last peek

finished family of wooden figures lining up on my mantle.
ready to be packed to go with me to LA tomorrow!


and some drawings above - to be dropped off to be framed as soon as i land in LA.

all the pieces will be posted after the show when i get back to NYC.
if you'd like a peek online please check with thinkspace gallery for preview!

thank you so much for such nice comments on recent posts!
please come come come if you're in/near silver lake on friday night!
^__^

+ ps. i forgot to post the flyer (click to enlarge):

knock on wood

results of some of my graphic/mixed-media experiments on wood,
originally inspired by the kokeshi project.

it was quite a challenge getting used to acrylic paint & painting so small.

these will go with me to LA next week.

happy 4th of july!

only could watch the fireworks from my fire escape.
back to work now!! T__T
it sure was hard fighting all the fun temptation this weekend.

things other than painting

the cats like to come hang out with me and doze off while i paint.
they have been very content lately since i've been home all the time.

noodles (always sitting with the same paw positions):


bento, sleeping at my easel base :


the sky has been so amazing lately outside my window :

i feel lucky to have such a great view of the skyline out the window,
i never would have noticed how turbulently beautiful the sky has been otherwise,
being a hermit that i have been all of june.

+
these are via newyorkshitty.com one day when the sky was insane :

juxtapozed

i have a "profile" page in the new issue of juxtapoz
for my upcoming solo show at thinkspace gallery (info here).

and an interview by andrew michael ford on their website :

same interview also on daily du jour & andrew's site.

one more interview to come via sourharvest/thinkspace gallery blog soon!


+
a group shot of my oil-on-canvas pices before they left me :


more info on the show (opening next friday) here!

in progress...

waiting for some glazes to dry.
almost there...

+
for my upcoming show next month,
i'll have 7-8 oil-on-canvas pieces of varying sizes,
and some mixed media paintings on wood & paper as well.

i will probably be also bringing some of these figures.

also planning my mural installation for the front...

mari's creatures

one of my favorite artists and people in general, the talented mari inukai,
just opened her shop for her non-painting related goodies!

i got her nekomitaina doll right away, shown above,
who surprisingly came with a friend - tabekake donut man,
based on this character she'd made me for my birthday last year :



eeeeh!! so excited, and made my day to open the package.
now back to painting...

hurry & visit her store and get her very limited
precious items before they disappear!

GO TO :
www.marillavanilla.bigcartel.com

memento mori in progress

some images of works in progress for my upcoming show, memento mori,
(opening july 10th, at thinkspace gallery in los angeles).







and my messy desk :

moleskinny

a while ago, i got a small moleskine sketchbook for the first time.
the thick papers that don't let mediums permeate,
spreads that fall completely flat for better drawing and scanning...
nice! i understand the popularity now.

my other usual sketchbook is from muji and is very see through,
which can be nice too, but limits the mediums i can experiment with.
i look forward to getting a bigger moleskine and painting away.

below are some pages from the past few weeks in between painting.
(i've been very into black & blue.)

PS: also, i unlocked my twitter.









[edit : sketches done mostly with ballpoint pen, colored pencil & ink.]

headquarters is 3!

my wonderful montréal friends angie & tyson are celebrating
3rd anniversary of their gallery & boutique, Headquarters
with a great group art show this weekend!

they're a great little shop supporting indie/craft/art folks,
so please stop by if you're around montréal area!
i'll be attending in spirit. :)

Saturday, June 6, 2009
6:00pm - 11:00pm
Headquarters Galerie & Boutique
1649 Amherst
Montreal, QC

................................


i've sent the following piece (from february) & some prints :



congratulations, angie & tyson!

cleaned up

i cleaned up the studio today.
finally feels much more settled in & like home.


picked up this shelf from a thrift store which immediately help clear my desk space!


stack of gessoed, sketched canvases...


full view of my kokeshi doll - will post detailed views soon!

lately, it's been a struggle getting some work done.
new space, new neighborhood, beautiful weather beckoning me to bike around...
i've been feeling that my mind doesn't feel so fluid as of late,
but rather like a block of foam that floats but doesn't move or flow.
must squash the foam brain!

kokeshi

a couple views of the kokeshi doll i painted for the upcoming kokeshi show
at the japan american national museum in los angeles, this july.

i do have more pictures to share, though i'd sent it off already...
not sure how much i am supposed to share as the show's not opening for a couple months.

it was a ton of fun to paint on a 3D surface,
i can't wait to have some extra time to sculpt some figure as well.

sketchy

recent doodley pages...

a new beginning

good morning!

now that it's been a bit over 2 weeks since the move,
i am starting to feel at home at our place and the neighborhood.
despite having moved all my life (possibly over 20 times),
it's still a tiring process, if not more so with age.

i'm loving & getting used to my new studio, though,
slowly breaking it in by working on (and worrying about) some new ideas...
i feel that the new environment has already shifted my perspective
even in the way i see my work.

and i have my very own studio windows now!!
not only do i get great northern exposure,
but i also see a beautiful sunset over the manhattan skyline.

kitties adjusted to the new place rather quickly,
they are loving running up and down our long railroad apartment.

(currently working to finish a piece for the ad for my july solo show
at thinkspace - i'm so behind because of the move!)

itchy fingers

i've been packing & doing things moving-related as of late...
our whole apartment is now in boxes!
we're moving in 1.5 days into a new apartment,
a new neighborhood - a fresh, clean slate for a restart!

my fingers are itching to paint and draw and make,
which i haven't been able to do in 2-3 weeks!!

i can't wait to start working in the new studio,
where i'll have windows and a door to close off!

Erotic Hakata Samurai Geisha Dolls

this is an old find, but i forgot to make a post of it...
beautiful, old, and humorous as well.
i looked them up when i first saw these photos,
and remember my jaw dropping at the price.
still amazingly gorgeous nonetheless.

via k9pincushion