A Cactus サボテン

cucti are called Saboten in Japan, because the european people who brought them in the 16 century used the sap as sabon. 16世紀にサボテンを日本に持ち込んだ西洋人が樹液をシャボンとして使っていたから、私達はこの植物をサボテンとかシャボテンと呼ぶんだって。

A Golden Shachihoko 金のシャチホコ

Shachihokos are put on the top of Japanese castles for garnish 今日描いた絵じゃないけど・・・

Today's best picture from my Twitpic 今日描いた中でいちばん気に入った絵

Submarine - 潜水艦 drew with 記憶スケッチ kioku sketch which is a mixi app to draw the subject without seeing anything .................................................................... この型はアメリカ式だという指摘を受けました。ロシア式も有名らしいです。

A lot of undeveloped films are on my desk 未現像フィルムがいっぱいだ

Olympus PEN EE-3 And also the unscaned self-portraits are becoming the same situation! おまけにスキャンしていない自画像もいっぱいだ！

Traffic signs and Museumr

I found traffic signes were beautiful. Kind of addicted. 最近、道路標識のファンになった。きれいだなあ。 I tried Museumr. It's a generator which makes your pictures to look like museum art. Museumrというサイトで遊んでみた。自分の画像を美術館で鑑賞されているかのように見せるという遊びである。 This is my A4-size craypas drawing, but looks like a F150-size oil painting. A4ケント紙に描いたクレパス画が、150号くらいの油絵のようになった。

moly_x: An International Moleskine Sketchbook Exchange 世界を旅するモレスキン

I've begun to draw on my moleskine for moly_x_portrait8! Moly_x is a group in flickr created by Marty Harris. It's the most exciting and inspiring group I've ever seen there. I joined the group last spring, but I'd not taken part in the group activity for 16 months. Because I was not sure that I understood the guideline written in English. However I've begun at last! The guideline is translated in 7 languages-English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian-, but Japanese is not there! I think of translating it and sending it to Marty. I'm sure many Japanese moleskine artists are in trouble with it, like me. It would take time, so I drew instant illustrations today. flickr にMoly_xというグループがある。マーティ・ハリス氏によって設立された、私が知る限りflickrで最も刺激的なグループだ。 私がこのグループに加入したのは確か去年の春だが、英語で書かれたルールをきちんと理解しているか自信がなかったため16ヶ月も幽霊部員の状態だった。だがついに、活動に参加することにした。グループのガイドラインは現時点で7カ国語で書かれている。（英語・スペイン語・フランス語・ドイツ語・オランダ語・ポルトガル語・ロシア語）でも日本語がない！私と同じように読解力に自信がなくて尻込みしている日本人がいっぱいいるんじゃないだろうか？がんばってガイドラインを日本語に訳してハリス氏に送ってみようかな〜。 それには時間がかかりそうだから、手っとり早く説明イラストを描いてみた。 Make a new group with people living in different countries, or far states in the same country. Then each one gets a new Moleskine Japanese Fold Pocket Sketchbook(accordion). 複数ヵ国に住むメンバーで少人数のグループを作り、それぞれ自分用のジャパニーズアルバム・モレスキン（横方向に長い紙がジャバラにたたまれているもの）を用意する。 Draw/paint your picture on the first 2~3pages. Any medium is ok. 最初の2〜3ページに好きな画材・方法で絵を描く。 次のメンバーへ自分のモレスキンを郵送する。 既に描かれている絵の制作意図を尊重しながら、自分の絵を次の2〜3ページに描く。場合によってはそれらの絵に重なるように描き加えていく。描き終わったら、前回と同じように次のメンバーへ手帳を郵送する。各メンバーに与えられる期限は1ヶ月。 数ヶ月後、世界を旅したモレスキンが自分のもとへ帰ってくる。表紙を開いてみると、ジャバラのページがメンバー達の絵で埋め尽くされている！ The point attracting me the most is that the members have to use airmail, not e-mail. When Google Earth and Street View spread, some people around me made jokes like "We don't need foreign travels anymore!". We can chat with foreign people by SNS. But it could make us feel anxiety and the sense of getting narrower as time went on. When I feel depressed and no way out, I can refresh my mind by reading moly_x guideline page. Yes, the world is still wide! If you feel that flickr is getting smaller, why don't you try reading it? 私がこのグループに最も魅力を感じている点は、作品のやりとりにEメールではなくエアメールを使うことだ。Google Earthやストリートビューの登場により、「もう海外旅行へ行く必要がないかもね」と冗談を言う人が私の周りには何人もいた。SNSの利用で異国の人達とチャットできるようにもなった。しかし時がたてば、世界が狭くなっていくような不安を感じ始めるのではないか？モヤモヤして落ち込んだ気分になった時、このmoly_xのグループ概要を読むと「いや、本当は世界は広いんだ。みんなすごく遠くにいるんだ」と感じることができる。flickrに閉塞感を感じている人はmoly_xのガイドラインを読んでみては？ On the other hand, Urban Sketchers is also inspiring. I'm not good at sketch, so still I don't do anything there, but I'll post my city sketches one day. Both groups have their blogs, so please visit there if you are interested. また、Urban Sketchersというグループも大変魅力的だ。私は風景画が苦手なのでなかなか挑戦できずにいるが、いつかは参加したい。 どちらのグループもブログを持っているので、興味のある方はそちらも訪問してみてほしい。 moly_X_2 blog ....they have many blogs, so this is one of them! Urban Sketchers blog

