DukaDuka - Andrea Kobayashi

Haiku for a walk in the park.

2012-01-01T20:35:00.001-08:00

frozen canal, a photo by A. Kobayashi on Flickr.

Is anyone watching?
I glance around, then throw the stone
on a frozen pond

-AK

haiku for the new year 2012

2012-01-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

The dragon year starts
With clouds and hoare frost
and tired eyes

-AK

cold weather haiku

2011-12-29T16:57:00.001-08:00

magnolias and sky, a photo by A. Kobayashi on Flickr.

leaves rustle
shyaa, shyaa, I look up and see
magnolia buds

-AK

Haiku for a windy December day

2011-12-19T21:14:00.001-08:00

The tall weed, a photo by A. Kobayashi on Flickr.

Boys on bicycles?
I stop! but only dry leaves
race past me.

-AK

pen and ink minature drawing - haiga

2011-12-10T15:12:00.001-08:00

This is an illustration of a recent tanka poem using collage to define the foreground. It is very small: 3.5" x 2.5". I feel I am improving in Haiga, as I no longer worry so much about spelling mistakes or blotchy writing. ;-)

@etsy

Haiku for the first Kanto snow

2011-12-08T22:29:00.001-08:00

The crystal horizon
after snow makes me shiver
and run inside

-AK

Haiku for good weather

2011-12-08T02:59:00.001-08:00

Coffee stings my nose
sky is clearing, it will be
a good day

-AK
pen and ink 3.5" x 2.5" 2011

New tanka for winter

2011-12-06T16:34:00.001-08:00

Chestnut Tree #7, oil on linen, (F4) 2004, a photo by A. Kobayashi on Flickr.

A still day
A sky for snow, my neighbour
burns off the brush

He prods the fire, the flames
moving, the only sound
-AK

Haiku for December

2011-12-01T16:52:00.001-08:00

Mt Akagi, leaf path, Autumn 2003, a photo by A. Kobayashi on Flickr.

Pull back the curtain

condensation, and frost

on Mt Akagi

******************************

*BTW* I am offering FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING for December and January 2012 from my gallery. Use the code SHIP2ME at the check-out.

Tanka for Autumn

2011-11-29T21:23:00.001-08:00

From the riverbank
the sound of a clarinet
comes and goes.

Something like Mozart.
Something like Goodman.

Winter field - drawing and painting outdoors

2011-11-18T18:58:00.001-08:00

Winter field, a photo by A. Kobayashi on Flickr.

I've always enjoyed blade-by-blade painting. There is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from the slow building up of texture and atmosphere. Recently, when weather co-operates, I have been taking George for walks and admiring the grasses and weeds as they change colour and go to seed. I long to have the time to take out a plein air easel or even a sketchbook. The best I can do is snap with my mobile phone. If I pause for too long, George gets "pram rage"!

The sketches and watercolour studies for this painting were made in February in my first winter in Japan. It was so cold, I had to wind it up after 30 or 40 minutes. It was fun however. It's great to draw or paint outdoors and be absorbed, the sounds of nature become clearer and louder, one looses the mental buzz and nature starts to come alive.

Haiku for November

2011-11-09T21:10:00.001-08:00

Fresh oranges
fill a bowl. A cold fruit,
in a cold season

-AK

November special offer

2011-10-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

November is my birthday month so I am offering 45% the available works at AKJapan. Just use the code AKB45 at the check-out.

Hockney and his 'Brushes'.

2011-10-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

What I like most about this recent article on David Hockney's new exhibition is this line about Bridlington UK, where he now lives: " His enthusiasm for the area is obvious, as he says that he wants to 'make it as exciting as the Grand Canyon. It's the way you look at things that counts.'" As a landscape painter I agree entirely. It is wrong to think there is a hierarchy of landscape with some places and some subjects outweighing others, and poor practice to try and chase some kind of prize landscape which has all the right elements: soaring mountains, wide horizons, peaceful seas treated reverentially with atmospheric perspective. This results in the kind of trite paintings which wound up in Komar and Melamid.

The problem is that most subjects in the landscape are going to be familiar to most viewers; there are few surprises is seeing what is always around us. Hockney's use of iPad apps help achieve something quite fresh looking. The digital constraints of the iPad instantly add a level of abstraction which would be difficult to find if one stuck solely to pencil sketching or oil sketching. In the above image, the foreground would end up very differently if painted from an oil sketch. I admire Hockney for not trying to 'fix' the digital palette by making it more traditionally tonal when painting up his 'sketches'. The path on the right floats uncomfortably, is it above or below the grass. He is defying drawing here! His combining of digital and analog is exciting. Is painting dead? It used to be fashionable to say so, it won't be anymore.

On Johnny Farnham and Enka

2011-10-22T02:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a film clip of Australian television in 1969. Johnny Farnham is singing his cover of the Harry Nilsson song 'One' on the music programme Uptight. Stay with it to the end to see some really great pulsating camera work. Groovy baby!

If Farnham had migrated to Japan instead of Australia, he could have become a first rate modern enka singer. Not only does he have a big range and excellent vocal control, he has a strong vibrato which is exaggerated into a kind of tremelo called kobushi by enka singers and is a hallmark of the style. Here is Ms Yoshimi Tendou, (who, if she been born in the US would have been Elvis) demonstrating her kobushi in a mournful song lamenting lost love while travelling through a chain of islands.The video isn't great but the trumpet solo is.

And here is Nilsson's 'One' which is so Elenor Rigby melancholy and Californian wabi-sabi, it makes me want to stand in the snow with no socks on.

Just one of those days.

Occupy Melbourne - but don't you already??

2011-10-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

I am a protest cynic. I joined a few protests in my youth: opposition to university fees, cutbacks to higher education etc. etc. The most I felt I achieved on such occasions was bumping into and catching up with a few old acquaintances. Otherwise, I looked around me and saw these events being hijacked by hooligans or would-be hooligans if others had taken notice of their exhortations to storm this or occupy that. They seemed to function as a 'down tools' instant holiday for trade unionists and students, and in the end, nothing changed. The last such action I can remember as being effective was the nurses' strike in Melbourne in the 1980's. But as the century wound down to it's post-modern close, as the 'grand narrative' ceased to have impetus, these protests seemed to me more and more fruitless, aimless and simply disruptive. Protests became 'meta-protests'; folk gathering to protest the fact that protests were unwelcome and often met with heavy-handed police work - protesting the point that peaceful protests had their peacefulness disrupted by the disruption of protesters protesting the disruption of the protest by the police. Something like that.

I remember walking through the Aboriginal 'tent embassy' outside Parliament House in Canberra many years ago and being greeted with a friendly hello. There were very few folk about, out on business, out and about I guess. It was colourful and peaceful. It made it's point. And there was no screaming. It is still there and will be 40 next year. It reduced some of my protest cynicism. I thought something like; "Here is a protest with an aim and without neurosis".

Occupy Melbourne, is no doubt a world class protest as it has been inspired by the American Occupy Wall Street protest. Why lead when you can follow? Oops, I'm getting cynical! It's avowed aim to is protest 'corporate greed', whatever that means. I'm impressed to see that the organisers have a team of legal advisers. How very down home. The problem with protesting corporate greed, particularly in a primary production economy riding high on the minerals hog like Australia, is that it is rather biting the hand that feeds. So you want free education, nice roads, free hospitals etc. etc. How much revenue will a tax on home-grown vegetables raise? Let's get real.

