The 1965 Honda RA272, the first Formula One race car that won a Japanese carmarker its Grand Prix title. Saw the real thing last year at Tokyo Motor Show, and decided that I have to paint it (just like the 1935 Nissan Datsun rabbit motif)! What a beauty it was and still is!! It is one of the midokoro or "highlights" of and reason for otona kyutto.
tokyo trend – The Bulletin Magazine Aug & Sep 2014
There are the two reports I did for August and September issues of The Bulletin magazine. For August, it was all about "sweets & sweets" (drinkable desserts and pancakes), and for September, it was about "back to school" (school uniform inspired fashion). The illustration for latter report was used as an example in my PechaKucha presentation, "from daydreams to ink and pixels" back in July.
jccabulletin-geppo.ca/tokyo-trend-3/ (Aug 2014)
jccabulletin-geppo.ca/tokyo-trend-4/ (Sep 2014)
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!
otona kyutto Day 1: Setup and Lunch
Lala and Urara-chan have happily made themselves at home at plate tokyo!! Thank you to Ayano-san and her wonderful staff at plate tokyo for making this possible.
Autumn is finally here, and otona kyutto starts today! Was setting up since 9:30 this morning. I needed lots of help to pull this exhibition off. Am very glad it was done on time, and we could enjoy a fantastic lunch--you can tell I love their food, since there are as many pictures of food as my paintings! Hahaha......
Yes, we are all waiting for you!! Please come by, have a delicious meal and or drink, while enjoying some artwork. Paintings on display include "my favourite thing series"--vintage Miura, Lady Dior......and of course Lala and Urara-chan. You can even see some of the original paintings used for my LINE Stickers!
otona kyutto
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)
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
A Sneak Preview II: Lottusse - Cambridge Oxfords
Here's another preview for next week's show, otona kyutto. I was lucky enough to have tried on many pairs Lottusse, the Spanish heritage footwear brand with over 130 years of history, at a special viewing last month. Was amazingly surprised at the comfort, look & feel, and quality of their shoes. Fell in love with their "Cambridge" oxfords, and just had to paint it! Now, am waiting to own my personal pair of customized Lottusse!!
Notice the rougher brush strokes? That's because the real shoe is of naturally tanned leather, and was individual crafted to have this particular look!
www.lottusse.com
PechaKucha - from daydreams to ink and pixels
Ever wondered how I create my work or what my creative process is--or if I even have one?
It's rather embarrassing posting about this, since I can't stand my own voice (have yet to watch this personally)! But, I hope you'll find my PechaKucha presentation interesting! And after watching this, I look forward to you stopping by my show next month, to see my creations in person. Nothing beats the originals!
www.pechakucha.org/cities/tokyo/presentations/from-daydreams-to-ink-and-pixels or click on the image above to bring you to the site.
P.S. Special thanks to the people who came to watch this live last month, and the ones who previewed this before me posting it. Was told that I did not too bad! Hahaha......
A Sneak Preview: Lady Dior - Pink Alstroemeria Flower
Why did I name my upcoming show "otona kyutto," cute grown up? It's because there is such a thing as elegant or sophisticated cute. The SS2014 Lady Dior - pink alstroemeria flower handbag is one of such example. So, here's a sneak preview of what is going to be on display next month. And contrary to what I am usually known for painting--characters and simplified representations, this illustration is more realistic. Now, you do have to say, it is still cute, no?
A side note: The handbag Lala is holding in the poster for otona kyutto is also for the same collection, Lady Dior
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!
Nero-chan on Neptune Design Web Store
Am happy to announce that nero-chan postcards are now available on Neptune Design's web store! Though the website mainly features cycling-related goods, it does have a kuroneko, black cat, category. And since nero-chan is a black kitty, he somehow found his way there!
Please do check him and all the other hi-performance cycling items out:
Ajisai - Hydrangeas
Ajisai, or hydrangeas are in season and are blooming all over Tokyo. I never really liked them back when I was in Canada, perhaps it is because of the numerous small black bugs that attracted by the flowers' nectar, or their dark colours.
It is quite the different story here in Japan. You see, these flowers are a sign of early summer here in Japan. I was rather happy when I came across this delicate, pastel coloured hydrangea the other day while on my way home.
For the Love of Vintage and Cars
If you have been following my posts for some time now, you would know that I have a particular thing for vintage and cars. So, was amazingly excited when I got to see a vintage Lamborghini Miura up close back in April! Took some pictures, and of course, decided to paint the beauty. Though it is not an exact replica of the car, am hoping I did it some justice! What would my many car-loving friends say? Hahaha…...
Note: see that cute UFO-like antenna on the top? How can you say no to that?
Spring 2014 Tokyo Art Roundup
One of the reasons I love Tokyo is the numerous great art exhibitions they have! Here is a list of major art exhibitions I attended from Jan 2014 till now, with some short comments on each.
Past Exhibitions
Tokujin Yoshioka Crystallize at the Museum of Contemporary Arts of Tokyo:
I love the MOT building, and it is one of my favourite space in Tokyo. So, decided it was a good and relaxing way to ring in 2014 by visiting it and seeing "Crystalize". I am not a huge fan or modern and installation art, but liked his work that I saw a couple of years back at Mori Art Museum's "Sensing Nature".
I was a little disappointed in the limited number of pieces on display, but overall, I enjoyed my time there, cause the space and his works provided me with a sense of pure positive clarity, and calmness that I often lack in my everyday life.
Andy Warhol 15 Minutes of Eternal at the Mori Art Museum:
A truly extensive retrospective. I don't think that you have to appreciate his work or style, but you do get an insight into his brilliant commercial (i.e. money) drive creative mind.