I missed TOKYO PHOTO 2009

A big photography event was held in Roppongi. I missed it!! 東京フォト2009、見たかった…。
TOKYO PHOTO 2009 Sep 4-6 (already closed)

Just Do What I Can

The View From St.Luke's Tower
HolgaGFN, fuji neopan100acros, microfine1:1 I took pictures of negative film through the light of my Macintosh with my cell phone, and then, turned the pictures into positive images with the conversion function. I thought "Oh.., I'm stupid. What have I been doing until now." I realized that sticking to printing on photographic paper made me away from photography itself. I decided to start negative scanning, instead of dark room work. ネガをMacの光に透かして携帯電話で撮り、画像変換機能でネガポジ反転した。「あー、バカだ。今まで何やってたんだろう。」と思った。印画紙に執着することが、逆に自分を写真そのものから遠ざけていたと気付いた。暗室作業のかわりにネガのスキャンをすることにした。 Sometimes I, I mean not only me - everyone, give ourselves big assignments we can't handle. It makes us unable to move, finally we give up and become do-nothing. Don't you think it's ironic that it's because our ideal? 時に私は（というか誰しも）手に負えないほど大きな課題を自分に課してしまう。そして動けなくなって、ついには何もしなくなる。その理由が自分の持っている理想だなんて、皮肉ではないか。 I think it might sound strange, when I'm in trouble, I try to imagine the history of the earth. It begins with a big explosion; a big bang?, dinosaurs appear, and continues to space shuttles and starships. I notice that I'm just a very small living being which has a short life. The most of my worries are about my job and life. I tend to mix them with bad points of my character, and make it bigger in my head. It changes into huge, so I can't solve anymore. But relax, actually it's simple. I should do just what I can. 奇妙に聞こえるかも知れないが、私は悩んでしまった時、地球の歴史について想像するようにしている。大爆発から始まり、恐竜が現れ、スペースシャトルや宇宙船に続いていく。そうすると自分がほんの小さな生物で短い生涯しか持っていないということに気付く。自分の悩みの多くは仕事や人生に関する事で、その問題と自分の性格上の欠点を結びつけて考えがちだ。そうすると問題が大きくなりすぎて、もはや解決できないものになってしまう。でもちょっと待って、落ち着こう。実は単純な問題で、私はできることをやればいい。 Looking down the street from higher place, I can see other people and many cars. They look like ants and miniature cars. So various people are living on the earth. I thought "I want to draw pictures more, take pictures and print them more, but I've not finished my job. I want to buy photographic paper, but I need to get craypas varnish." It's impossible to get all. Negative scanning would make me take pictures more. Then I could feel like doing darkroom work for some good pictures. I've taken pictures and developed only. It was meaningless to put them into the folder before seeing inverted images for several months. 高い場所から通りを見下ろすと、車はミニカーに、人はアリのように見える。いろんな人が生きていると思う。もっと絵を描きたいし、写真を撮ったり焼いたりしたいし、仕事が終わってないし、印画紙買いたいけどクレパスの定着スプレーも買わなきゃ〜・・・と思っていたけど、できるわけない。 ネガをスキャンすることで逆にもっと写真を撮るようになるだろう。そして「これは焼きたい」と思える写真が出てくるかもしれない。ここしばらく現像したらネガをファイルに収めて終了していたので、正像を見ていなかった。・・・これは意味がない。 ----- the worst version is the time when I don't have the capacity of thinking about the history of the earth. So I will put something like a trigger in my desk. It's a picture of my space suit so far! I designed some, but not enough. I need more. ・・・最悪なのは地球の歴史を思いつかなくなるほど深刻な時だ。そのために何か目印をデスクの前に貼っておく事にした。自分用の宇宙服がいいと思った。いくつかデザインを考えたけど、まだまだ気に入らないのでもっと考えよ。