The free market no longer works, but are ponchos the alternative? Systems need to change and will regardless of the occupation of Melbourne, by people who presumably already live there.

The baby is crying and mounting his own protest. Time is up. I will leave you with a peaceful image of times past, protest or no, "ain't nothin' changed".

Back in the land of the blogging

2011-10-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

After a slow decline, our laptop finally stopped working. Whilst on it's last legs, gasping and limping along, I bought a new computer online and set it up yesterday. Oh joy of joys! Wonder of wonders! The weird thing is, with its huge HD screen, umpteen gigabytes of memory, mammoth stereo speakers etc., etc., it cost less than the laptop did 6 or 7 years ago. Really, the pace of change in computers sometimes freaks me out. As much as I like using a computer and having internet access, I hate the 'compulsory repurchasing of the same', to quote Jonathan Crary. I have decided that from now on, in spite of my like of blogging, I am also going to write more on paper. I hate that this computer doesn't have a floppy drive. So the files I have on disk from a colossal 10 years ago, may as well be buried under a 1,000 years of sand. Hard copy, everything, from now on...

IF Perennial

2011-07-23T22:44:00.000-07:00

The summer solstice has passed. The heat of summer brings long days of little activity. Gaman dekiru! Soon enough the first gusts of autumn will bring relief; winter, setsubun, spring, tsuuyu and round and round it goes.

Typhoon - paintings

2011-07-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

Leaves 葉　－　水彩　版画　そのほか

2011-02-28T00:51:00.000-08:00

Leaf paintings, prints and drawings from the last few years.
Waiting for the new growth of spring.
Tree leaves are seldom to be seen at this time of year.
Plum and apricot blossoms are in bloom as are the wax flowers 'robai'.

Available @ AKjapan

木　－　絵、水彩、プリント　その他　Trees - drawings, paintings prints

2011-02-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

All @ AKjapan

SpaceBird ink drawing on washi - new at SpaceBird Studio

2011-02-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

I am moving all my bird drawings and paintings to a new shop called SpaceBird Studio. I thought that AKjapan was getting over-crowded and needed slimming down. There were too many sections and too many works. You can find SpaceBird Studio here.

Here is a new addition, one of a set of five art postcards with collage.

Sit on it! pillows at Japonpon

2011-02-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

I finally found time to make up a few more of my painted and printed textiles into covers. They work well in the square format. I was particularly happy with the result of the monoprinted leaves on linen.

There is a wabisabi quality to these printed in plain black on the unbleached linen.

Available @ Japonpon

Studio Space

2011-02-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a snap of my studio space, well as much as I am willing to let the world see as the rest is even messier. It's about the size of a 6 mat Japanese room, or about 3m x 6m. There is a sink at one end, two old teacher desks - one for painting and one for sewing, two student desks for mixing paint on, a shelving unit for fabrics and finished works, loads of packaging lying around, a small book shelf and a huge easel for large canvases. Suffice to say there is not much room to move, and at the moment, with an 8-month bump in front, I keep knocking things over. I do have plans to add more shelving and better storage. It also has an extraction fan and a key-locking door leading to the inside of the house. It was purpose designed as a wet/work area when we built the house 2 years ago. Yes, that's right, you can junk up a space this bad in only 2 years. Gambatte!!!

Embroidery - fan coral and sea creatures

2011-02-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

I did very little studio painting in 2010. There were many reasons for this. I had to go to Australia for a lengthy stay at the beginning of the year. It wasn't so long after I returned that I found out I was pregnant again and spent the heat-wave summer enduring ghastly morining sickness. In any case, I needed a break after the 2009 exhibition to re-examine my work. Not being able to use chemicals, and not having the energy to work in paint in any case, I started to think about re-engaging with hand-sewing and embroidery. I wanted to re-engage with a female set agenda in the arts and apply my own images and design ideas to a different medium. I hadn't done any embroidery since childhood so it has been an interesting path to take as I wasn't so confident about my skills base. One interesting thing I found is that one's skills as a 10 year old aren't necessarily a barometer of one's skills as an adult! LOL!

The fan coral scene was a simple design, based on a painted mural from back in the day, and a starting point for my first surface embroidery in a lo-o-o-o-ng time.

I used such stitches as I could remember; chain stitch, stem stitch and running stitch/back stitch. I subsequently bought a stitch guide book which has been very exciting to read.

The baby is due in March, at which point I will be taking a short break. Before then I hope to have some pics of recent embroideries and mixed media textile works up and blogged.

Landscape into cushion!

2011-02-03T01:11:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been experimenting with translating some of my paintings and drawings into textile designs. The full transition is now complete!

At the top is a watercolor and ink drawing from a few years ago featuring a quote from Kenneth Clark's Landscape into Art -"We are surrounded by things which we have not made and which have a life and structure different from our own; trees, flowers, grasses, rivers, hills, clouds."

I simplified the orchard design to make wide bands of black, green and blue across the fabric. I like working with square formats so a pillow cover seemed a logical use for the fabric.

It's available and you can find it here.

Japanese Art Scene Monitor Jan/Feb 2011 now out.

2011-01-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

The latest edition of JASM is now out. You can subscribe for free or download a PDF from this link .
It contains news, reviews and opportunities in the comtemporary art scene in Japan.

Walking in winter - 冬の散歩

2011-01-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

大きな地図で見る

When I lived in Saitama, I used to go walking almost every day through the fields near Obusuma Station. At that time we lived in a manshon or condominium and walking was the only option for getting outside; there was no garden and not much in the way of parks nearby.

I often used to walk through the fields to a small shrine, turn left across a footbridge, along the shrine's path towards the torii and then onto the sealed road. You can see it in the Google map above: a straight line leads out of the forest towards the bottom of the map. This the path. Such paths that lead to major shrines and which have shops along them are called omotesando. The most famous of these is the main road called Omotesando-dori that leads to Meiji-jingu in Yoyogi, Tokyo.

I tried to capture this walk as a landscape painting:

Kohii Jinja near Obusuma station, Saitama

It was enormously difficult to photograph! The yellow of the winter grass bleaches out the warmth in the rest of the image. It was a difficult composition too that required a bit of reworking in order for it not to look like 4 rectangles, like an evenly quartered canvas. I was working from sketches and memory, and evoking a winter mood while painting in a warmer season can have its challenges; there is the tendency to want to make things too green and bright.

The tradition in Japan is to hang works that match the season. The grasses and weeds have died off and look barren and sparse this time of year. However, in the Kanto region the weather is usually sunny and bright. I am lucky in this regard, the rest of Japan is blanketed in snow this year and days go by without it letting up, no winter walking at all, unless you have snow-shoes.

