balmy breezes!

Wishing for a fashion garden that sprouts
shoes, sandals, handbags & dresses!

monday

my stars weren't aligned * essence disconnected a gap in my spine
my thoughts unraveled and knotting

{blah}

Monday was moody.

traveling journal

Brown Paper Bunny (aka Jessica Mack) has started a traveling journal and I've signed up to participate! I heard about it from graphic designer Elizabeth Caldwell (@ecdesignz). Both of them did the Sketchbook Project (which just started its tour today ~ so exciting!) and wanted to keep the fun going.

This book is interesting because the pages fold out accordion-style, so everyone's images will eventually connect. Each artist will complete two spreads and the dominant color must be blue. She's calling it "Mix Tape" so the subject matter is quite open. Here is Brown Paper Bunny's first spread:

Image from Brown Paper Bunny's blog.

I'm looking forward to inventing my two pages and to also see what others have come up with. It reminds me a little of Sandra Dieckmann's Haus Stories, although her collaboration goes vertical and is an online art connection. (One of these days I must make a story for that house!)

I haven't heard what will happen to the traveling blue journal once it's finished, but I like that the collection will be tactile with all pieces physically gathered together at the end.

It's fun to meet the other artists that will contribute. Besides me, Brown Paper Bunny & Liz Caldwell, here are some of the others who have signed up so far:

• Sara Carns ~ a crafter & scrapbooking photographer who is also a stay-at-home mom in Arizona
• Lisa McDonald ~ graphic designer, writer of comics & painter from Australia
• Helen @Red1332 ~ photographer, knitter, artist in Pennsylvania who is also a programmer, gamer & geek
• Susan @MagicBartender ~ I couldn't entirely follow her self-description but she seems like a wild & crazy gal (grandma?) from Maryland that paints and journals.

If you are interested in joining in, please send an email to carrot{at}brownpaperbunny{dot}com and let her know!

Update: several of my favorite artistic friends have joined in!

• Thuraya Lynn ~ something of a poet living in a surreal world of her own, zine author, sweet sketcher, passionate about Japan but living in Kuwait.
• Juriko Kosaka ~ ah, I've already gone on about her in an earlier post! Tokyo painter who also captures the people she sees in digital sketches.
• Jessica Gowling ~ my mail art pal and creative printmaker and Canadian artist, always super nice, outgoing and positive. She's so creative that her Sketchbook Project was covered in fur!

Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for our connected blue scenes.

express to: canada

It was time for me to send something back to Jessica Gowling after receiving the mailbox goodness she sent to me. A little collection of art bits gathered to hop in her package.

Water color envelope with happy contents.

I had to use a little box because of the secret agent man that wanted to go along. He's one of those romantic types with an old fashioned style. Also had to send a little cityscape along with him, since he's used to skyscrapers and city bustle. It folds out and stands up so he can always feel at home.

Carved a J on top and a heart below so he could also be a stamp.

The travel time was much longer than I thought. After one week passed, I was a little anxious. Happily, I recently heard that everything arrived safely. This is my first mail art exchange and first attempt at stamp making. I liked the way the need to create an art gift got me to try some new things.

inspiration ~ {juriko kosaka}

I've come to know an artist in Japan named Juriko Kosaka whose work I really admire. She makes many sketches of scenes or people from her daily life using a sketch app on her iPhone. She also paints in acrylics using a sparse but warm style. I'm always amazed by her work because no matter what she paints, the simple essence of her subject really comes through.

Images from Juriko's blog

In Onsen, I can feel the heat and steam of the hot spring, while Aromaticus gives a feeling of cool mint or herbs on a hot day. Neko captures Hana the cat's personality and soft fur.

She recently participated in an art show based on Karuta. Karuta is a children's word game that involves thinking of a word that starts with a certain syllable or letter. The next person has to think of a word that starts with the last letter of the player before him.

I am looking forward to seeing more artwork from Ms. Juriko. Here's her interpretation of "dusty" to enjoy.

Image from Juriko's blog.

You can find more art on her blog or by following her on twitter or even flickr!

#superbOwl

whoooo won?

 Just kidding! I know the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl. Although I didn't watch the game (or commercials), I at least know that much. Most of the people that I know who like American football were cheering for the Packers so ~ yay!

It was this cute tweet with the twitter hashtag #SuperbOwl that inspired me to draw some "superb owls" ~ my own way of celebrating. I used a gold pen in a black sketchbook, then colored them in with soft pastels.

I like the way she's facing away
with her head turned all the way around.
I'm so impressed when owls do that!

lemon tea with honey

*sniff* ~ I seem to have caught a little cold. Not too bad, just sniffles and stuffiness. A good excuse to sit in the winter sunshine and sip some lemon tea with honey. Why not take some photos, too, to cheer me up?

The sweet lemons are from my dad's tree, the gold spoon from Nana, the honey from my friend Laura on our last visit to Italy, the china and tea from my mom and the daffodils from the garden. Makes me feel like everyone's taking care of me. ^_^

The light is so pretty today. It could be fun to paint a still life of my garden tea.

virtual museums ~ {art project by google}

I spent some time this morning wandering the halls of Versailles, Uffizi Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate and Museo Thyssen using Google's Art Project. Half the time I admired some of the amazing architecture and decor (especially in Versailles, where even the ceilings are stunning) and the other half of the time I looked up some of my favorite artists and paintings or discovered new ones. One can wander around the museum's floor plan or find all the works by a certain artist across all the museums.

Here is a view of the Mars Room at Versailles where I found Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun's portrait of Marie Antoinette with her three children. I've always been fond of her works and it's such a treat to see a painting's actual location, then be able to zoom in on its details and read up on its history and the artist. In this case, I was led to another portrait of Marie Antoinette, also by Vigee-Lebrun ~ that had been quickly painted to replace another one that caused scandal because her dress was too casual for her station.

The views of the museums are not 100% complete. There are some rooms not included in the virtual tour and not all the paintings are able to be examined up close. However, there is still plenty to explore.

This one by Seurat was fascinating to see his brushstrokes and scientific approach to color. In this picture I was zooming in on Grandcamp, Evening.

Even more fun was examining Van Gogh's works up close. His works are highly featured in the Art Project between the Van Gogh Museum and all the other Van Gogh paintings held in the other galleries. I loved seeing his color choices and areas where it seemed like he gave up on a brush and just squeezed the paint on directly.

Nothing can actually match seeing a painting in person, of course. I had seen so many images and prints of Da Vinci's Il Cenacolo ~ The Last Supper ~ but those replicas did not prepare me to have my breath taken away so forcefully when I entered the church to stand before it and share its space.