My exhibition was over, thank you guys!

people-watching "Some people are looking at my drawings, others are walking through the path, and I am watching them." My exhibition was over. I feel it's gone so fast! 個展が終了した。あっという間だった。 I'm very glad that many friends-especially who are in the internet came there. Really thank you. みなさん見に来てくださってありがとうございました。特に、リアルで会ったことが無かったインターネット上の友達が来てくれた事がとても嬉しかったです。ありがとう！ It was a good thing that I held it in the underground passage of subway, because I could hear a lot of voices let out carelessly from the people who were walking there. If I was in an art gallery, most people wouldn't say real feeling. And moreover, I wouldn't have been able to meet the people who were not interested in art. When they said something about my drawing, I listened to them secretly from behind the pillar. Some people said "She had drawn self-portraits every day for a year, it's great idea!", and others dispraised. Like "She could do it because she must love herself too much." Those voices didn't make me confused, inspired a lot instead. cute/scary, fun drawings/poor skills, has a strong will/narcissistic.... They were really precious. 個展の会場を地下鉄の連絡通路にして良かったと思う。もし通常の画廊でやっていたら聞けないような、通りすがりの人達が無意識に言っている言葉を聞けたから。それに美術に興味のない人の前に自分の作品を出す機会はなかなか無い。道行く人達が私の絵について何か言い始めると、私は柱に隠れてこっそりそれを聞いた。「１年間も毎日自画像を描くなんて、すごい発想だね」という人もいれば、「よほどの自分好きだから続くんだよ」とこき下ろす人もいる。それらの声を聞いて落ち込むどころか、とても刺激になった。 「かわいい」と「こわい」、「面白い画風」と「へたじゃん」、「意思が強い」と「ナルシストっぽい」.... こういった意見を聞く機会は貴重だと思う。 Actually I'd not drawn nor painted for about 15years. When I was 21 years old, I became unable to draw pictures, and then left the art university. I tried to do it again and again, but I couldn't. So for me, it's a miracle that I do drawing now. 実は、私は15年ほど絵を描いていなかった。21才の時に絵を描けなくなって美大を中退し、その後なんども描こうとがんばったが描けなかった。だから今自分が絵を描いているなんて奇跡のように感じる。 I appreciate you giving your comments on my work here and in flickr. I couldn't keep it up without your encouragement. Now I think I'm ok. I'll get by! このブログやフリッカーにコメントをくださってありがとうございます。みなさんの励ましがなかったら続かなかったかも知れません。でももう大丈夫だと思います。やっていけそうです！

I'm going to have a private exhibition from April 23

I went to 18 art galleries in Ginza-Kyobashi area today. Most of them have an information bord or put many brochures on the stool. I asked them to lay mine together. 17 of them said ok! I was glad, because I thought more galleries might reject it. 銀座・京橋地区の画廊へDMを置いてもらいに行きました。18軒にお願いし、ほとんどのギャラリーで束で置くか、掲示スペースに貼るかしていただきました。もっと突っぱねられると覚悟して行ったのでとても嬉しかったです。

Leaving comments in blogs and flickr

March 14 Minami-senju Thank you Artsyken, it was the first time I use XP2 film. I'm impressed by many wonderful works on the internet every day. I try to leave comments there, but sometimes I can't. I feel happy when I got comments in my blog and flickr photostream, so I should write somethings... インターネット上で毎日たくさん絵や写真を見ては、おおお...! すごいぃ!!!!と思うが、最近何とコメントを残せばいいかわからない。自分がコメントされると嬉しいのだが...