Haiku for winter

2011-01-06T21:09:00.000-08:00


small watercolour painting of clouds @AKjapan

My father's old kite

I forgot I hate the cold

when it caught the wind

華蔵寺公園 - English haiku

2011-01-03T23:43:00.000-08:00

明日みんなは伊勢崎市の華蔵寺公園へ行きました。ゆうえんちがあります。すべての乗り物は小さな所にある。散歩はやさしくにできる。おやつを食べたら急に英語の俳句が考えた。

Yesterday we all went to a small amusement park in Isezaki city called Kezoji Koen. There aren't so many rides, and they are all located in a small area which is nice; there isn't too much walking. While eating lunch, the sight of fairy floss back lit by the winter sun inspired a haiku:

A children's park, New Year,
fairy floss like clouds
amongst coats

more textile experiments, last post for 2010

2010-12-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

More experiments with monotyping on fabric. I have used real leaves, including many ginkgo, most of which have disappeared completely from the trees by now. November is the best time to gather them. I used Pentel's 'Fabric Fun' inks for both the printing and the painting. Lamentably Pentel have discontinued this line. This was a slightly tricky but excellent fabric ink to use as it needs no fixing or mordant, just paint it on and it's permanent. I always wear black clothes and an apron when using ;-)!

The bottom images are linocut on linen and linocut on striped cotton. I used screenprinting ink on the lino plate, placed the fabric over the top, misted it with water, covered with smooth paper and used a baren to take the image. With a few goes, the images improved as I figured out how much water and ink and pressure to use.

It's New Year's Eve today. I wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2011!!!!

お新年おめでとう！！！

paintings to textiles - work in progress

2010-12-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been experimenting with translating some paintings into designs suitable for textiles. I have been using Japanese fabric paint to paint directly onto cotton/linen fabric prior to stitching up and seeing how well the images will translate into other items.

The paints and surface naturally handle quite differently, but the results have been interesting.

Stained glass mural at The Railway Museum

2010-11-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

Also at The Railway Museum, there is a wonderful stained glass mural along one wall which looks out across the tracks of the Takasaki line. I couldn't find out much about it, though it seems to be based on the illustrations of a children's story book.

Japanese railway art

2010-11-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

Recently I visited The Railway Museum tetsudou hakubutsukan in Omiya city, Saitama. There was a marvellous exhibition of the applied arts used the the imperial rolling stock. There were also 19th century woodcuts from the early days of the railways. I love these images. There is so much optimism and such an interesting combination of oriental/occidental, old and new, wafuku and yofuku in them. I always like the strong blocks of colours combined with intricate line-work. in these images.

Victoria University Alumni exhibition 2010

2010-11-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

Works by Andrea Kobayashi

Works by Amanda Casey

Works in the gallery

Victoria University Alumni exhibition 2010

Here you can see some of my work and that of fellow graduate Amanda Casey at the Victoria University Alumni Exhibtion 2010 that was held in September. I exhibited two paintings; Riverbank on a night with many bats and Haiga: Stormy Sky. Amanda exhibited a collection of small works on paper and took these photographs.

Menuma handmade market 熊谷布沼手づくり市

2010-11-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

I recently enjoyed visiting the 7th Menuma handmade fair in Menuma-machi, Kumagaya. There were about 100 booths selling everything imaginable from surrealist paintings, bonsai and wood carving, to endless crocheted hats and wonky knitting - keepin' it hippie. The quaint thing about the unjuried fairs is the democratic aspect; senoir ladies' craft circles churning out acrylic beanie after beanie sit next to design school grads and their hip handmades. I especially liked Kamiyama Akiko's persimmon dyed bags and canvas goods (柿渋染め - kakishibusome). There was an Aussie in the mix; Ariel from Sydney with his drawings and digital art. I almost jumped backwards into traffic, when I saw my clan tartan Sutherland Ancient fashioned into a fluffy-flapped deerstalker by local milliner Musa (Makino Takumi). I have a pic of that but on my mother's camera so no upload as yet.

Autumn is well and truly here now with the first snow on the taller nearby peaks and the first gusts of karakaze whipping across the Kanto plain.

Persimmons - watercolour on washi

@zibbet

Good news, I guess, for Mt Elephant.

2010-09-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

It seems that Mt Elephant and the other ancient volcanoes of western Victoria are now part of a new 'geopark' called Kanawinka Geopark. It's nice that this region of Victoria is now receiving some focus for tourism and education. Mt Elephant sits on the Hamilton highway, one of the main routes between Melbourne and Adelaide. I used to find the drive to Derrinallum, the village at the base of Mt Elephant, very exciting as the old volcano hove into view across the dead-flat plain. Most folk would drive straight past on their way to more famous national parks in Sth Australia, and it always seemed a shame to me that not more people would stop to take in something just as interesting and much closer to where they lived.

Now all this is changing it seems. While that's great in many ways, these kinds of projects always have a price. I remember visiting Mt Elephant in 2001 and simply asking directions in Derrinallum in order to gain access. A man at the 'transfer station' (read rubbish tip) let my sketching friend and fellow artist Amanda Casey and I in through the gate, asking only that we should leave before 4:30pm when he finished up for the day.

It was very simple. Now Mt Elephant is open to the public for 3 hours a month! (or by appointment). The opening hours are set by the Mt Elephant committee. It's great that there is a committee and that the mount has been purchased for the public. The brief opening hours are in part due to activity to repair and conserve the landscape; tree planting, rabbit eradication and weed control are taking place. The committee is also trying to raise funds for a "visitor information and interpretation facility". I wonder what the point of such a facility is when 'opening hours' are so short. I can't help but let out a sigh when I read the words 'interpretation facility'. I always start to feel tired. An adventure is squashed and a discovery stunted by the attempts of others to 'interpret' something on one's behalf. While it would be useful to have a designated area to park one's car and maybe eat one's sandwiches out of the gusting Bass Strait *wind*, I hope the planned facility contains little if any 'interpretation'! Let visitors ask the folk in town if they want to find out something. This is how you hear the most interesting stories, and you can interpret the rest from there. As for the facts and figures, one can always visit the Royal Society and get hold of Dr Birch's excellent and recently updated Volcanoes in Victoria.

Let's interpret landscapes!!

Phil Roubin - photography exhibition in Melbourne

2010-09-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

My old housemate Phil Roubin is holding an exhibition of his fine art photography at Red Gallery in North Fitzroy, Melbourne, this month. It's called Left Behind and it "details the traces of life that exist in abandoned homes."

I found this an interesting theme because earlier this year I helped my mother sell her house in Melbourne and buy a new smaller place more suited to her needs. I found that compared with Japan, especially in the Kanto region, there are relatively few abandoned houses in Melbourne (or elsewhere in Australia). Property speculation is a large part of economic life in Australia, far more so in Japan where it doesn't really exist. When there is nothing much to be gained from 'improving' property, whole houses are frequently 'let go' and soon covered in vines, shrouded in greenery, or left to rust out.

In Melbourne, on the other hand, perfectly liveable homes are often bulldozed, in a day or two, to make way for something bigger, better, newer and more re-sellable. I noticed this trend very clearly earlier this year when many post-war, brick veneer homes in the cities of Booroondara and Whitehorse were selling for large sums, only to be bulldozed to make way for smaller groups of town-houses or very large new houses. The poor old salmon brick veneer is disappearing fast! Mind you, these are houses that were never enormously comfortable or beautiful to begin with and probably cheaper to demolish than to renovate. On the other hand, I saw new home-owners expending enormous amounts of energy renovating the most dilapidated and modest weatherboard houses. Either way, the fabric of suburbia is under constant change and renewal. The city-scapes I can remember from 30, 20 or even only 10 years ago simply no longer exist. Can I trust my memory?! And what do those memories count for if only to be demolished for land-value?? It was a strange feeling.

