Summer

The heat is here! I had a great 3 days in Niijima, an island south of Tokyo, to kick off the summer! Swimming in the ocean, onsen, eating and drinking lots... perfection! The next day I spent the whole day in the studio! I love summer vacation!
3連休に新島に行ってきた。海、温泉、おいしい食べ物や飲み物、完璧の夏の始まり！東京に戻って、平日なのに一日中アトリエで制作出来た．．．夏休みって最高だね！

FIFTH INTERNATIONAL BIENNALE JURIED EXHIBITION OF MINIATURE PRINTS

5th International Biennale Juried Exhibition of Miniature Prints at the Ottawa School of Art. Whew! That's a long title.
I sent a few prints for the show at OSA's main campus gallery from April 24 to June 1.
It's already over, but you can see photos and download the digital booklet here.
You can also see my print "Spaghetti" which was one of the purchase prize winners in 2010.

Biography

My bio and works are listed on Japan Today.

Take a look.

Job and career

Recently, I have been struggling to juggle a job as an English teacher and a career as an artist. How do people manage to find a balance where they can earn money to live and be able to continue doing what they love? I am not finding the time or energy to create, learn and communicate with other artists, which is what is most important to my life.
Life is too short not to do what you love.
Time to make some changes.

Back to school

Not as a student. I will be returning to my part-time job as an ALT (assistant language teacher) tomorrow. I'll do my best to make it to the studio regularly.

I was working on some new stuff in my itty-bitty studio yesterday and it made me realize just how amazing the studio in Guanlan was. Can't wait to go back next year!!!

Jogja Miniprint

I have 2 works included in the Jogja Miniprint Biennale 2014, from June 6-30 in Indonesia.

They will release the names of the winners at the opening on June 6. Looking forward to seeing the catalogue.

Guanlan Original Printmaking Base Residency

I was lucky to be invited as an artist in residence at the Guanlan Printmaking Base after being accepted for the biennale last year. I was first invited to go last summer, but due to work, I postponed the trip until this April. From April 1 - 25, I lived and worked at the base, making lithos, meeting other artists and experiencing a little bit of China.

The artists all stay in these 300 year old hakka houses. It's a bit like living in a history museum, especially when you compare it to the surroundings. Guanlan is a suburb of Shenzhen, and although the base is calm and quiet, things are starting to get quite built up around it. They are in the midst of building a printmaking museum, which is supposed to open later this year.

The print studio itself is very new... And spacious! They have woodblock, intaglio, silkscreen and lithography (both stone and PS plate). I chose to work with stone lithography, as it had been almost 5 years since I worked on stone. On the second floor of the studio there were small individual ateliers for the visiting artists. There were a few too many of us, so I shared an atelier with a Korean artist who I met before in Tokyo. Small world!

The base has Chinese printers, who are also artists themselves, there to help print your work. It was my first time working with someone and not printing everything myself, so I was a bit apprehensive. Luckily, the lithography printer, Shu, was very skilled and did a great job.

Over the course of the 3 weeks, I made 3 new lithographs. One of them was inspired by the local food. We had breakfast, lunch, dinner, at 8, 12, and 6 respectively, everyday, with everyone together in the canteen. Always similar, but not quite the same. It's like they had a rotation going, with 5 items, rice and soup every meal.

One of my favourite things was this huge roll of BFK. I hardly ever indulge to buy it in Japan, so it was a treat.

Overall, I had a great experience! Thank you Zhao for inviting me!

*Now, for anyone who is thinking about going to do a residency in Guanlan, let me give you a few tips. Don't forget to pack floss, because you can't buy it there. Prepare lots of movies, books, entertainment to bring with you, as there is nothing much to do around the studio when you feel like a break.

Request a fridge before you go. One of the hardest things was not being able to drink a cold beverage for almost a month. If you like coffee, bring some with you, as there is only instant.

If you are visibly not Chinese, people will stare at you, and sometimes stop and take your picture. It can be invasive at times. 

There are a variety of restaurants not too far from the base, so if you want a break from Chinese you can just take the bus and go out. I enjoyed pizza, pasta and korean food during my trip. 

And finally, be sure to go to karaoke with Zhao. You will have a lot of fun!