Ms. Persimmon

The Portrait of Ms. Persimmon

Mixed Media 10"x 19"

Book Cover

9"x 14"/Mixed Media

A book cover that I did for one of my favorite book "The Elegance of the Hedgehog". Love this book! I'm not intelligence like the girl from this book, Paloma, but I feel connection with her. I guess my childhood was similar to her life.Even my mom told me that too.(My mom was reading this book in French at the same time in Japan. What a coincidence!!) And the Japanese gentle man Kakuro. He is so cool! Hope I illustrated the mood of the book well.

Quick Painting

A quick painting that I did the other day.

Mr. Rabbit at Whole Foods/ Mixed Media

A great artist gives me encouragement.

I went to Bil Donovan's lecture at Society of Illustrator. It was about the new book he wrote, called "Advanced Fashion Drawing". I was truly truly impressed by his lecture. He talked about some of the captures of the book and his passion for works. Everything that I was thinking and wondering for my art were actually in his talking. More importantly, I was really happy to actually know the presence of someone who could share the same perspective and passion of the illustration. That is something I was missing. It was very encouraging to myself and made me so happy for my decision of moving to New York.

Tonight I felt so deeply that I needed to come to New York. I was meant to come to New York.

http://bildonovan.com/

Your Glass Slippers?

Here is the new illustration.

I got an idea of this advertising illustration from my personal experience of having such a difficult time to find the shoes for my tiny feet. In this modern days, you are the one who need to get out and look for your glass slippers. There is no one who would knock on your door and bring you the perfect pair. This is the reality. But if you find your perfect pair, you can easily go up the stairs and go to the castle!

Redoing some pieces

It is actually surprising to see how many illustrations and paintings I've done at school...

As I seeing all the stuff that I've done,

some of them arestill my favorite, some of them went to garbage, some of them needs to redo!

The stuff that I need to redo, some of the pieces are done by the style or medium that I was just trying and figuring out what I really like. I remember that struggling times...

And now I know what I really like so I tried redoing some of the Illustrations.

Hopefully, these new version make my portfolio to look more constant.

Flower Children, 2010 version / Mixed Media Frida, 2010 version / Mixed Media

Big Apple, Big Change

So I moved to New York from San Francisco. It has been two month already... time flies so fast!

Finding a new apartment, getting rid of my furniture in SF and getting new furniture in NY, sending and receiving tones of boxes, and fling with a lots of baggage,settling down my new place, oh, man, that was big moving... Saying good-bye to San Francisco where I had spent my life for five years and having a distance to my good friends were sad but I'm happy that I got a chance to move another city. Especially, City like New York! This is the one of the city I wanted to live once in my life.

Living in New York reminds me my life in Tokyo, the weather, crowd, subway, tones of restaurants and bars till the morning and the colour of the sky. Although NY has more various people and culture from different countries from all over the world which make me exited. It is even interesting to me to actually live and see the differences between the people in Southern California, Bay Area, and New York. I still don't know where I fit, but I appreciate the own charm from each city.

Graduation

I finally graduated!

That was 6 years ago, I quit my costume design job and came to United States. At the time, I never thought I could graduate American University. Studying at University with a lack of language wasn't easy to me. It would be 10 times easier if I study in my native language. But I completed. This experience made my self stronger and I'm sure I got confidence to myself. And I am very happy that I studied at Academy. I thank for all the teacher that I met, all the classmates that I studied with, all my friends who has been with me, my boyfriend who always give me a balance, and my family who support me a lot, a lot, a lot. I couldn't have done without everyone.

Portraiture Job

So I did Portraiture at Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan Town on April 17th and 18th and "WIND" reception at Space Gallery on May 1st as an SIR's promotion. It was really fun and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that job! 15 min portrait ( if it's couple, it'll take longer) with watercolor, color pencil and marker. Since making painting digital and sending it in digital is very popular in these days, this portraiture job was different. Painting traditionally in front of the customer and hand it to them. So I can actually see the reaction of the people and feel their emotion. I love seeing happy face! It is wonderful to make people happy with my painting.

WIND

I am Having a Group Show with SIR which I've been joining since last year. It is organized by Japanese Artists in San Francisco.

For this show, I created a little installation with one of my favorite arist, Koji Nagao. He made the puppets based on my design. Then I made their costumes and painted the picture. I think it turned into interesting piece. Something different from what I usually make. And I will be doing portraiture at the reception.

This will be my last show in San Francisco actually so hope to see everyone in the show.

Four Elements vol.4 風 -WIND-
Surreality in Reality Presents
Japanese Art Exhibition and Performances

@Space Gallery
1141 Polk Street. SF | btw Sutter & Post | 415.377.3325
www.spacegallerysf.com

Exhibition: Monday 26, April 2010 - Saturday May 1, 2010
Gallery Hour 12-5pm

Reception: Saturday May 1, 2010
21+
3pm- Gallery Hour | FREE
7pm- Event | $5
8pm- Live Painting Performance


Awakened by the scents of Springtime released into gentle breezes, animal life rises from hibernation beneath fertile soil into the fresh WIND: the voice of nature.
Through art and media, Surreality in Reality (S.I.R.) has been exploring the elements, WATER, FIRE, EARTH, and now WIND, to bridge cultures with an awareness of nature inspired by the ancient Japanese philosophy of harmony between the four elements. In this final exhibition completing the cycle of our series, the S.I.R. Japanese Art Collective is preparing a space for the invisible force of WIND, it's power finding expression with a live performance, an exhibition, and in carrying the music.


Exhibition by
Ai Sugano (Photography)
Akane (Painting)
Akko Terasawa (Photography / Graphic Art)
Aoi Yamaguchi (Live Japanese Calligraphy / Exhibition)
Junko Maegawa (Graphic Art)
Keiko Moriyama (Photography)
Kenta Shimbo (Paper Toy)
Lavit Sea (Live Illustration / Exhibition)
Luke Short (Mixed Media)
Noa- (Live Painting / Exhibition)
Satoshi (Painting)
Sleepytiger (Illustration)
Taiko Fujimura (Mixed Media)
Takashi Akamatsu (Mixed Media)

Music by
Kento (fresco)
Yusai (Mellow Orange)
Zaion (Zaion Recordings)
Junzo (Welcome Home!)


S.I.R. Website:
http://sir-sf.com

Girl

This is a painting that I did to illustrate The Beatle's "Girl". It's a melancholic love song. Done by Acrylic and Digital.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVr_6kE1vio&feature=related

Ambience of Colour

Hi, Everyone.
I'm having a Senior Show at 688 Gallery.
I am showing my landscapes, portraits, abstracts, and my illustrations that I did for school and my personal projects as well.
I would like to invite all of you to my opening reception.
If you can't make the opening, please stop by at 688 gallery during exhibition times.

My Website:
http://www.akaneogura.com/

I will be sharing the space with Jen Oaks.
http://www.jenoaks.com/

Opening Reception:
Thursday evening, April 1st, 5:30~7:30

Exhibition:
April 1st through April 29th, 2010

GALLERY 688
688 Sutter St. , San Francisco, California 94108
415-346-4549
(on Sutter between Mason and Tayler)

Gallery Hours;
Open daily 10 am-6pm;
Saturday until 5pm

Salome

Digital

Alice in Wonderland

Mixed Media

A Tango Dancer

Digital

The Fitting Room

Digital

Luminous Heat

16"x16"/Mixed Media

Quick Studies

These are all 1~2 hours studies by oil.