In Japan, by contrast, things change very slowly. Sometimes the only changes are those wrought by nature, the amount of kudzu swallowing a dumped car each summer, or pine branches snapped by heavy snow. Such urban changes as I have noticed in recent times have been the frequent closures of convenience stores and petrol stations. (Indeed many petrol stations, ones that were busy too, have been removed completely, tanks and all, and the land sold.)

Phil's exhibition catches a time between vacating and renovating; "scattered
possessions tell something of the nature of inhabitants once present". It should be an interesting collection of images, especially in a city devoted to real-estate and property investment. If you are in Melbourne, get along and see it:

22 September – 9 October 2010
red gallery
contemporary art space
157 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, Victoria
Phone +163 9482 3550
Opening Wednesday 22 September from 6–8pm

Phil Roubin - Left Behind

New Haiku

2010-09-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

a mouldy lemon in the fridge
it's time to get ready
a taxi to the church

Andrea Kobayashi 2010

Haiku in English (or French) Mainichi 14th Haiku Contest

2010-08-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Haiga Path, watercolour and ink 2009

Entries close this week for the 14th Mainichi Haiku Contest. Entries in the International section in English or French are free and up to two poems can be submitted.

The tomoye

2010-08-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

stone basin Enoshima

Side fence, Tatebayashi

According to H. Batterson Boger in his 1964 tome The Traditional Arts of Japan, the tomoye is "the disc-shaped Shinto symbol of creation consisting of three intertwining forms resembling commas, taken from the Chinese sign around which are arranged the Eight Trigrams of pa kua." (p26). You can see this symbol all around the place, it is commonly used on roof tiles and house decorations as well as in Shinto shrines.

Touring Tatebayashi by car

2010-07-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snaps from the window of the Stepwagon taken a few weeks back when we went to the Gunma Museum of Art in Tatebayashi. One year ago this week, there was a tornado in Tatebayashi. I remember it well, because it seeded very near my house.. The weather was hot, dry and windy. A huge gust hit the house and a much fiercer and stronger wind suddenly blew up. It was like a typhoon without the rain. I pulled down the shutters, waited it out inside and was not surprised to hear the news of the tornado a few hours later. It was a little scary....

This is a scooter for delivering meals from restaurants. There is a spring loaded tray suspended from the rear so your noodles or sushi don't end up mechakucha (all mixed up). The old showa style building is typical of many shops in the area.

Back at GMAT now where some lotus were in bloom well into the afternoon. I ate some orange cake at the cafe. It was very nice.

Left-hand drive Chevrolet out during the festival

Some kind of locally famous place meibutsu selling dishes made from eggs, or chickens, or both.... Nice chicken painting!

Gantries, Tobu Isesaki line.

Francois Pompon at GMAT

2010-07-24T01:01:00.000-07:00

Ours Blanc. Francois Pompon (1855-1933)

The Gunma Museum of Art at Tatebayashi has a large collection of the animal sculpture of Francois Pompon. (1855 - 1933) According to what I can find on the net, Pompon was a student of Rodin and eventually head of his studio. His own career was somewhat stalled by his choice of subject matter, and it wasn't until he was in his mid-60's that his work found an appreciative audience. The mascot of GMAT is his Ours Blanc.

In the grounds of the main museum is the Annex, which is a reproduction French stone farm building containing Pompon's studio. Photography is not allowed inside and my comprehension of either written French or Japanese is not fast enough for me to have gotten the story, before having to rush off after family members, of how the museum wound up with his studio . However, I did get some nice shots of the exterior.

Gunma Museum of Art Tatebayashi

2010-07-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday 18th, we went to the Gunma Museum of Art at Tatebayashi. We had tried to go there last year but couldn't find it. This time we did, and of course, it turned out to be only about 100 metres from where we had been last year. It is very difficult to see! Well, difficult to find, being as it is, built behind a tall earthen bank, somthing like a rampart or levee. According to the website, the Tatebayashi museum opened in 2001. The grounds are enormous, and sometimes outdoor sculpture exhibitions are held there. The building is really big; the collection seems rather dwarfed by it. The current exhibitions looks at 'how work is made'. It focuses on printmaking and there is an endless, almost exhausting amount of information on different printmaking techniques, along with representative works.

Amongst the printmaking, I very much enjoyed seeing Jim Dine's botanical etchings. His work is well represented in the museum in both printmaking and sculpture.

The GMAT website is short on information about the collection. I found some information on another museum site about Barry Flanagan's Hare on Bell.

Japanese Art Scene - what's on July 2010

2010-07-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Japanese Art Scene Monitor is now online. Being summer, there are a number of large exhibitions showing for those willing to brave the *crowds*. The 14th Taro Award for contemporary art is now taking entries, and there is news of an interesting new design award where entries are taken at any time. Check it out!

Staying cool at Melbourne Zoo, summer 2010

An antique kimono - where can I buy one?

2010-07-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

Look no further than Dave Pike's new blog Japanese Textiles. He posted a bumper list of online shops where you can buy kimono and antique or vintage Japanese fabrics. He has posts on fabric care and some of his experiences going to kimono auctions; interesting reading. He sells antique kimono too from his shop Folding Cranes.

Here's an example of the excellent fabrics in Folding Cranes.

Matsu

2010-07-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

Taken from the window of the car before heading out somewhere, here is the pine or matsu 松　in my mother-in-laws house next door to ours. A branch snapped off last winter, it's been allowed to grow freely and hasn't had the branches thinned so they can get heavy with snow on the rare occasion it snows here.

Mr Meggs

2010-07-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Mr Meggs is the cat that live with my brother with all the kookaburras. When the deck isn't covered in feasting Kookaburras, Mr Meggs can come out and sun himself. In the meantime, maybe he goes for a walk along the Puffing Billy tracks that run just below. He's bought in of an evening in order to protect the local wildlife. I don't think he stands much of a chance though, he's well out-numbered.

Meanwhile back at the Oarai Aquarium..

2010-07-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some penguins have a great old time splashing around in their tank. You can go below surface level and get these kinds of shots. They are really in their element here and so acrobatic in contrast to the awkward penguin walk show they do in the afternoon.

Moon photos, moon painting and accidental alummi status

2010-07-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

Moon over Kokai

Fullish Moon

Riverbank on a night with many bats. 30cm x 30cm. Oil on wood panel. 2009.