What am I doing?

Self_March05 Chanels! I thought I was humming "Hoshi no Yubiwa" from Shogo Hamada, but it turned out to be "Runaway" from Chanels at the end. 浜田省吾の「星の指輪」の鼻歌を歌っていたはずなのに終わったときはシャネルズの「ランナウェイ」だった・・・ Driwell and QW, Every time I go shopping to Bic Camera, I buy a Driwell;photographic wetting agent and a QW ;quick washing agent impulsively. 5 or more Driwells under the desk made me think... Do I have Alzheimer????? 呆けたのか〜？ビックカメラへ行くとなぜかドライウェルとQWを買ってしまう。家に帰ったら机の下に5本以上あるのを見つけたよ・・・多すぎでしょ〜、いくらなんでも。泣

Canvas Paper and a Cool Photo Book

Self_March04 /craypas on canvas paper I went to a 100yen shop Daiso today, and found a canvas paper pad. It has 5 sheets per a pad. I'd ever used canvas boards..., yeah! I decided to try it. After drawing today's self-portrait, I felt so fine. It's a bit strange, but I thought I'd not gotten such a satisfaction like that for a long time, though I draw pictures everyday. 今日ダイソーに行ったらキャンバスペーパー(5枚綴じ)が売っていたので購入、今日の自画像に使ってみた。久しぶりに絵を描いた！という達成感を感じた。毎日描いているのにね。 I ordered a cool photobook. The author is Black Opal. When I was searching for information about film development on the web, I ran into his blog. His site is a fountain of knowledge! and his photograph is amazing. I started to read it on a daily basis. I was surprised because a man whose work I respect leaves his comments there very often. かっこいい写真集を注文した。著者はとても為になるブログをやっているBlack Opalさん。現像について検索している時に偶然見つけたブログだけど、写真がものすごくかっこいい。毎日見るようになった。自分がすごいな〜と思っている人も頻繁にコメントを付けていて驚いた。すごい人同士ってお友達なのね。

365 self-portraits

Self_February28, A year has passed since I started drawing self-portrait everyday. I can't believe it. Time flies so fast! 「自画像を毎日描く」というのを始めて一年経ちました。 半年過ぎてからはあっという間だったな....。あ、続けますよ！

What color is the best for my skin?

Self Portrait February 09 Recently I've been trying dark color for my skin when I am drawing self-portraits. I used to use "flesh", but I use cadmium orange pale, burnt sienna, brown gold and aureolin now. I'm an asian, so I think it would be great if my skin is like marigold or sparkling orange in the picture, and as well it looks very natural.

Dermatograph

Some people around me seem to be interested in dermatograph which I use for drawing self-portraits. So I'll explain a little about it. Dermatograph is originally a writing tool. The company selling dermatograph pencil says "It is even writable on skin, glass, metal and film". Dermato is a Latin word meaning "skin"(from the Q&A page, unfortunately they don't have an English page. In Japan, lithograph artists use this dermatograph pencil instead of lithocrayons, because former is cheaper than latter. I majored in lithograph until I dropped out the university of fine arts. I was very familiar with dermato. So I was surprised when I saw my senior workers were using it to mark on film sleeve for printing directions at the design company which I joined just after leaving school. Then soon it became a tool at work for me. when I went to Ito-ya last summer, I saw it on a shelf and came up with using it as drawing tool. At first I felt it was easier way than craypas, but becoming interesting. It makes me remember lithograph. The matière looks like it very much. It's fun! If I found more usages, it must become a big hit for me. By the way, why they don't show it on their web catalog?

About self-portrait everyday group

Self_January12 I'm an admin of a group Drawing: We do self portraits everyday in flickr. I have a problem. The members don't stay for a long time! Sometimes I feel sad, because it's becoming my stream. The word "everyday" could be pressure on the menbers. I don't care whether they do it everyday or not. I don't upload the picture everyday, though I draw them. I don't like scanning. Actually, I wasn't an original member. I signed up to Flickr in late January 2008, I found the group and started drawing self-portraits since March. It had almost been in resting phase. Several months later, I felt like creating our group icon. I e-mailed the admin of the group. She replied to me that she made me one of admin, so I could add icon which I created. I've not considered myself to be an admin, but maybe have to do something. I decided to leave invitations when I find self-portraits in other groups.