Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from July, 2009

Married Shadows

My husband and I haven't had a T.V. for the last 15 years, maybe more, so we often go to see movies at the Cinema. The last couple of ones that I've enjoyed have been Transformers II and Terminator IV. Two more of my favorites are Slumdog Millionare and Milk. These latter two were well done movies from all angles (acting, script, cinematography). This is us after an afternoon at the movies and eating out. We had just come from Starbucks and were heading to the train station. For more shadow shots and to learn how to join this Meme, please visit Hey Harriet's blog .

Siamese Cat Protest

Sputnik is my inspiration for my Siamese Cat Paintings . My latest painting is based on a drawing I did of her while she slept, curled up into a ball, on my lap. Whenever I sit and draw at my desk, she keeps me company. On the other hand, If I am going to paint, I stand at my waist high work-table. Once she sees me go to this work-table, she usually runs to her cat climber which puts her almost at my eye level to stage her Protest. This lasts for a couple of minutes. I give her a hug and gently but firmly say, "I'm going to work now." She eventually understands that I am not changing my course and jumps off to go sit in my chair at the desk. Here she is in the midst of her protest on July 21, 2009. To see more photos of her, including last week's photo of her blue eyes, just click on the Cats category at the bottom of my blog page. For more photos and stories of Pets, please visit the Pet Pride blog .

People Shadows in Japan

Last Monday, we had lunch at a Thai restaurant and then watched a movie. Later, we hit a Japanese Soba restaurant for dinner. I enjoyed not having to cook at all. Granted I only cook five meals a week for us, so I can't complain. Let's just say it was nice to eat food that I don't usually eat at home. As my husband and I were waiting for the train, I caught this shadow shot. For more shadow pics from around the world, visit Hey Harriet's blog .

Massage Chairs in Japan

Last Monday, Hubby and I went to an outlet Mall. There were tons of stores to look at. There was also a huge D.I.Y. store and a humongous Electronics store. The only thing I bought was a 300 yen hat at the D.I.Y. store. By the time we got to the electronics store, we had been on our feet for 3 hours. I was exhausted and wondering how I was going to entertain myself while Hubby looked at gadgets. Then I spotted the massage chairs! No need to be bashful when it comes to sleeping in a massage chair in an electronics store. I see it all the time here in Japan. There were about eight massage chairs on display. Five were already occupied with people travelling through dreamland. I gladly took my shoes off and laid down in an available one. I messaged Hubby to come get me when he was ready which ended up being 40 minutes later. I felt refreshed and ready for anything. Aaahhh! If only I had 300,000 yen to buy one for myself. *** 300 yen = 3.25 USD, 4.15 AUD, 2.32 Euro 3 millio

Blue-eyed Siamese Cat flies to Japan

Today was filled with my art and time with Sputnik. She was bathing herself which gave me the chance to catch a photo of her. I actually adopted Sputnik as a kitten in 1998 when I was living in Mexico. She made the long trip with me to Japan on July 25, 2004. It took me about 6 months to plan the logistics of bringing her from Mexico to Japan. Since I had to fly via the U.S. on Mexicana Airlines and Korean Airlines, that meant 4 countries and two airlines would need to approve her transport. There were many details to keep track of for each country and airline. After 6 months of stressful planning, 16 hours of two airline flights and layovers, She made it to Japan safely! Korean Air allowed her to fly with me as my carry-on luggage, which was a relief for me. No worrying about whether she was scared or left at the Los Angeles airport! I didn't give her any tranquilizer to sedate her. Yet, she was quiet the entire flight and went unnoticed by other passengers. I h

Ferris Wheel in Japan

The original Ferris wheel dates back to 1893 and was designed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.. I enjoy looking at them, but I do not enjoy riding them. I thought I would feel better about riding this one since they are gondolas that are completely covered. No fear of falling out. This ferris wheel never stops, so it goes at a snail's pace to allow people to get on and off. There were several points where it felt like we had stopped. The first couple of minutes were exciting for me. I was trying to get as much of the view in as possible. But the higher we went the more anxious I became. The feeling that I had lost total control over my destiny kept eating at my mind. I just sat quietly and tried to focus on the view. There was the ocean and port off in the near distance. My husband was pointing out his favorite houses below. The sun was on the horizon. As we reached the bottom safely, my husband wondered how much the ferris wheel shakes during an earthquake. H

Sputnik, My Siamese Cat

I spent some time yesterday cleaning out my photos on my computer. Besides having more computer memory, I discovered some forgotten shots I had taken last year. Here is my siamese cat sunning herself by the balcony window back in November 2008. Visit Hey Harriet's blog to see photographs with shadows from all over the world. Also, visit Camera Critters to see uber-cute photos of pets and animals.

Self-Portrait and Gyoza

I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. on Thursday finishing a self-portrait drawing. Today, I was very productive. I painted three paintings based on last night's drawing, but only one worked out. The other two went in the trash. The above self-portrait was painted on rice paper with ink and watercolor. The wrinkles will be gone once I have mounted it onto the thicker rice paper. I also made 50 gyoza today for the first time. I froze about 26 of them. Gyoza are Chinese potstickers. They look like little dumplings. I ate 24 of them along with rice today! Why can't I practice self-restraint! It took me one hour to fill each little wrapping and pinch it closed, but it was worth it. They were really good. The stuffing was chopped ginger, chopped cabbage, chopped Nira (garlic chive) and a bit of minced chicken. Nira has a powerful, overwhelming smell. The whole house smells like it now. Oh dear!

Art Business and Submission Resources

Two sites that are great resources for the online handmade business owner. Modish Biz tips is chock full with business tips, web resource links and success stories. The Art Business - Resources for Visual Artists Makingamark artist shares her links and reviews. A couple of sites to submit your art work for online publishing: The links provided are to the submission page. To get an idea of what kind of art they are looking for, just visit the Home page of each site. Juxtapoz Art and Culture Magazine Craftgawker IndieSpotting