With the holiday season coming up, am very happy that my original holiday illustrations are on display and available for sale at Stock Home Design (3060 West Broadway) in Vancouver. Please come see a skating Lala, nikoko the polar bear, an adorable & hungry boy eyeing a bûche de Noël and more in person. And do check out the beautiful store—my holiday greetings and new decorative prints are here too!
Please note: the last photo is of the store’s interior, the artworks shown are not by me.
Beauty Treatment - Yomogi Steam
I want to share today a commissioned piece that I painted for a yomogi steam salon in Japan. The beauty treatment originates in Korea, but it's gaining popularity in Japan and other parts of Asia. It involves the steaming of yomogi under a chair which the person receiving the treatment sits on while wearing an oversized cape to trap all the goodness of the steam in. A detox and beauty within treatment that has been gathering many fans.
Yomogi, is Japanese mugwort, a herb that can be eaten (especially when made into a delicious rice cake dessert--Google yomogi mochi, or kusamochi and you would know what I mean), drank, or used for steaming. It is known for its detoxing, healing, warming properties, and for ladies, to help alleviate the bloating, menstrual craps and more. Hence, when pregnant or nursing the herb should be avoided.
Self-care has always been the core of my work, may it be writing and illustrating books like How To Take a Wa Style Bath and My Little Book of Happiness, which are about taking care of oneself, or painting my bubbles series, as it brings a sense of zen to both the painter (me) and the viewer (you). So, I was extremely delighted when I was asked to illustrate this piece for a new yomogi salon. It really shows how lucky I am to have these wonderful opportunities!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!! Wishing you all a very Fa "Lala" la la la la la la holiday season full of joy, love, laughs and great food! May 2016 be the best year yet!!
Where's Lala? Find Her in Yoyogikoen & On Your Devices!
Lala is always around somewhere in my mind, but she is physically around too--and in particular, in the Yoyogikoen (Yoyogi Park) area. She has been at the bakery cafe Le Chalet - Levain, at is a permanent fixture at Le Cafe Barney.
Am now going to introduce you to a couple of other places too where she makes the occasional appearance. One is Newport Cafe, where they have the best vegetable plate lunch with homemade pita bread and falafels in town--you must try it with their hot chai too! The other is Acot, a pastry store that is only open a few days a week. Love the macrobiotic sweets the owner-baker makes too!
Of course, you can also find Lala at plate tokyo until then end of this month, and on your devices as well--the free eBook promo is on now until Tue Oct 14 11:59 PM PST (Wed Oct 15 3:59 PM Tokyo time) and find her LINE Stickers here: https://store.line.me/stickershop/product/1013309/en too!
Newport Cafe: nwpt.jp
Acot: acot-blog.jp
Le Cafe Barney: le-barney.com
Special Note, they just celebrated their 2nd Anniversary in September! Congratulations to the lovely owner couple--Lala & I just love your everything about Cafe Barney!!
Le Chalet - Levain: levain317.jugem.jp
Their seasonal bread of the month is kabocha, Japanese pumpkin!! Just look at them!! I had the staff to make me their famous goma miso, sesame miso sandwich on their pumpkin bread!!
Happy Birthday Lala!
It was exactly one year ago that "My Little book of Happiness" was released on Amazon worldwide. Here's a small Happy Birthday to Lala, and a big thank you to everyone who has read the story, and hopefully discovered a little happiness in your everyday life!
Hand-Drawn LINE Stickers - Urara-chan & Lala's Fluffy Everyday
UraraちゃんとLalaのふわふわの毎日 – すべて手描きLINEスタンプ
After months of hard work with both pen and computer and having my patience tested to the max, it's finally available for sale! Yes, you can now use Urara-chan and Lala via LINE on your smartphones, computers, and other devices! They have became the LINE stickers that I hope will add a special touch to your daily communication with the ones around you, close and faraway.
I find most LINE stickers on the market a little too loud, and decided to ones that reflect me (a daydreamer in her 30's) most. I created these two characters who are sisters, Urara-chan and Lala, and the "fluffy" world they live in. Of course, the originals were all hand-drawn. The digital part though, took me forever......
So if you are a LINE user (or will be soon), please go purchase the stickers, use them often, tell your friends about them, or even send the stickers to them as gifts! More than making money from this, I hope to spread a little joy, and have more people know of my work. The stickers are available worldwide, and once purchased, they never expire!
store.line.me/stickershop/product/1013309/en (English)
store.line.me/stickershop/product/1013309/ja (Japanese)
*Clicking the images above will bring you to the LINE Store*
A huge heartfelt thank you in advance!!
- Jodi
P.S. You can also search by the keywords: Urara, Lala, Fluffy, Hand Drawn, Jodi, and Sam. Of course, in Japanese too!
otona kyutto
As previously mentioned, I am honoured to be holding my second 2014 show at plate tokyo. otona kyutto will run for the entire month of September.
Mon Sep 1 - Tue Sep 30 2014
plate tokyo
1f 1-11-6 Nishiazabu, Minato, Tokyo
Everyday from 12 PM to 12 AM (last order)
Opening Party Sat Sep 6 from 2 PM to 6 PM
With the very special DJs Kei Shiratori & Yutaka Kitamura
"Otona Kyutto" means "grownup cute" in English, but for me it is more like "cute grownup". In keeping with the name, the paintings on show this time is a little more sophisticated, focusing on my vintage and fashion inspired works. Vintage cars and phones, classic accessories, along with pieces featured in the Bulletin Magazine's, "tokyo trend" will be on display. Maybe even some wine?! Someone did say the spelling should have been "kyuuto", which is correct. But I went for the "tt" instead. Hahaha......
plate tokyo is a modern french restaurant that offers fantastic food, and just as my philosophy towards a fulfilling life "great food, great wine, and great company," it is the place to be! Please see the link below for my full report of the place, as well as their official (did I mentioned beautiful too?) website:
jodisam.com/blog/2014/07/05/platetokyo-js-exhibition
arigatoinc.com/plate
I can't wait to see everyone one there!
