New Canvases On Easel

Finishing three shows in a row in Osaka, I came back to my studio and started to prepare for new paintings for another one person show in Oct.

This is the first stage of the painting, in which I hope to depict early summer sunlight.
Painting in monochrome is like making a map to get clues for light values.  

Another chrysanthemum painting. I already have a blueprint of the finished work, but it usually does not end up as I see in my mind.

It is very hot and humid in Japan in this time of the year, as usual.
In addition, Japanese government is appealing for people to save electricity throughout the nation since we may be running out of power in midsummer this year due to the series of accidents of nuclear power plant in Fukushima, which has not been blown over yet.
Therefore, as many Japanese do, no wonder that I volunteer to refrain from using air conditioner in my studio and at home as long as I can.    
In order to develop my physical strength not to suffer heat stroke, I went to badminton practice this morning and played for 2 and a half hours, then ended up with awful muscle aches here and there.

大阪での一連の展覧会も終了し、次に向けての制作を少しずつ進めています。
1つ目の写真は「天の滴」シリーズの予定、２つ目の写真は今年から始めた菊の作品の予定です。
日本全体が節電モードなので、私もできるだけクーラーをつけないで頑張っています。
とにかく体力を。。。と思い、バドミントンの練習に行っていますが、この暑さでは熱中症になりそうな勢い。。今日は練習試合が多く、体中が筋肉痛です。とほほ。
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Influenza - How to prevent a flu

The flu is going around throughout Japan.
We have type A, type B, and a new type. I do not know which one I got last week. My badminton mates were discussing (while practicing..) about how to prevent the flu.
It is commonly known that people over 60 do not get the flu because they are immune to the flue today, but according to a teammate, people who used to drink "Dassi Funnyu" also have less risk to catch the flu. "Dasshi Funnyu" can be literally translated as skim milk or fat-free milk, but in fact it is something that tastes much worse than those. Dasshi Funnyu, skim milk,  were brought to Japan after WWII by U.S. Government as a part of aid supply and they were provided to children as school lunch. We should appreciate the kindness of Americans, but... it seems that they did not care about its taste as much as its nutrition value..... So Dasshi Fyunnyu is regarded as synonym for slop food (sorry!) in old days. Anyway, it is considered that Dasshi Fyunnyu was supplied at Japanese schools mainly in 50's and 60's. Again, thanks to American, now it is said, whether it is just a rumor, Japanese who took the food in childhood may have less risk to catch the flu!
However, the best way is to prevent the flu is still washing hands and gargle throat.

I think Japanese is the people who like gargle most.　We gargle frequently, saying we might have a cold or the flu, or we have hay fever, or we feel dry throat. We gargle everywhere; in the bathroom at office, school, department store, or airport. Solt water gargle is the most common, but green tea is also used for gargling because it contains catechin which kills germs. Diluted iodin solution is popular, too. One of the amazing way to rinse out your throat perfectly is gargling from nose! You suck in the gargle water from nose and spit out from mouth. I tried once when I had very bad sore throat from the flu. I forgot the pain in my throat due to the  terrible feeling in my nose.
* But you may want to try (^_^) since it worked!

Japanese love Hawaii

My aunt called me last night. She has the sweetest personality; She tends to get hot in anything, so whenever she finds something new in which she becomes interested, she gives me a call to make me find more information on that. (She knows that I am good at googling.) It is a kind of fun to predict what comes next. She already quited a fan of Korean actor, then she started ( or I should say I started on behalf of her) a blog for networking with her younger friends and it has not been updated for 2 years. Then her interest had been focused on painting, which made her take three painting classes a week, but the passion of painting has ended when she had a group show with her classmates last summer. She always loves and enjoys her life too much to remember her age.
That aunt said that she will go to Hawaii with her husband and want me to find a good hotel and entertainments. It is nothing to make a small research on Hawaii, moreover, it is a pleasure for me doing that, because I love Hawaii.

quilt on progress

I went to Hawaii only twice. Since the first time I went there for honeymoon, I felt in love with the island. Blue sky, blue water, nice breeze, nice food, nice people...As most Japanese become so after the first trip to Hawaii, my life had been filled with Hawaiian stuff since then. Between busy painting and housekeeping routine, I went to Hawaiian quilting class and made pillows, blankets, or bags all with Hawaiian flower and animal designs. I still love time to sew the quilt while watching Hawaiian video.

I am trying not to write too long, however,...
I think that there are some points that why Japanese love Hawaii more than any other foreign lands; beautiful sea, good food, safety, good shopping place.... but most importantly, Hawaii is the the only part of the America where we can communicate in Japanese. In many places in Hawaii, we can communicate in our language and surprisingly we can even use Japanese Yen in many shops!
In 60's to 70's, it reminds me of a very popular TV quiz show on sunday night, in which the champion was awarded a trip to Hawaii.  Hawaii had been a Mecca for Japanese at the time when overseas traveling was not affordable.
Today, many Japanese can enjoy going overseas, wherever on the globe, but our communication in foreign language (i.e. English!) is still limited. So foreign land like Hawaii where we can enjoy exotic atmosphere without any worries about language, is just a paradise for us Japanese.
Hawaii is the best hybrid of Japan and the U.S.

 

Stiff shoulder

I have an appointment with massage therapy today.
This is a monthly treat for me. I have been suffered from discomfort in my shoulder and neck.

It is truly "pain in the neck"!

Since a couple of years, my shoulders often got stiff, so I have tried many things, such as massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, and yoga. Playing badminton is also to ease my shoulders.
After many trials, I came up the idea that I have to limit myself from using computer (in order to avoid to watch screen for a long time), and I have to get relaxed not only physically, but mentally; What I mean is that most of shoulder stiffness or bad blood circulation, at least in my case,  are caused by STRESS.
For years, I had too much to do, too much to concern, (sounds like a too modern women?)  and it seemed to me that all of them had deadline to be cleaned up. However, after I got serious headache from my shoulder and neck, I gave up the idea of "I must do this by that time".  I tried to do everything very slowly and not to worry about the time-line. Then I found that most things that I thought I must to do within a time-line were actually not needed to be done by that time. Hard pressure from time or responsibility were actually created by me. After I realize it, my shoulder stiffness is getting better, being relieved from tense.
Most Japanese are very strict on punctuality, and I know it made Japan to be productive efficient country, but probably we can be less productive. It may make us more creative.
Oops, I must run. It is appointment time with massage therapist. Appointment with someone is one of the exception that we have to be punctual.

Creating a trash box by newspaper

When you work in studio, you will generate trash, such as tissue papers you wiped paints from brushes, woodchips from boards or pensils, eraser debris, etc. I temporarily put them into a paper box I made, and throw the whole box into a trash bin at the end of the day.

This is very useful especially when you work on table or for kitchen garbage. You can leave one beside your hand, and toss any tiny trash into it.
You can make one with newspaper or useless flyers.



Of course, you can throw your trash into the trash bin directly. I am afraid that it sounds like a crazy idea, but I do not want to besmear or soil my trash bin with trash. ( Again, I know I am crazy.) I think most Japanese does not like to throw wet trash directly into trash bin. Japanese prefer to protect the trash bin with plastic bag that we get from supermarket for free so that the trash bin is always clean. Additionally, person like me prepares a paper trash box so that no wet stuff or tiny dust will not dripped or dropped from the plastic bag covered on the trash bin. It is such a paranoid to make a trash box in order to keep trash bin clean !
I admit that.