Last year I painted a moon painting called Riverbank on a night with many bats. Last month I was able to get some good shots of a big round summer full moon. Maybe it's not completely full here; it's a little hard to tell. But there is just enough cloud to catch a nice corona. The painting was exhibited at Yagihashi department store gallery in December last year.. I will exhibit again later this year in Melbourne as part of the Victoria University Alumni exhibition. However, I never actually went to Victoria University. I went to a technical college for 2 years called Western Metropolitan College of Technical and Further Education. Yes, it was quite a mouthful and shortened to either 'Footscray TAFE' or just 'Footscray', as it had once been millions of years earlier. Eventually it was merged into Victoria University which makes me a university alumna after completing a humble Advanced Certificate in Art and Design. A humble, yet extremely useful qualification for a studio artist it has been with its emphasis on all kinds of old-school things like color-wheels, tints and tones, figure drawing and *deadlines*. I hope they like the riverbank moon and hang it in September alongside many other accidental alumni.

New Haiku

2010-07-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

A cyclist glides
On the riverbank path
Before a storm

Kookaburra

2010-07-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

There are *hundreds* of kookaburras living near my brother's house. No wonder when he feeds them fresh beef mince. They hardly have to sing for their dinner!

Sunfish

2010-07-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

I love sunfish. They are such curious and mysterious creatures. According to both the Wikipedia and the Oarai Aquarium gift shop, the scientific name for Ocean Sunfish is Mola Mola. I bought a bunch of cho-kawaii plastic things at the shop like picnic cups and stationery for my nephew and niece.

Jellyfish

2010-07-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pics of long, fibrous jellyfish which I took at the Oarai Aquarium in May. It was so cold on the Ibaraki ocean front. We spent a good long time inside just staying out of the wind. The sharks don't appeal to me so much, but the slow moving creatures like jellyfish and sunfish are good to photograph.

Silver Rock Garden - acrylic painting

2010-07-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on handmade paper 15cm x 10cms 2010
Available at Stripey

Going groovy, retro colours or just getting old?

2010-07-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

Groovy Stripes. Acrylic on handmade paper. ~15cms x 10cms. 2010.
Available at Stripey.

When making a stripes painting, I'm thinking about tension on the surface. It's fun to decide which colours and which tones will sit side by side and whethers they'll generate tension or release. It's like music. I also like to group colours sentimentally. Maybe I'm thinking about a time in the past, or a place, and pick the colours to go with that sentiment.

Purple flowers on washi

2010-06-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Heliotrope. watercolour and acrylic on washi on paper. 15cms x 10cms 2010. Available at Stripey

This is a simple abstraction of flowers. The stripes were printed as a monotype on the very fine callligraphy washi.. The 'flowers' and background were then painted around them. Finally I glued this paper onto 218gm smooth watercolor paper. The effect is very nice. The washi seems to float over the top and the pigments really sing.

Spring colours in Stripes a new painting

2010-06-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sakura Stripes. Acrylic and watercolour on handmade paper. 10cms x 15cms. 2010. Available at Stripey.

These stripes were also very hard to scan. The pink is electric and the greens are brighter too. Still it's not so bad. These are the colours of the Japanese spring: pink, red and green. You will see these colours everywhere in Japan from March to May, not just in gardens, but in the shop decorations and packaging of seasonal goods too. I had a terrible spring this year, absolutely slugged with terrible hayfever. It was strange because last year I hardly sneezed. I missed out therefore on enjoying some of the colours and the mild weather. Now just sweating it out in 75% humidity and waiting for the far off Autumn.

Rock garden abstraction painting in gold

2010-06-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Gold rock painting. Acrylic on handmade paper. 15cms x 10cm 2010

Moon in Venus. Acrylic and watercolour on handmade paper. 15cms x 10cms 2010

These paintings are so hard to scan! The paper is a little wavy because I dried it on a slightly wavy sheet of foam. The paper picked up this texture and while that makes it great for stripes paintings, it also makes it very hard to scan. The colours came up quite well though. I find I have less photoshopping to do if I use the scanner rather than the camera. Soon to be available at Stripey.

It's summer now and the moon is large in the sky. I had a strange dream last night that the moon was huge, gigantic. The surface was clearly visible and looked like a string covered ball. I think I've been watching too much World Cup. Or could it be an auspicious sign for Japan in it's game against Paraguay tonight??!

New stripey paintings and things

2010-06-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

I'm revamping what used to be my supplies shop on Etsy into a concept shop for my pop art and other handmade goods. It's about stripes. Take a look!

IF - Paisley

2010-06-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Paisley Space Bird with Eggs. Acrylic and ink on watercolour paper. 25cms x 33cms. 2010.

Blogger is driving me nuts at the moment. I can't seem to get the curser under the image without it jumping around, nothing goes smoothly. Anyway, this is my entry for this week's IF theme 'paisley'. The feathers are printed with Indian woodblocks that I bought from Catfluff. I was so happy to see this week's theme, I had had this image in mind for a few weeks.

Yachting sketches and bird resue.

2010-06-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Like these?? They are for sale as part of a fund-raising effort by Kelly Light at Ripplesketches.
The funds will go to those patient and hard-working people washing pelicans in the Gulf of Mexico.

Landscape painting on Etsy

2010-05-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

The new Treasury East on Etsy is a vast improvement on the old Treasury. Now curated 'galleries' don't expire, and you can make one whenever you want. Recently I made a few new treasuries including one of landscape painting. Take a look!

Contemporary art and opportunites for artists in Japan

2010-05-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of JASM - Japan Art Scene Monitor, is out now with information about contemporary art exhibitions and art prizes and opportunities. Please note, the information about the Tokyo Midtown art and design prizes is available in English.

Two new Haiku

2010-05-16T01:27:00.001-07:00

Kids play tennis
In the dappled shade
of old elms

The manta ray
moves its wings under water
like spring leaves

AKJapan in The Storque

2010-05-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

AKJapan is featured in Shop Local, a column in The Storque, Etsy's blog. Read about some of the Japan Team members and see some excellent art and crafts.

Ink on book paper bird drawings

2010-05-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

6" x 9" or 9" x 6", calligraphy ink on book paper on watercolour paper, 2009.
These are at AKJapan
I am on a studio hiatus at the moment. Seasonal allergies make it impossible to work, barely possible even to stay awake. So until that ends with the welcome relief of the rainy season, I am sorting through old computer files and updating posts.

Snapping Melbourne 2

2010-05-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

From Top
Tree carving, Selby primary school
Puffing Billy, Selby
Sea creature, Melbourne Zoo
Balconies, City
Block Arcade, Elizabeth st. City

Snapping Melbourne

2010-04-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

Some shots from my latest trip to Melbourne in Feb 2010. From the top:
War memorial, Beckett Park, Balwyn
Marjorca Building, Flinders Lane, City
Lookout dial, Beckett Park, Balwyn
Nicholas Building, Swanston St, City
Coat of Arms, City
Block Arcade, Cnr Eliabeth and Collins sts. City
Mosaic, Block Arcade, City

Textile design - persimmons on fabric.

2010-04-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

After the exhibition in December 2009, I felt it was time in the studio for experimentation. After doing a lot of oil painting, I often feel like working with fabric. Back in the day, I did my 'industry placement' during technical college in a textile screen-printing workshop and studied screen-print design for a short time. Pattern and textile design is something that has always interested me.
I like to work with simple materials so here I used light calico and Japanese fabric paint. These dyes are instantly permanent; no need for heat setting or mordants. When using these, wearing an apron is a must! I still work like a painter though, pinning the fabric to the easel and working across the surface, no drafting or working out, just freehand. It's a very refreshing way to work.

