July, a Month of Goodbyes

For the month of July I've said goodbye to many things, like:

• My students, until schools starts up again in September  o(^_-)O
  This is the ideal time for me to start my #30DaysofWatercolour challenge in August.
  
• Friends who are leaving Japan   。・゜・(ノД`)・゜・。
  This is a tough one, not fun at all!
• My long hair  (＾ｰ^)ノ
  I've gone for a short and sweet summer style.
• Student loans \（＾ν＾）/
  Not gonna miss this, not one bit!

Below are the paintings that I've completed this month.

 

This watercolour illustration of two koi fish swimming is my first commission for a friend.

I've kept the illustration simple and let the colours do the work.

 

Delicious grilled salted salmon. In Japan it's called sake (spelt the same ways as the alcohol but is pronounced shake) very confusing for me to understand at first.;P Grilled salmon is something my husband and I love to make ever since moving to Japan. Note: This will be in the calendar project.

  

This sunny side up egg was a fun illustration which I painted over a long weekend. All chilled and relaxed.

30 Days of Watercolour

Join me during the hot Japanese summer holidays. From August 1st to the 31st, I'll be painting the world around me each day. Inspired by Cynthia Koo's class on Skillshare "How To Start (And Finish!) Your Very Own 365 Day..."  

Here's a bit more information about this 30 day challenge.
What is my project?
I'll be painting one watercolour illustration a day for 30 days to build a fun and personal body of work.

What will the daily deliverable be?
I'll be posting one painting a day or a photo of a painting in progress. 
(Depending on the complexity of a painting it may take two days to complete. If this happens, I'll post a photo of the work in progress.)

When will I find time to fit in the time to paint?
I'm an ALT (assistant language teacher) here in Japan so even though it's the school summer holidays, I'll still be at school. 
I'll have plenty of time to sketch and paint at my desk. I've also taken leave for my 1st wedding anniversary so I'll get to paint as I go.

How will I keep motivated and accountable for 30 days?
I have a few fun ways to keep track of my project's progress which keeps me engaged, so I'll be using my 30 Day Progress Map. See below.
I also plan to blog and post on social media everyday.

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What will I do for the first few days? I've decided to only plan for the first 5 days, I'd rather it be spontaneous.
   Day 1 – Something I've been itching to paint! An octopus tentacle from my local supermarket.
   Day 2 – Naoshima, art island day 1 – Red Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama.
   Day 3 – Naoshima, art island day 2 - 1st wedding anniversary! Wedding rings.
   Day 4 – Naoshima, art island day 3 - Yellow Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama.
   Day 5 - Train station sign. My Japanese home town.

Why is this important to me?
I've only been painting for 3 months so I hope to improve my painting skills and build a body of work that has a personal touch.^__^) v

June, a Month of Months

The rainy season is in full swing and with all that rain and humidity I find myself spending more time at home, happily painting.

I've decided to start a personal project, an illustrated calendar full of things that make my life in Hiroshima a happy one. For this calendar, each month will have a dedicated illustration of a unique object that surrounds me in my everyday life. It's going to take me a while to decide on the project name, but currently the working title is either Hiroshima Life or That Hiroshima Flavor. Below are the illustrations for January and June so far.

The month of June will be dedicated to the intense rainy season, so I've painted water droplets on paper.

The month of January belongs to the quirkiest Japanese object, the daruma doll. These dolls are the ultimate way to reach your goals creatively. It's perfect for goal orientated folks and just looks great on your desk.


I also found it important to paint the following illustrations but I have yet to decide what to do with them.

Edamame is my favorite health snack, its so delicious and healthy even it's colour is just the loveliest green.

 

Oh, and you can never go wrong with chocolate ice cream. ^___^

May, a Month of Discovery

Welcome, this whole month of May has been quiet special really. Now, I've always been a digital 2D animator and illustrator so I was truly surprised earlier this month when I was hit square in the face with an overwhelming need to paint anything and everything with watercolours.   

What have I discovered this month?

• Interesting new paint colour names like Hooker's Green
• What brushes are made of
• Amazing artists
• Most of all I've discovered a love for painting

You're welcome to join me as I work towards improving and learning more.

Jim Kay's painting of Hagrid really kicked off my interest in watercolours,
I just wanted to try and paint it and ended up having a great time.

I'd been on a Harry Potter high and so decided to practice painting a box of Bertie Bott's every flavoured beans.

For my husband's 29th birthday I painted a bottle of Marmite. He truly loves the stuff. Him moving to Japan, where Marmite is a foreign concept goes to show just how much he loves me.(^-^)

 This is Loki, he is my first pet portrait. Painted for a friend who lives far far away.

An Etegami inspired postcard, in anticipation for the rainy season here in Japan, from June to July.

 Here's my obligatory first watercolour strawberry.^^ I've learned a TON from this painting.