Back to the Drawing Board… or Watercolour Paper

After something like a 2 year creative hiatus due to a plethora of reasons, I have recently succeeded in both managing my creative time and sourcing and nurturing artistic inspiration… so much so that I feel like I almost have too many ideas I wish to explore and actualise - however, I am grateful for the influx of inspiration.

After a long time - almost two years - in storage, I took these three works out…



...and decided it was high time I worked towards finishing them…





Mission accomplished.





A few detail pics of all 3 works…

Bicycles Japan! A Reflection.

Bicycles can often contribute to an interesting composition, I find this even more so the case whenever I am in Japan. For some reason I just feel compelled to photograph them in their 'natural habitat'.

Here is the series from 2012 - (with a trike thrown in at the end due to an odd number of snaps).

Here is the much larger collection from this year - Feb/March, 2014.

Annual reflection ( and a delayed one too )

Gosh. You abandon your blog for almost a year and a half and when you (try to) come back to it, you experience all sorts of log in problems and realise that dozens of photos have disappeared.

It's time for my annual reflection… I missed posting it last year - despite taking the photo for it. So, I will post photos for both last year and this year. Somehow, I will also attempt to repost all the photos I have lost.

I am usually one for saying "thank goodness that year is over and here's to a new one", however, this year, I have to admit, has been a most enjoyable one (on a personal level) - mostly due to one particular person coming into my life.

Coming out of a five and a half year relationship, (as I did in October 2012), is never an easy transition. I have to say however, not only do I believe that I have found the most wonderful person to share my life and love with, but I am also very lucky to be able to admit that I have a wonderful ex-partner who has made the transition so much easier with his support and understanding. We have both moved on and have found happiness with wonderful people and I am truly grateful for the love we have both found and for the respect we have shown each other through all of the changes that have taken place.

I'm becoming less and less a fan of new years resolutions - mostly through fear that I will only let myself down - however! - having moved into a more literary realm, I really must try to rekindle my semantic relationship with this blog. So here's hoping for more regular posts in 2014.

Happy new year to anyone who may read this. May 2014 bring you an abundance of good stuff!

2012

2013

Today's Haiku

There's only so much
tea one can drink in a day.
Procrastination.

Sayonara

This afternoon saw me bid farewell to Jamie, Aiko and Kayamori House and head back to the gritty city of Osaka for a bit of a sayonara session for my final night here in Japan.

A good night spent with some great people.

Picture Perfect

The last three days spent here at Kayamori House have been absolute bliss.

Kayamori House is a farmhouse situated in the mountains near Hasedera Temple, Sakurai, in Nara prefecture. It is also the home of HeadSpace international artist residency, which offers artists a chance to experience - and be inspired by - life in Japan, as well as providing studio space to create various types of artwork, from drawing/painting to sculpture and installation art.

Kayamori/HeadSpace is run by the lovely Scottish born Jamie and his adorable wife Aiko-Chan - who might I add is also a wonderful cook, preparing delicious home cooked meals for those staying at Kayamori.

The farmhouse itself is indeed very traditionally beautiful and with the glorious mountainous surroundings that provide panoramic, picture postcard views, topped off with two very accommodating and lovely hosts, it has been an absolute joy staying here. I hope I get the chance to visit again and participate in a proper residency stay.

The Beautiful and the Bizarre

Thursday afternoon saw me arrive at Kayamori House, in Sakurai, Nara prefecture, feeling very seedy and somewhat sorry indeed. At one point I had even wondered if I was capable of catching the train and lasting the 45 minute journey. Any frustration related to the way I was feeling could only be directed at myself, as it was all self inflicted... Nobody had forced me to consume the copious amounts of sake the night before. Ashamedly, it was all voluntary.

We're all allowed one of those nights here and there... aren't we?

Either way, it wasn't until I arrived at this amazingly beautiful place that I actually started to feel human again. And what a perfect place to recover!

Wednesday started off with a visit to SoHo Gallery in Osaka where I got the chance to meet Celio in the flesh, after several art related online interactions. His gallery itself was a great little space and the current work on exhibition was by an illustrator working in pen and ink, who was actually doing some live drawing at the gallery when I arrived. It was an enjoyable visit - Celio, obviously incredibly passionate about art and artists, provided me not only with his time, but with a wealth of information that will no doubt come in useful when planning future Japanese ventures!

Later that day I met up with my newfound and very lovely Canadian friend, Meg, and we headed to her house to get ready for our chaperone, who was due at 8pm. Ichiro-San, arrived to collect us in a taxi, ever so punctually, and took us to a most impressive and very traditional Japanese restaurant that I wish I could remember the name of.... We did, however, find ourselves in a private tatami room on the top floor, where we were treated to a very exquisite and memorable Japanese feast - consisting of some of the most delicious, not to mention different, culinary treats to ever pass through my chopsticks.... including many traditional Okinawan style dishes, as the chef was from that area. It was my first experience tasting foods such as ootoro and goya, I also got to enjoy a delectable selection of sake from Shiga, Nara and Fukushima.

After dining in such a stylish and sophisticated venue, we somehow ended up in a place at the complete opposite end of the spectrum in what could only be described as some sort of 'tranny hostess bar', where the sake was cheaper and nastier, the Mama-San wore a strap-on and most of the decor was phallic in nature. Each to their own, it's possibly not a place I would visit back home, but as they say, when in Rome... or even Osaka...

