Instant noodles

Although I prefer to draw unpackaged food items rather than containers and labels, I keep returning to the image of instant cups of noodles. I sewed a cup noodle into my 2010 prints Sweets, instant noodles were the focus of my 2010 christmas card, and they made an appearance in an untitled linocut made last year. For me, they are the perfect symbol for convenience and are just as important as sashimi, tofu or soba the spectrum of current Japanese food.
I also seem to have made a copy of my Canadian themed print, Common Interests, just with slightly different subject matter.

People often ask why I print with such light colours. When you look at the finished product you may not be able to see all the layers (sometimes I can't even believe it) but it makes a huge difference. Both prints are the same black but the one on the left has a slightly blue-grey tinted flat printed on top. Colours don't always have to be bright to have an impact.

I ended up adding 2 more layers (impossible to tell, I know) giving it a much more desirable revolting feeling.

Title has yet to be decided, suggestions welcome.
I will scan a better image of the print once I have signed and editioned it.

版画集

今年も芸大の版画集を作ります。

制作中

Some things just never change

Sneak peek of my new lino with sewing... very familiar imagery.

やっぱりアイスのモチーフ飽きない！

Side project?

I think my side projects take up as much of my time as my "main" project. While I do love litho and its potential for interesting mark marking, I just can't get over my love of lino.

Not that there is any reason I have to.

Canada

This past year, I seem to have made quite a few prints about Canada. I don't think it is so much because I miss Canada and/or feel patriotic but rather that the longer I am away, the more I find myself questioning what it means to be Canadian and what kind of country Canada really is.

 This is my most recent small print. Above is the drawing on the plate before rolling up with ink.

 The black layer printed quite nicely, but it took a lot of proofs to get it to a point I liked.

After the first flat, I will be printing the second (and final) flat tomorrow.

やっぱり気持ち悪い

やっと春休みで描いた版を刷った

本当に気持ち悪い

I finally printed this plate, which had a lot of problems so I was only able to get around 8 decent prints, and I still feel just as uncomfortable.
It is revolting to the point of making me laugh, so I guess that is a good thing.

Finished Work

Here is the finished product. The coloured layers became darker and more yellow than I had originally planned. Still thinking about a title...

Work in progress

I already posted the drawing on the plate and here is the printed version. When I work with litho, I usually print the black first and then print translucent layers over top. I am currently thinking this will get a couple layers of very light, unappetizing greenish yellow.制作中の作品。黒の上に気持ち悪くて透明な黄色を刷ります。

33 x 24 cm

気持ち悪い / I created a monster

Sometimes things that work as drawings don't work so well as prints. For example, this image It was definitely not so revolting as a sketch. While I do often strive for an element of grotesque in my works, I feel flat out disgusted by this. I'll just have to wait and see what happens when I print it.

New Work

I thought I would try and make one more small print before school starts again next week. I was thinking about simple pleasures, but I think the image speaks for itself.The object is somewhat based on シュークリーム (cream puff), and the lithographic drawing is transforming it into quite a grotesque object.

New Work

I finished the drawing on the plate for my newest piece. Unfortunately I will have to wait a couple weeks for the studios to open until I can process it.

I was thinking about cultural appropriation, and what is considered appropriate or inappropriate appropriation. I think this is an especially tough issue in Canada, and I often find myself wondering what it means to be Canadian. I don't have any answers to these topics, but that is where the idea for the print came from.

新作

I started working on a new piece. I will keep the entire design secret for now.

burgers

I realize that hamburgers and ice cream are about as far away as you can get from original subject matter... but I just can't help myself!!!

I am using part of my vacation time to have some fun and work on some silly prints without any expectations. Sometimes if you expect too much out of a work, you forget that making art can actually be enjoyable.

Holidays

As of today I am on holiday, locked out of the studio until April.

Alas, what shall I do?

Well, I will try my best to keep drawing, going to art shows, studying and planning for my 終了制作 (graduation work)

This is my newest piece which I am currently sewing and drawing overtop of a 4 colour lithograph. I printed an edition of 6 of just the lithograph, but this one I hope to turn into something extra special!

Museums

Today I went to see an exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. I was talking about a certain piece with some other people when we were asked to keep it down.

It got me to thinking what exactly is wrong about discussing the works that you are seeing?

Art should be more accessible and creating a completely silent and sterile environment is not helping. For me, being able to share ideas while at a museum is an important part of enjoying art.

We are coming to the end of our weeklong new year's holiday and I have spent a good part of it at home working on my next piece. I am a bit worried that due to the time I have spent drawing this plate, it might pick up dirt and have problems during processing but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Here are a few in progress shots

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I will start off 2012 by participating in a group show of small works.

I will be showing 10 new prints, lithography, linocut and sewing, in an exhibition of drawings, prints and sculptures by young artists working in Japan.

The exhibition will run from Jan 12 - 21, 2012 at Art Space Rashinban.

Please come out for the opening reception on Jan 12th from 6 pm.

Spaghetti Neck

I am currently racing to finish a print for an exhibition with all the first year MFA printmakers at school.

This is the progression of Spaghetti neck and how I am usually working on a lithograph.

The finished print was displayed at school as part of the Tawara Prize show and will be shipped off next week to the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts.

New Year

It is 2011. It's hard to believe but I have now been in Japan for 9 months.

I have been very busy with school, working on ball-grain plate lithography. Despite all the time I have spent in the studio I am only working on my third print since October. I am not sure if it is because I have just become slower with age, or now have higher standards for printing.

I am currently working with images of food and eating, and also enjoying learning about japanese food along the way.

Here is an image (unfortunately poor quality taken from my phone) of a finished drawing on the plate and the finished print which is a total of 6 colours

Going to Japan

Hooray!

I will be receiving a MEXT Research Student Scholarship!

The award is from the 文部科学省 (Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology) to study for 2 years at a Japanese University.

I will be leaving for Tokyo on April 1, spending the first 6 months at Saitama University studying Japanese.

After finishing the program at Saitama, I will start studying printmaking at Tokyo University of the Arts.

Show in the Atelier Circulaire Studio

I will be showing a variety of new prints in the corridor space of Atelier Circulaire from Oct. 19 until November 14th.

Atelier Circulaire is located at 5445 de Gaspé espace 503.

A vernissage will be held (tentitavely) on Friday, October 23rd.