doodling

I know that I need to start something...some kind of jobs. I am not a student anymore and have no excuse to spend all day doodling for nothing.
But after having this luxury of doing only what I want, drawing, painting, traveling and birdwatching for a year and a half, I am still in a dream and do not want to wake up...not yet.
学生生活もとうとう終わり、真っ白な現実が目にしみる。帰国はもう少し先になりますが、何かイラストのお仕事あったらください！　小さいのから大きいのまで大歓迎です。

Yesterday, my friend kindly took me to the east coast of Norfolk for birdwatching.



ムラサキハマシギ Purple Sandpiper
East Angliaで常に見られるのはローストフトの海岸だけだというハマシギ顔のキョウジョシギ。藻類の付着する岩場で採食していた。図らずもイギリスの東の果てNess Pointも制覇してしまった。



Nesting Kittiwakes ミツユビカモメ棚
Now I'm not under pressure to have something done and I can finish my sketches from the field and doodle randomly. I feel so lucky to have this time!

イタリアの夢

Lovely sunshine is coming through my window.
A sunny day in Cambridge just like in Italy.
Bologna Children's Book Fair started today and I am dreaming of Italia. I wonder what my Little Brown is doing over there.



Sketches of Venice from last year that I missed the chance to upload.
I always dream about living by the river or canal and going out by boat. Although now after hearing about the flood in Bangkok last October, I know that it is not always fancy and comes with danger of being flooded. But it is still amazing and exciting idea to live on the water.



Remember last year? We were by the Piazza San Marco doing nothing but sitting and sketching in the sun.

Today, last year

A year has passed since the earthquake in Japan and I still do not know anything about it other than what I read and heard through media and from my friends. And I still haven't been able to do anything for that.
That morning, I opened my mail box and found everybody saying "I am safe and all right!" I thought there must had been something wrong then.
Soon I found out about the earthquake and that I could not contact my mother. But since I knew that I couldn't do anything from here, I went out to watch birds with my friend. I'm still glad I went out instead of staying at home and worrying too much but didn't imagine how big it was...



Oystercatchers ミヤコドリ
I visited Tollesbury again with RSPB Cambridge group yesterday. It was amazingly warm and even I, who have been freezing all the time since summer, felt hot after walking 8 km around the Tollesbury Wick Marshes. Spring is definitely coming.

Hall 25, B/69

At the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2012, our MA course is going to have our own stand this year!



Cambridge School of Art @Hall 25, B/69
今年初めての試みとして、わたしが所属するケンブリッジ・スクール・オブ・アートの修士のコースで、イラストレーター団体としてボローニャ・ブックフェアにてスタンドを出すことになった。在学生と卒業生70人の絵本のアイディアやポートフォリオを展示する。一般公開されているブックフェアではないですが、出版関係の方でフェアにいらっしゃるご予定があれば、ぜひ閲覧のアポイントを取りお立ち寄りください。



This year I can not go to Bologna myself, but at least my portfolio will go! Thanks to the committee members, the catalogue and huge A2 portfolio seemed to be ready now. Yesterday, I was excited to find them in our studio!

Spring Tide

Everything is coming to the end. That means I am at the start line of the next stage of my life, which seems to be folded in mist. I still have quite a long list of things to do but the blank plan for the future makes me feel restless.
Although it is very exciting as well... I always had lots of things to do, the place to be, the way to follow one after another but I am free at least for now!



A story idea about the spring tide day that I had started to work after the hand in day in January. We won't have tutors to show the project regularly or to ask for comments anymore and it will be tough to keep the motivation to work. It is very scary!



When the mud flat was completely covered by the tidal water, the flock of the Oystercatchers took off in the air.

Thank you for coming!

Thank you very much for coming to our graduation exhibition! I was delighted to see the gallery so packed on the private view night and the family & friends day.



Last Sunday I walked along the lake in the St. James's Park, watching Moorhens skating on the ice. My Little Brown story has already finished for now and I need to start making something other than moorhen! Everything has gone so quickly...



Thank you for your lovely comments.

◇◆◇ MA Children's Book Illustration Exhibition ◇◆◇
The small version of our graduation exhibition will be held at our university from the end of February. If you are in Cambridge, please drop in at the gallery to have a little look!

Date: 29th-15th March 2012 (Mon - Fri 9:00am - 5:00pm)
Place: Ruskin Gallery. Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, CB1 1PT

Woodcock

Yesterday, I went out for birdwatching. We walked in the woods. Snow still remained on the ground, adding extra light to the scenery.



ヤマシギ
And my birdwatcher friend found a Woodcock sitting along the stream! It stayed still long enough for me to sketch. Flowing streams and rivers are precious unfrozen water for birds in this cold weather.

Final Exhibition

Our graduation exhibition has already started. I could not imagine how it would be until the very day we hanged it up. But it turned out to be very nice and I am so proud of it! All my coursemates works are amazing and each of us has unique style, which, I think, is incredible.



My little corner.



Almost everything was decided on the spot...



Beginning of the private view on Thursday.

We have been working so hard for this exhibition and now it is set up... I still can not believe it.

Bright Night

Yes! It is snowing and started to pile up! This is the first proper snow this winter.
When everything is covered with snow, it's bright outside even at night time.



I wish I could walk to Grantchester or somewhere tomorrow morning...but our graduation exhibition will start in a few days!

Stone Curlew

イシチドリ
Stone Curlew is one of my favorite birds in England.
I learned that its population once declined down to 150-160 pairs in England. But due to careful protection collaborating with farmers, the number started to increase and recently nearly 400 pairs were recorded. It is still rare and difficult to see but my birdwatcher friend kindly took me to the secret place in early autumn to see them!

I heard an interesting story about how they have protected the birds when some pairs nested in the farm, such as onion and sugar beet field. They replace or remove the eggs while farmers spray crops with pesticides or operate heavy machine in the field so that the actual eggs will not get affected! Adult birds do not seem to care and return to their nest for incubation afterward.

I wish I could join this kind of conservation project, research about it and write a story about it! This could be a nice nature story book for children.