I managed to lose, very badly, to Mama-San in a rather risqué game of rock, paper, scissors... and shortly after, our chaperone bid us farewell and the two gaijin girls were left alone in this strange, almost surreal, place.

We were encouraged to partake in karaoke and indulge in a little more sake, and whilst we obliged, our stay after Ichiro-San left was not a long one... just enough to be able to say that was possibly one of the most bizarre outings I have ever had.

Needless to explain why Thursday saw me feeling very average.

Arriving at Kayamori House/HeadSpace Artist Residency was truly a breath of fresh air!

Bambi, Brewery and Buddha.

Monday saw me return to Nara. Despite having spent a full day there when Allison was here, there were a few things I still needed to tick off my list, so another trip was necessary to do so. I was also feeling a strong desire to get out of The hustle and bustle of grey old Osaka for a day and see some greenery and the delightful deer that wander around freely in Nara are always an added bonus. They are so elegantly beautiful and always bring a smile to my face.

I had been wanting to pay a visit to Harushika Sake Brewery, but as I had not eaten yet that morning, I decided to hunt down a cafe that I had heard of that doubles as an art space. After walking past it a couple of times I finally found it. What an awesome space. I wonder whether it is used to its full potential in its current location, but good on the owner for setting it up as a space for young artists to have a chance to show their work. I have to say I ate what was possibly the most delicious vegetarian curry that I have ever had - and as I was once a vegetarian for 17 years, that is a pretty big call - it even had avocado in it... Who would've thought to put that in a curry?

With food in my belly, I headed off to find the sake brewery, wandering some beautiful backstreets of Nara and stopping to admire the history and architecture of places along the way. On arrival at Harushika Brewery, I paid a mere 400yen, allowing me to participate in the sake tasting where o got to try 6 different types of sake - including what was described as 'the Master Brewer's "secret sake", as well as a parilla/shiso flavoured sake which was actually quite delicious. After the tasting was over, I was presented with a complimentary choko and headed off to go a mingle with the deer and see the famous giant buddha at Todai-ji. Despite having been to Nara at least 3 times in the past, I was still yet to see the one attraction that 95% of tourists come to Nara to see. I was glad I chose to do so this time. Despite the hoards of school groups and other tourists, both Japanese and foreigners, it really was quite spectacular to see.

I was about to head back to Osaka when I changed my mind and direction at the last minute and just as I started walking in the opposite direction, I was stopped by a group of six Japanese school kids, (3 girls and 3 boys), who wanted to know if they could ask me a few questions. I, of course, agreed, as it was for a school project. The questions were very basic, including "is this your first visit to Nara?" and when I answered "no" they kind of all looked at each other blankly, I suppose they were expecting me to say yes, so for a brief moment they all looked a little unsure as to what to ask next. They did have a list of questions in their exercise books however, so I was asked a few more predictable questions like where I was from, how I like Japan, what my 3 favourite Japanese foods are... When the questionnaire was done, one of the girls asked me to write my name and a message in her exercise book and one of the boys asked if I would have my photo taken with them. With that, he stopped a passing stranger and passed him a camera. So here's me, looking like the ridiculous tourist, making a peace sign in between 3 girls and 3 boys in their adorable school uniforms, (also making peace signs)... but hopefully I helped them to complete their school project!

After consuming a little more sake and admiring a few more deer, I headed back to Osaka where I finished the day with a huge bowl of good old fashioned ramen - (accompanied, of course, by some good old fashioned gyoza).

I must make mention of the lovely exhibition by Japanese artist, Eri Moon, that I went to with my friend John on Sunday night at Ands Tartines Gallery. I got to catch up with some recent aquaintences, as well as meet some new and lovely people.

Spas, Sake and Submarines

I am about to check out of the hotel where I have spent the past 9 nights - (minus one on Jo and Rob's couch). I will be staying with a friend in Osaka tonight then heading off to Nara tomorrow to check out an artist residency space.

Yesterday I took myself to Arima and got my gear off with a bunch of random Japanese ladies and took an enjoyable soak in Gin-no-Yu onsen. The town itself is quite small and easy enough to explore in one day. I got to taste some local (both Arima and Kobe) sake at Sake Ichiba, including a delicious premium sake polished to 80%.

Next to cheese and sushi, hot springs are a great sake companion! Provided common sense is used of course.

I was fortunate enough to be the only passenger on the bus back to Umeda and slept the whole way - feeling somewhat rejuvenated on my return.

Last night I met up with John and Celia for a quick bite to eat before heading to a place John was desperate to show us... Known as the 'Submarine Bar', it was definitely worth the visit and I now see why he wanted to share this hidden wonder - located in a most unassuming and incredibly quiet side street, you wouldn't even know it was there as you enter through a very narrow and dark alleyway that one could very easily walk past and not even see.

The interior basically replicates the interior of a submarine. No expense has been spared in creating this place, which is apparently only a 'hobby' for the owner. He does not advertise and asks that if anyone mentions his bar on the internet they do not give directions or provide a map on how to get there. The bar itself only seats about 6-8 people and then there is a kind of a small elevated area, where we sat, that seats about 6. There is no music played at all in this mysterious and curiously cool bar and the toilet is an experience all of its own - you would not want to be desperate as you have to open two doors - one from the floor up and the other opens out. Words cannot provide justification, unfortunately, nor can the photos I took as it was incredibly dark. It was quite a surreal experience.

I spent an enjoyable day in Nara on Monday but will have to save that post for another time as it is nearing 'check out' time.

This country continues to fascinate, frustrate and inspire me.

A few more pics from my day in Arima…