You would never get any museum-zen from this exhibition, since it was definitely an overwhelming and stimulating one! Best of all, attendees got to see one of my favourite cars--the old school BMW M1, the inspiration of the BMW 8 series back in the day, that Warhol painted!
The Beautiful at Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum:
Just as the name of the show suggested, everything was beautiful about it. There was not one thing that wasn't beautiful on display. It was the highlight of Edwardian era's obsession with beauty, and not in a bad way. I love the Edwardian period, as with the Art Nouveau, be it art, jewellery, or fashion.
The show really was "art of art's sake". You can call me vain or overly romantic, but I would still tell you, I liked it. My favourite piece was Mother and Child (Cherries) by Frederick Leighton. Was lucky that I got to see the exhibition on its very last day!
Ongoing Exhibitions
The 800th Memorial of Yosai Roots of Zen: Yosai and the Treasures of Kenninji at the Tokyo National Museum until Sun May 18 (today's the last day!)
It has been over ten years since I last saw the national treasure, Wind and Thunder Gods screens by Tawaraya Sotatsu at the old Suntory Museum when I was first in Japan. Am happy to have gotten free tickets and see the the screens again. I will be honest though, I don't know too much about the history of Buddhism in Japan nor have lots of interest manual scripts and scrolls without images.
What was impressive was seeing various paintings by Kaiho Yusho. When I first started art, I was learning Chinese watercolour and ink painting, so I understand the difficulty and beauty of his work. His strokes were strong, beautiful, brave, and his sense of balance/usage of tones was amazing. Unlike Western oil or even watercolour paintings, there is no way to correct anything you do. You really have to see his work in person to appreciated it. I was also very happy to see the famous Plum Tree and Rooster in Snow by Ito Jakuchu.
Balthus: a Retrospective at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum until Sun Jun 22:
A highly skilled artist, with a slight dark side--seeing his scary looking cats and some of the blank eyes of his figures easily gives that away. But if you are in need of a dose of classic yet modern art, please see this show. Some of his pieces reminds me of Japanese manga (comic books) and anime (animation). And if you go, try to spot his usage of triangle-shaped leg positions of his subjects--it really stands out!
Mother's Day - Tsubaki vs. Carnations
It's Mother's Day and I, trying to be a good girl am wishing from Japan, my mother a wonderful day. She deserves more than just one day of course, but hey, aren't we all a victim of commercialization of celebrations?
I decided to paint a tsubaki, Japanese camellia, not only because it is one of her favourite flowers, but also of mine and someone who I have great respect of. I know that carnations are "the" symbol of Mother's Day, but I really don't remember when I last gave carnations on this day. I almost avoid it, if possible.
Tsubaki are beautiful, and we used to have a pink camellia tree outside our first home in Canada. The flower brings back such wonderful memories, though my personal favourite is of the white varieties.
Well, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers around the world! Yes, we children, just love to drive you crazy, so be the Queen for the day that is purely dedicated to you! And thank you for all the years you have put up with us!!
1935 Nissan Datsun Usagi-san
This is my first attempt at painting usagi-san, Mr. Rabbit, that is actually the car hood ornament motif of the the 1935 Nissan Datsun. It's also my first time painting something all chrome. While nowhere near perfect, I still wanted to finished it and share it today. How come you ask?
Despite having lots of projects that I want and need to work on, I must first get usagi-san off my creative chest and hands. I have been wanting to paint him since I first laid my eyes on him at Tokyo Motor Show back in Nov 2013. The sketch has done earlier this year, but I never got around to blot and paint him until now.
Also, not many people know of him, as the image of Datsun most people have recently is the cheap car Nissan produces mainly for the Indian and other emerging markets. I really want change that. In those days, Datsun was one of the fastest compact cars, hence the use of a rabbit as the car hood ornament. I learnt of this myself, at the Motor Show when a kind and patient Nissan staff explained its history to me. Of course, he is just to cute to be unknown!
I really just finished colouring and scanning my beloved usagi-san. Unlike my other images I share here, I didn't even bother doing all my usual digital touch ups--I just adjusted the exposure, and got rid of some of the spots/paper texture.
Am sure that I will paint him again, cause I am not completely satisfied with the results. Though I can't say exactly when. Now, on to some real work......
JS x Tokyu Hands Gallery Market Shibuya Apr 27 - May 24
Tokyu Hands is one of my favourite stores in Japan. They have everything you need and do not. Am very happy to share with you from Sun Apr 27 to Sat May 24, my postcards will be on sale at their Hands Gallery Market on the 7th Floor of their Flagship Shibuya Store!!
I will be a part of a number of crafty talents showing and selling their works. It's really the perfect place to discover various creative minds while enjoying a cup of coffee, because this Shibuya store in particular as Hands Cafe--there are only 2 of such cafes in Japan, in Shibuya or Uemeda in Osaka.
On show are my "the stars" series postcards, as well has some of my other designs. Please do visit it during this time!
http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/handscafe/shibuya/index.html
Thank you! Day 4 & 5
Well, a great big thank you to everyone!! I couldn't have pulled off the stars & my favourite things show without all love and your support. To have been able to see so many friends, make new ones, and share in person what I have been doing since relocating to Tokyo is a true honour.
Of course, the same has to been said about the wonderful staff at Le Chalet and Levain. They really had to squeeze us into their cozy little cafe while still running the place packed with their own customers.
And just had to share the pics of the cookie that was as big a baumkuchen, and of the giant loafs campagne from Levain--am turning into a pig surrounded by beautiful flowers!!