Available at Etsy

Call me a cynic! - being approached by galleries online.

2010-04-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

When one shows one's art online, one gets unsolicited approaches from galleries, online venues, art events etc. Most of them are...well, not designed to actually help you, but to extract hard-earned from you. Not all are like this, but most are. Today I received an invitation from a gallery in Hong Kong. The email came with a name and brief introduction to a website that contained very little information except how much I should pay to register. I google-mapped the address out of curiosity and came across this:

大きな地図で見る

Not exactly Omotesando. Now I know the hippest galleries are often in the least attractive areas. I have trudged across rubble and dashed across truck roads and past loading-bays to get to the hippest art spaces in Chelsea, NYC. Even so, this view didn't inspire confidence when accompanied by very little information from the gallery and *no pictures*.

For what it's worth, online approaches need the following to make me sit up and notice:

1) They address me by name, no 'Dear Artist' or 'Hello'.
2) Some kind of approach that tells me they actually know my work, and where they have seen it.
3) The exact terms of the event are spelled out from the beginning. Who pays for shipping? How are works returned? What are the terms of sale and commission fee? What kind of taxes or customs duties are involved? What is the purpose of the exhibition?
4)A legitimate online presence. This means something more than a few colourful graphics on a website. I want to see a blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, Flickr photostream etc.
5) Names, emails and phone numbers of the organisers.

Give me a least this much, and I might give you a chance to show my work!

Back in Japan - wild weather and bog average aeroplanes.

2010-03-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we arrived back in Japan after 6 weeks or something in Melbourne. It was a longer trip than expected, dates being changed at the last minute due to family events. This worked out well in as much as I could meet up with a few more friends (not everyone lamentably), and I found a new house for my mother...

My mother had a hip-replacement operation in mid-January, Taiga and I decided to go over and help out. It was very busy at first: cooking, shopping, cleaning, gardening etc. in the *heat* of a Melbourne February. My mother's hip rapidly improved, however, and it wasn't long before she had dispensed with the crutches and was given the green light to drive etc.

A day or two after arriving home from rehab however, she announced she would like to sell the house! Cobwebs, dust, overgrown plants, bags and bags of old clothes and books to go to the op-shop etc. etc. *phew* another hat to throw on the head.

As for art, I was able to squeeze in two gallery/museum trips. The National Gallery of Victoria in Federation Square is always worth a look on any return visit as the collection is rotated, and I was able to see some works I hadn't seen before and some newer acquisitions, including some very good Pilbara landscapes and excellent charcoal drawings by Fred Williams.

After having my eyes checked and getting a prescription for reading glasses at Melboure University eye-care, I went across the road to take a look at the Ian Potter Museum. There was an exhibition about Neil Diamond record covers, The Shilo Project, that fell rather flat. The space was too large, the concept was underwhelming and the same old names were actually stenciled on the gallery wall, ten inches tall, *sigh*.

On the other hand, I had the chance to visit Pamela Irving's studio with mosaic-mad Aunt Mozzie-Maud. The tiny courtyard between the shop-front gallery and studio is festooned with bird mosaics and ceramics - an astonishing ceramic aviary. Amazing! The gallery is located at 68 Patterson Road, Bentleigh 3204. Pamela has drawings, prints and paintings as well as mosaics and sculptures of her signature character Larry LaTrobe.

The prolonged drought in SE Aust. was interrupted, slightly, while I was there by a freak mini-cyclone. It rained, heavily, for a day or two. It was strange to see the clouds swirling, in a cyclonic shape. Some areas were badly hit with hail-storms. I visited my old neighbour and her screen door was full of holes! Luckily for my mum, the rain washed the dust off the front her white-painted house, just in time for the photographers!

Eventually, it was time to brace one's shoulders and tackle the long flight home. JetStar....the cabin service was good, the flights arrived early, and I was happy I had pre-ordered a meal service. However, the announcement "please empty the seat pocket in front of you and give any rubbish to the flight attendants", seems lost on some. The seat pocket in front of Taiga had a half-eaten packet of M&Ms along with several empty chip packets. There was an old plastic knife on the floor too. Errrrrr. It was good to get home!

Jan 2010 JASM out now

2010-01-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

The Japanese Art Scene Monitor for Jan/Feb 2010 is out now. It has a new blog style look and details news and opportunities for artists and designers in Japan, in English. This edition includes details for the next Design Festa, The Japan Jewellery Festival and some upcoming exhibitions of Japanese contemporary art.

More jumping horse Goccos

2010-01-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

Two more Gocco with watercolour, mixed-media works. The top one is probably the most successful of the lot, the movement in the landscape echoes the energetic jumping of the horse and rider.

Jumping horse drawings - gocco and watercolour

2010-01-15T17:22:00.001-08:00

Gocco is a medium that I enjoy, but I use it experimentally rather than as an easy means of making large editions of prints. Here I have printed the jumping horse and child with the Gocco on watercolour paper. I have worked into it with ink and painted the surrounding landscapes with traditional Japanese watercolours. I was aiming for images with a fleeting, moving sensation rather than the static feel which often accompanies the planar techniques of printmaking.

Available at the Small Forest.

mixed media collage by A. Kobayashi

2010-01-14T23:06:00.001-08:00

Desultory Reading. Some random things glued to a page in an harmonious arrangement. Read a bit, look a bit, read a bit, look at some pictures. What does it all add up too?

mixed media 24cms x 18cms 2009. Available from the Small Forest

New bird drawing - mixed media on paper

2010-01-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

We are not hipsters. We are not lost in layers of irony. We naturally look this way, and when we go out as a group, we may look different, but we weren't intending to be so. Not everybody gets to be cute!

Before Heading Out. Mixed media on watercolour paper. 33cm x 24cm 2009

Mainichi Daily News 13th Annual Haiku Contest

2010-01-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

I was enormously surprised to be awarded second prize in the Mainichi Daily News 13th Annual Haiku Contest in December. This month the poem was published in the competition journal and the newspaper was generous in sending me a copy. I have also been invited to a prize award ceremony in Tokyo on March 1st. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I'll be in Australia until March 8th.

Wind in the reeds,
Like the sea, I am a long way
from my childhood

I will eventually draw an image and make a haiga for this poem. Still on winter vacation!

Exhibiting art in Japan -a successful exhibition completed

2009-12-30T03:41:00.000-08:00

The December exhibition at Yagahashi department store went well with over 500 visitors in 6 days and 6 sold works; not bad for a newcomer and a first exhibition. Here are some views of the gallery and some of the sold works.

I learnt a great deal just by being there, talking to visitors and looking at how people look at art. Images of local places were popular. They were also good conversation openers and by striking up conversations, I was able to gauge the overall reaction to my work amongst an audience that is still new to me, and me to them. Even though I have been in Japan for 6 years, I feel like I arrived last weekend. As coincidence would have it, I received my permanent residency the day before the show opened. On that day, I also won a prize (being a mention in the newspaper) in the Mainichi Daily News Annual Haiku Contest (International Section), which made for some nice publicity, as 5 of the exhibited works were Haiga (illustrated haiku).

