Printmaking

I went down to the printmaking studio just to try printing my moorhen linocut with the ink and the press. That was my very first experience of working actually in the studio since I generally work at home.



It is very interesting to see how different the out come is! With the printmaking ink and press it became more like a graphic design.

夏のおもひで

It's the Autumnal Equinox Day and I looked back the long long summer. Now I can smell autumn in the wind, as I did when I came to Cambridge last year.
夏のスケッチブックから。



Wheatear (ハシグロヒタキ）



It was a summer with the sea, freezing in the wind!

Moorhen mother

Another moorhen!
Long summer is over and the new term has just started. Meeting new students reminded me the fact that I only have the final project to do. I wonder what will happen afterward with both hope and anxiety.

ニワトリ

動物を描いたとき、その個体に感情移入できるかどうかが、絵本の絵になり得るかを決める。最近、そんな気がしている。どうしても実際の生物に左右されがちなわたしに、リアルに描けない画材は、創造の自由を与えてくれる。

TAYORI

It seems that the charity exhibition, TAYORI - Postcards for Japan, was very successful!
Thank you so much for coming to the show. And thank you, Becky and others who organized this wonderful event. Well done everybody who participated in!



東日本大震災から半年。わたしが在籍するChildren's Book Illustrationコースの学生と卒業生、チューターで、地震と津波で被害にあった子どもたちを支援するためのチャリティ展覧会を開いた。ポストカードサイズの原画を展示・販売し、売り上げをTeachers For Japanという震災後に宮城県で教えていたALTが中心となって立ち上げたNPOに寄付をするというものだ。60人以上のアーティストが参加、127枚のポストカードが集まり、先週の月曜日に開かれた内覧会も大盛況だった。ケンブリッジからの気持ちばかりのお便りだ。

Linocut

Moorhen chicks.
Trying new media made me look at things differently especially when I have less freedom in drawing shapes and using colour.

In Her Prime

It's been a year since I came here in England! And I really think that this is my "prime time". I can say that last one was my best year in my life so far. I thank you all who have supported me in many ways and cheered me up.



One of my dreams to sketch in the heather field came true in Land's End. Heathers were so soft and nice to touch compared to spiky Gorse bush next to them.
嵐が丘や秘密の花園に出てくるヒースの荒野、プーさんがはちみつをとろうとして落ちた棘だらけ灌木、ハリエニシダ。話の中の世界が目の前にある。イギリスの風景って、僕たちからすれば、すべておとぎ話の世界だよね、と誰かが言っていた。当たり前ではあるけれど、イギリス人にとってはこれが日常で、作家はそれをあるがままお話に取り入れたに過ぎない。
でもやっぱりわたしは、イギリスに来て一年経った今も、お話の中に生きているような気分だ。



ミナックシアター
We watched a play, The prime of Miss Jean Brodie at the Minack Theatre. It is an open theatre facing to the sea, made by a lady, Rowena Cade.
It was a wonderful evening although we were freezing. While we were watching the play, Gannets were flying behind and a seal popped up from the sea. As the play went on, the white clouds changed the colour into pink and then purple. By the time the play finished sky above us was full of stars!
Thank you so much, Hannah and her mother, for giving us the lift back to Penzance!

Nesting Moorhen

Nesting Moorhen and Purple loosestrife.
In some places they still have some chicks in the nest!
I spent whole morning trying to print it properly. It is so difficult to handle several layers of rubber stamps.




◇◆◇ Tayori - Postcard for Japan ◇◆◇
One of the members of our MA course came up with this wonderful idea of having a charity exhibition to raise funds in support of relief efforts in Japan, following the earthquake, tsunami! I posted two postcards so you may find mine as well.

Dates: 5th - 10th September 2011
Opening times: 8am – 5pm Monday – Saturday
Place: Michaelhouse Café
St. Michael's Church,Trinity Street, Cambridge CB2 1SU
01223 309 147