pencil drawings

Drawing the same species again and again, I started to understand its shape better and became able to draw it with a single or at least with a few lines. During this trip I realised how important it is to stick on to the same subject, theme, material until I feel confident about it. You have to be a bit crazy to be a really good artist, it seems!



Fulmar（フルマカモメ）



Guillemots（ウミガラス）
長いこと観察していると時々抱いている卵が見えることがある。個体によって卵の色は異なり、空色だったり、白くて茶色い斑点があったり。崖の上で隣の個体とくっつくようにして抱卵しているため、卵の色や模様を変えることで、隣近所の卵と混同せずに自分の卵を認識できるようにしていると言われている。



Puffin（ニシツノメドリ）



Gannet（シロカツオドリ）


Wheatear（ハシグロヒタキ）

June 2013

After many many months and years later when I think back June 2013, I will always remember it with seabirds in Scotland, gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills, shags, kittiwakes and fulmars. The whole months seemed to have passed while I was watching and drawing them.



Puffin （ニシツノメドリ）



もう一度、フォース湾に浮かぶメイ島に行くという夢が叶ってしまった。今年は天候不順で春の到来が2週間近く遅れたことと、餌不足でニシツノメドリ、ミツユビカモメ、ヨーロッパヒメウをはじめとする海鳥の繁殖進度もだいぶ遅いようだ。2年前、同じ時期に来たときは、ニシツノメドリがイカナゴを口いっぱいにくわえ、巣穴を忙しく出入りしていたのだが、今年はまだ抱卵中のようだった。





Arctic Tern（キョクアジサシ）



Common Guillemots（ウミガラス）



Gannet（シロカツオドリ）



Eider Duck（ホンケワタガモ）

Sketches from Norfolk

Avocet with chicks（ソリハシセイタカシギ）
I was so happy to see the Avocet chicks because it was such a perfect timing. That day, I visited Robert Gillmor, an amazing linocut artist. When I think of his works I always have the image of the Avecet with its chicks. He was having the open studio at his house in Cley.



Whitethroat（ノドジロムシクイ）



Little Tern（コアジサシ）
I should have posted these images much much earlier before I started to hate them. But I am going to! Because this blog is not about showcasing my best works but rather recording where I am in the whole learning process.

Rubber stamp works

カササギの渡せる橋に
天の川にかかるカササギの橋の絵がほしいからスタンプ作って！といきなり母から頼まれた。



A type of Halimium flower from our Spain trip. I have so may ideas but not enough time these days! Where has May gone?

Recent works

先日、高校時代のワンダーフォーゲル部の恩師が退職されるというので、日本では盛大なお祝い会＆同窓会があった。海外にいるとこういう機会をことごとく逃してしまうけれど、せめて絵だけでもと思い色紙の下の絵を描かせてもらった。懐かしの北アルプス。わたしが住んでいるイースト・アングリアは、山並みどころか地平線が360度真っ平ら。ときどき青い山が恋しくなる。



My frog illustration is used in the RSPB Cambridge group's field report page !



コアラ先輩のご結婚のお祝いに。おめでとうございます。そして末永くお幸せに！

Bubble

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment



A chapter of our life is ending. It was a wonderful, dreamy time in a bubble. It is hard to accept that we each have to go our own way now. It is going to be tough to keep the dream when we are separated in a small individual bubble floating in the vast world and reality will strike us harder. But we will think back on all the tales that we remember of the days! (And let's see what will happen in 24 years from now.)

Flamenco

We spent half an hour or more debating whether or not we should go and see a flamenco show. And we did! The energy in the dance was incredible!



I couldn't help pulling out my sketchbook and try catching the movement and the lines.





Sometimes I can get stronger, fresher lines when it is quick.

Doñana National Park

We visited the Doñana National Park, the Europe's largest nature park and the natural heritage site. It was honestly "my day" during the trip!


ドニャーナ国立公園の玄関となる町は、巡礼の地として有名なエル・ローシオだ。セビリアからバスで2時間弱だが、ローシオ巡礼のときは、ペンテコステス（聖霊降臨祭）の日に向けて、セビリアやさらに遠くから、多数の人がこの町に歩いてくるという。数軒にひとつは正面入り口の上に教会のような鐘がついている。町中の道路は、馬が蹄鉄を付けずに歩けるようにと舗装されておらず砂になっている。時代感覚をなくしてしまうようなところだ。



Part of the Ermita de El Rocío.



Squacco Heron（カンムリサギ）
国立公園にはガイドがいないかぎり個人的には入れないようだ。午前中一杯の自然観察ツアーに参加し、四駆の車で保護区をまわった。ジブラルタル海峡を渡ってきた夏鳥が、もう盛んにさえずっていた。
There was a variety of big waders, purple herons, night herons, cattle egrets, glossy ibises, spoonbills, white storks and and...flamingos!!!



Corn Bunting （ハタホオジロ）
In the woodland and the field, we saw bee-eaters, woodchat shrikes, a great grey shrike, serins, a pied flycatcher, azure-winged magpies...



コキンメフクロウ
Our guide had an amazing eye and he spotted this little owl sitting camouflaged in the dead tree trunk.



セイタカシギ　
Black-winged stilt was one of the commonest birds there. When they sit on their nests, their long legs stick out strangely!

Andalucía

My friend and I made our farewell trip to Andaluía, Spain. We needed the bright happy sun. Spain was beautiful. The buildings have white bare walls with mustard coloured frames and black decorative fences and they all shine in the sun!



Glorieta Curro Romeo
I don't know how many hours we spent looking at this scenery talking about art and beauty and life and ethic. Orange trees were everywhere in Seville. I realised that how vegetation can change the atmosphere of the place. Seville looked tropical with the palm trees, bougainvillea, trees with entwined roots.



セビリアの理髪師のロジーナが顔を出すバルコニー



We also spent quite a long time under the huge wood structure looked like mushrooms, the Metropol Parasol. This is a sketch from there. Lots of tiles are used in the buildings. Lapis lazuli colour matches very well with the mustard frames.



We also visited Cordoba for a day. We found this lovely alley way with geranium hanging from the windows and started to sketch. While we were in the middle of drawing, a young man from the nearby hotel came out and asked us if we would like to see and sketch the roof top view of the city.



So some minutes later we found ourselves sitting in a comfortable chair with cushion on a terrace under a parasol. Thank you so much!

Water Voles

Water voles were very active and eating grass right next to a trail. They eat so fast and non-stop!



It was warm day and they looked like having so much fun swimming in the water.



I would have loved to stay there for hours and hours sketching. I wish I could go back there easily and watch them, thinking about the next story idea...



There was a tunnel that had one end on the bank and another one under the water. Sometimes, they poked their face out from the hole and looked around. They were so cute!



Nice couple of Wheatear.



Black-tailed Godwits were all turning to beautiful summer plumage. It was high tide time and they were roosting at the inland water with their beak tacked inside. So I was trying hard to draw the ones of preening and ended up with lots of lines which make no sense.