Another curious point was my name. I heard people talking, and perhaps thinking I couldn't understand them, few made the effort to lower their voices when talking about me! I heard some visitors remark that they thought I was male (not to look at, but from my name!). In Japan my name doesn't immediately indicate my gender. However, some of my paintings, especially the landscapes in oils, can have rather serious brushwork that is sometimes taken to be the work of a man. The painting on the postcard that advertised the exhibition was just such a work. Next time I intend to use a studio image with me in it on my postcard, so that when visitors arrive, they know who I am and why I am there. I was asked at one point, "Where are the cushion covers?" (the gallery is on the same floor as the homewares). Perhaps a little disambiguation is needed!

I heard one rather curious visitor remark that my prices were too cheap! It seemed to put her off! In Japan, the prices of paintings are worked out my the number of postcard sized (15 x 10cm) rectangles that cover the canvas, plus framing and tax etc. Being my first commercial gallery show here, I was using the lowest rate which is 10,000 yen per 'jou'. This can increase next time, as a few works in the higher price range sold. I also sold one small 2,000 yen sketch (a shafu-shafu crow) from my file. If the gallery is a rental or commission taking gallery rather than a dealer gallery, one often has a great deal of latitude in terms of what goes on the walls or floors. Times being tough economically, I decided to try out some smaller unframed works-on-paper sold straight out of a file, the work I usually sell through my online kiosk. The response was very good. It allowed me to show work that departed from the overall theme of the exhibition and thereby gain an idea of the level of interest in my other studio projects.

Now it is time for a break before going to Melbourne in February to visit family. I am happy with the result of the exhibition. Prior to considering my next exhibition, I am making available some of the unsold works in my online kiosk and on my website.

Exhibition preparations continue

2009-11-27T01:38:00.001-08:00

The labelling of boxes and final list for the exhibition are almost complete. I thought I had enough open-backed frames for all my paintings, but found that I am 3 short, so it will be another trip to Joyful Honda this weekend.

I had all the custom framing done at Ars Gabo in Kumagaya, and the results are very good. I think variety in the framing will make the exhibition more informal and interesting.

There are 36 pieces in the final list, mostly landscapes of Oizumi and around Yorii, Saitama, as well as some still life. I will have a file of small drawings too, which will include some Yatagarasu and maybe some Antiquarian pieces. Having a file of available small works is often a good way to test the waters with some newer projects.

Contemporary art in Japan

2009-11-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

The Japanese Art Scene Monitor has a new look. Published by the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, it gives a monthly overview of news, opportunities and articles. Bookmark it or subscribe.

The Commuter. Gocco on watercolour paper 10 cms x 14 cms, 2009

Exhibition preparations and more bird drawings

2009-11-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

Time flies. I see it has been almost 3 weeks since my last post! We have been busy here with a double round of colds, a wedding and a family bus trip to Yokohama. No time for much of anything else. I missed the last round of the Ice Skating World Championship in Moscow. But not tonight! I'm tuning in and staying put. Gambare Nippon!

Just got the phone call no one wants to receive...the final quote from the framing shop ;-) !! Yikes!! Better get some sales! I'll have to rethink one or two things now. I was hoping to replace some simple aluminium frames on a couple of paintings with something more glam, but they may have to stay put. The postcards should be here next week. I would like them to arrive sooner, they're at the printer now, and then it will be sending out, handing out and drumming up interest time.

Meanwhile the studio is pretty quiet. I have been trying some new Gocco prints, but I'm not altogether happy with the results. I finally found a moment to scan some new space bird watercolours too. I've only got one commission to fill between now and Christmas, so it's time to focus on getting folks along to the exhibition and enjoying the show.

Oil on wood - Riverbank on night of many Bats

2009-10-17T18:46:00.001-07:00

I went for a bicycle ride one evening in summer. It was fun so long as the sun remained, but it sets quickly here, and after it got dark the sky was filled suddenly with small bats. Some of them flew very close to my head and I worried that I might get bitten. I turned around and cycled back on the lower path which is grassy and difficult going, but the thought of bat bites kept me peddling! There was a full moon that night and the sky was indigo, the long summer grasses of the river bank being lit by the moon.

Oil on wood 30cms x 30cms, 2009

Small landscape number 3

2009-10-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the last of three small landscapes measuring 10cms x 10cms oil on wood. There was another typhoon here last week, but the skies soon returned to their clear autumn blue. Today I could see the summit of Fuji from upstairs and the first snows have fallen.

Another small landscape painting.

2009-10-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Again, another painting measuring 10cms x 10cms, oil on wood. These are quickly executed and satisfying paintings to make. Small landscapes can be as powerful as huge canvases as they are easier to see; you can take in the whole scene in a glance rather than needing to look all around a larger picture plane.

Oil on wood - Japanese landscape

2009-10-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

The Tonegawa river is only a few metres from my house. My living room looks out directly onto the levee. Here you can see the river as seen from the top of the levee in the misty colours of the rainy season. This is one of a series of 3 painted in oil on wood panels measuring 10cms x 10cms. These will be in my December solo exhibtion.

Some new bird paintings

2009-09-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

More small works for my Not Everybody Gets to be Cute series. These are negative space drawings in Japanese watercolour on book pages. I have called them Space Birds. They are defined by the space around them, and maybe they themselves are a little spaced out as they wander awkwardly across the page.

Most of my art time now is taken up with small tasks leading up to the December exhibition. If you live in Saitama, do drop by, it will be on from December 9th to 15th at the Art Salon 5F Yagihashi Department Store, Kumagaya. The exhibition is weightier stuff, both artistically and physically, and I am currently looking for frames for the big pieces that don't weigh ton!

These birds are at Zibbet

Contemporary art in Japan - September JASM

2009-09-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

The Japan Art Scene Monitor Vol. 3 Issue 1 for September 2009 is out now on the Australian Embassy website. It contains news about a museum closure in Osaka as well as opportunities for silkscreeners, designers, anime enthusiasts, photojournalists and upcoming festivals. It's in English. Check it out!!!
Space bird red. Mixed media on paper. 18cms x 23cms. 2009

Persimmon haiga - ink painting

2009-09-21T04:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the larger version of the drawing blogged below. This will be in the December exhibition. Measures 35cms x 23cms. Ink on CP watercolour paper, 2009.

More persimmon paintings in watercolour and ink

2009-09-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

Here you can see yet more persimmon paintings! This time with ink. The top one is a very simple brush and ink drawing with a pen and ink haiku of my own. I like the balance between the freedom of the brushstrokes and the constraint of the pen work. This was a smaller warm up drawing for a larger haiga that I will exhibit this December.

The lower drawing began as a not very successful watercolour that I then worked over in brush and ink, looking to widen my vocabulary of brush marks by using shorter, drier marks to convey the texture of wood and sticks. I need to do more practice like this to gain more experience of sumi-e styles.

Persimmon watercolor paintings continue

2009-09-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

Here's another watercolour study of persimmons from the weekend. I was experimenting with tone as well as chroma here to push the space in and out. I usually rely mostly on line and shape to do this for me. It's not a bad result. I'm painting leaves a lot more this year; my earlier persimmon paintings had all bare branches. This one is in my Zibbet gallery too.