*Since the format is a little different from my last show, I will not be at venue most of the time. Please do contact me in advance, and I will try to meet as many of you there as possible*
Here is the address in Japanese:
plate tokyo
ホテル & レジデンス六本木
東京都港区西麻布1-11-6 1f
Spring, Sakura and Cherry Blossoms
Spring, my favourite season, well other than autumn. And my favourite symbol of this beautiful season is the sakura, cherry blossoms. So much so, that when I painted a different cover for My Little Book of Happiness, I decided to use the flower. How can you not fall in love with these tiny little blooms, kissed with a touch of pink?
It was windy and pouring in Tokyo today, but I still managed to take a quick shot of these beauties. Noticed the few drops of rain on the fresh petals?
What is also lovely is just right after they are in full bloom, the breeze will pass by, and it will be snowing cherry blossoms. That was the inspiration for the cover. Taking a relaxing stroll under the sakura trees, daydreaming, and feeling blessed. Ah, I just wished the season can last longer......
Soapbox Press x JS - Thank You
I have to apologize for the delay in doing a proper post about the wonderful Soapbox Press, and the feature they did on me back in February. Though I tweeted and shared the news on Facebook, I still wanted do note in here on my blog.
On the last day of 2013, I received a kind email from Nicola of Soapbox Press--a great platform for discovering different creative talents/work. Based in UK, they reached out to people all around the world. After several correspondences with Nicola, My Little Book of Happiness was officially a part of the Soapbox Press Visualisation section, and proudly so. Please see below for the direct link to the feature, and do explore their site! It's amazing!!
Thanks again to the sweet ladies at Soapbox Press!
soapboxpress.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/jodi-sam-visualisation
my favourite things - The Peplum
The Peplum: in "modern" (20th century) fashion history, was revived by the Mr. Christian Dior in his amazing "the New Look" collection of 1947, finally bring back glamour and elegance to fashion in the postwar era, easing the utilitarian look that dominated every aspect of life at that time.
Fast forward to today, it is again fashionable, and the approach of the peplum element/silhouette varies vastly, from the hip fashion to the classical look. I love love love the peplum, and am happy to see it used again in different styles. I painted my favourite element in the two different approaches too:
- Ringo-chan sporting a peplum black and white cropped blazer, pairing it with jeans and platforms while listening to her iPod
- Lala wearing a white peplum pencil skirt with her favourite black turtleneck as she is shopping for some new shoes
Either way, I hope more people will come to know of the Peplum, and Mr. Christian Dior's "the New Look" collection.
Lala at Cafe Barney?!
Cafe Barney in Tokyo is a charming little French bistro cafe that serves great food and wine, and always has wonderful jazz music playing. Did I mentioned from a vast collection of vinyl records too? What makes it even more special is how lovely the owners are.
It's an honour to have a small painting of Lala there. Though it was meant as a gift to congratulated them on the 1st anniversary of Cafe Barney's opening, it was a little late, almost by 2 months......Yes, I can be slow at times, and am going to blame it on creative procrastination!
Please go visit Lala and the sweet owners of Cafe Barney if you have the chance!
le-barney.com
My Little Book of Happiness
It's finally here! My Little Book of Happiness is now available worldwide on various Amazon websites. Below are the direct link to Amazon.com. For all other links, please visit this page:
jodisam.com/books/happiness.
Thank you very much for your support, and I look forward to hearing your comments about my new book either here or on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/mylittlebookofhappiness
For readers without Kindle devices: below each icon for purchasing the book in your respective countries/area, is a link to download free Kindle Reading applications for your smartphones and tablets (Android for smartphones and iPad). Please download and register your application/device before purchasing your copy. Because Kindle for PC and Mac cannot be used to read this publication, kindly select Kindle for Android, Kindle for iPad, or a Kindle device.
Coming Soon: My Little Book of Happiness
This has been a long time in the making. Finally, it's almost complete--My Little Book of Happiness. I first wrote this story several years ago, and come next month, it'll be available on Amazon Kindle worldwide. And no worries, if you don't have an actual Kindle Reader, as there are various applications you can download on Amazon that would allow you to view it digitally.
It isn't only me that have poured heart and soul (sweat included!) into this project. So, a big thank you once again to everyone who has supported me along the way. The next feat, not an eBook, but an actually hardcover version with a dust jacket and all!
Coming Soon in Sep 2013 to Amazon Kindle worldwide! Stay Posted!
Website:
jodisam.com/books/happiness/
Facebook Page:
www.facebook.com/mylittlebookofhappiness
Lala
Lala, for once is not named after a friend's child. Instead, Lala was named by someone very dear to my heart. It's cute, no? I know this isn't the real reason behind her name, but maybe she too is daydreaming a lot, adventuring in her own little world--hence Lala (as in la la land).
Tokyo is really crowded and when it rains, there is hardly any room for us to maneuver in the crowds with umbrellas coming at you at all directions. I wish that I could skip freely in the rain......