Zibbet referral code - handmade and fine art online

2009-09-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

I've opened a shop on Zibbet; an online shop for fine artists and crafters. Something like Etsy, Dawanda, Artfire etc, it is very easy to use. I like the no listing fee and ease of listing, included the bulk uploader for photography - super fast. This would be the fastest interface I have used to date for listing works for sale online. They have a referral programme. For those interested in starting up there here is the code http://www.zibbet.com/AKjapan/sell

Persimmon watercolor painting on Zibbet.

2009-09-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

I cut a slice of painting time in the studio on Sunday. Before tackling the last few oil paintings that I must complete before December's exhibition, I warmed up with some watercolor studies of persimmons; always a loosening and relaxing thing to draw.

I'm trying out a new online venue too. It's called Zibbet and it's coming out of Australia. Gotta give the Aussies some lerve! Same deal as Etsy; buyers and sellers need a paypal account, but from a buyer's perspective, the category search is much simpler, and from a seller's perspective, the listing process is way quicker.

AKJapan on Etsy Front Page

2009-09-09T17:15:00.001-07:00

Etsy Front Page 9/9/09 astashtoys
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

My Gocco print Gust of Wind was on the Front Page of Etsy yesterday 09/09/09. Strange as I posted on Facebook about how I liked the number 9!

Exhibition preparations.

2009-09-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

It is now September, and the exhibition preparations start to move up a gear. I will take the images to the gallery for printing this month, and I must finalise a list of pieces and prices. I am anticipating about 22 oil paintings and 10 watercolours/haiga. Things have been pulling together in the studio better than I imagined considering how little time I get in there. Got a big suprise though when I went in there the other night to find an enormous cockroach! I tried to hit it, but it flew at me in attack! Eventually Isao managed to sweep it outside. We think it must have travelled with us from the old studio as it is pretty hard for bugs to get inside here.

Cloud study. Japanese watercolour on paper. 23cms x 18cms. 2009

New collage with mixed media

2009-08-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Continuing from an earlier work, I am pursuing the narrative of a family with young children attempting to holiday in Paris.

We got off at the wrong stop, but managed to find the Museum. mixed media on paper 23cms x 18cms 2009. Available @ Etsy.

Sumi e Riverbank at night

2009-08-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

My preparations for the big painting show in December are coming along quite well. I am able to make a few works on paper now and then for my Etsy shop. Here is the latest addition. I enjoy using ink and working just in black and white. Here I have worked over old book pages to add more visual texture to the work.

Shafu Shafu Crow for IF 'Wrapped'

2009-08-14T17:03:00.001-07:00

Wrapped in his yellow cloak, the shafu-shafu crow escapes detection by all but a few on his way to a secret rendezvous.

Illustration Friday August 14th 2009 'Wrapped'

Haiga - watercolour and ink on washi

2009-08-06T21:06:00.001-07:00

This haiku is not so new, but this is my first illustration of it. I used watercolor and ink on very thin calligraphy paper then collaged it to a heavier washi backing. This one will go in the December exhibition at Yagahashi Department Store, Kumagaya City, Saitama.

I wrote the poem in 2004 after driving in to the hills around Yorii one day looking for places to sketch and photograph. The roads can be a little narrow and scary if you meet someone coming the other way. A guy coming up the hill in a brand new 4WD with city plates, with his wife and mother (in-law?) would not pull over; may they feared scratching the paintwork on the soft bracken at the side of the road. I was on the way down with a straight drop on my left into a pine plantation. He keep creeping forward even though I was waving him to move across. I had to turn off the engine and raise my hands before he blew his top at the nagging women folk, pulled over and took off! LOL, I wasn't going to drive off the mountain for the sake of their paintwork. Iyaaaa Thursday drivers!!!!!

New art purchase from Dean Dyment Studios

2009-08-03T17:32:00.001-07:00

Recently I bought this monotype from the Etsy shop of Canadian printmaker Lori Dean Dyment. I have been so impressed with it. Monotypes are a favourite medium of mine, and I respect very much other artists who bother to deal with its high failure-rate and elements of chance; situations that are normally mitigated by the mechanical processes in printmaking and more often associated with the easel mess of painters. Lori often colours her prints with soft pastels, the result is very satisfactory, something like hand coloured photography so there is a nostalgic element. At the moment she is having a studio sale in her Etsy shop. Check it out!

DukaDuka - Andrea Kobayashi

Haiku for a walk in the park.

haiku for the new year 2012

cold weather haiku

Haiku for a windy December day

pen and ink minature drawing - haiga

Haiku for the first Kanto snow

Haiku for good weather

New tanka for winter

Haiku for December

Tanka for Autumn

Winter field - drawing and painting outdoors

Haiku for November

November special offer

Hockney and his 'Brushes'.

On Johnny Farnham and Enka

Occupy Melbourne - but don't you already??

Back in the land of the blogging

IF Perennial

Typhoon - paintings

Leaves 葉 － 水彩 版画 そのほか

木 － 絵、水彩、プリント その他 Trees - drawings, paintings prints

SpaceBird ink drawing on washi - new at SpaceBird Studio

Sit on it! pillows at Japonpon

Studio Space

Embroidery - fan coral and sea creatures

Landscape into cushion!

Japanese Art Scene Monitor Jan/Feb 2011 now out.

Walking in winter - 冬の散歩

Haiku for winter

華蔵寺公園 - English haiku

more textile experiments, last post for 2010

paintings to textiles - work in progress

Stained glass mural at The Railway Museum

Japanese railway art

Victoria University Alumni exhibition 2010

Menuma handmade market 熊谷布沼手づくり市

Good news, I guess, for Mt Elephant.

Phil Roubin - photography exhibition in Melbourne

New Haiku

Haiku in English (or French) Mainichi 14th Haiku Contest

The tomoye

Touring Tatebayashi by car

Francois Pompon at GMAT

Gunma Museum of Art Tatebayashi

Japanese Art Scene - what's on July 2010

An antique kimono - where can I buy one?

Matsu

Mr Meggs

Meanwhile back at the Oarai Aquarium..

Moon photos, moon painting and accidental alummi status

New Haiku

Kookaburra

Sunfish

Jellyfish

Silver Rock Garden - acrylic painting

Going groovy, retro colours or just getting old?

Purple flowers on washi

Spring colours in Stripes a new painting

Rock garden abstraction painting in gold

New stripey paintings and things

IF - Paisley

Yachting sketches and bird resue.

Landscape painting on Etsy

Contemporary art and opportunites for artists in Japan

Two new Haiku

AKJapan in The Storque

Ink on book paper bird drawings

Snapping Melbourne 2

Snapping Melbourne

Textile design - persimmons on fabric.

Call me a cynic! - being approached by galleries online.

Back in Japan - wild weather and bog average aeroplanes.

Jan 2010 JASM out now

More jumping horse Goccos

Jumping horse drawings - gocco and watercolour

mixed media collage by A. Kobayashi

New bird drawing - mixed media on paper

Mainichi Daily News 13th Annual Haiku Contest

Exhibiting art in Japan -a successful exhibition completed

Leaves 葉　－　水彩　版画　そのほか

木　－　絵、水彩、プリント　その他　Trees - drawings, paintings prints