From Paintings to Printed Cards

Have been a little busy trying to create the "perfect" cards from my original paintings. It's not as easy as it seems.  Painting, scanning, digital work, test prints, mock-ups, more test prints, adjustments, and etc.  But finally, they are done & fresh off the press, just in time for Valentine's Day and a tad before my upcoming exhibition.  I hope these little beauties brighten up your day as well as the person who receives them!  Available at Branches and Knots which is offering a special offer on them.  Please stop by if you are looking to add a special touch to a little something.

jodisam.com/loveart
branchesandknots.com

love art

What have I been working on and is coming soon? Why, it's my joint art exhibition, the first one show in Vancouver since 2010! Am honoured to be holding it with my talented & wonderful friend and artist Sleepless Kao (aka Kaori Kasai) and at the beautiful space of Branches & Knots in Kitsilano area of Vancouver.

Please come join us at our Opening Reception on Fri Feb 10 from 6 PM - 9 PM. There will be drinks & snacks along with a special sale on Branches & Knots merchandise. It runs until Tue Feb 28.

I'll be sharing the original blotted line drawing illustrations for “tokyo trend” report I did for The Bulletin Magazine and my popular “bubbles series” for the first time in North America.

Sleepless Kao (aka Kaori Kasai) is an artist-in-motion, who graduated from Setsu Mode of Tokyo in fashion illustration, travelled to live and work in San Francisco, Hong Kong, and now Vancouver. She has written and illustrated three children’s books, Monchan’s Bag, Emily and the Mighty Om and Duet for Simply Read Books, premiers her new original large paintings and limited edition prints.

https://www.facebook.com/events/735412966617341/

Happy 2017 & En

A Very Happy & Sparkling 2017 to my friends from all over!! Added some golden splashes to mark the special occasion! Also, えん for 縁 and all comes full circle. This was what I wanted to paint/write for 2016--thanking the universe & loved ones for all the en I have and will have received.

Purple for wine and gold for sparkles?! Hahaha......

Merry Christmas - Ain Soph Aur

It's a day late but, Merry Christmas Everyone! Wishing you a beautiful holiday season full of joy, laughs, and sparkles!! Ain Soph Aur means “Limitless Light” in Hebrew, from the Kabbalah—Tree of Life.  Transcending beliefs and backgrounds, since we are wonderful & different, May Limitless Light Be With Us All!!

I learnt the phrase a little while ago. I loved it so much that I dug up my calligraphy pen nibs from high school to hand write it out and then later incorporated it into my holiday greeting! As for the blue bubbles they were painted with Vancouver's rain/snow as the inspiration. Am lucky to have grown up in a multicultural city with people of all sorts of background, and had the same wonderful experience in my 6 1/2 years in Tokyo. Thank you and really, Happy Holidays!!

Warmest,
Jo

A New Chapter - Vancouver

I haven't been updating my blog at all these days, and even with my other social accounts, there aren't many images of my new work.  Why?  Well, have been extremely busy working on something that required more time, energy and effort than first thought.  After 6 1/2 years in Tokyo, I made the big move to relocated back to Vancouver, Canada to set up my new home studio!!

The past 6 1/2 years have been more than amazing and am forever grateful of everyone and everything that has made it possible!  Words cannot express my gratitude, and this experience definitely has made me a better person--creatively and body & soul.  Tokyo will always be my second home!

On my last day before my big move I visited Meiji-jingu, Meiji Shrine, one of my favourite places in Tokyo.  Despite being located in the crowded area of Harajuku, it is of zen, serenity and a quick great escape from the hectic city life.  Currently, the main building is going under rebuilding, and the shrine is offering a chance to donate to the cause by purchasing a copper plate will be used under it's traditional tiled roof that one can write a personalized message.

How can I miss this wonderful opportunity? And my message: May Love Energy Flow be with us all--Always, of course!! Hahaha......

With this message at heart, I am starting a new chapter!  The top image is a collage of pictures I took while back in Vancouver.  Though it is "home" am rediscovering it every day!!  Please come join me in this exciting journey and thank you!!  And watch this space, as there will be more about my new home studio soon!

Aura Aroma Salon

Have always loved beautiful scents, the wondrous healing power of crystals, and self-care, from inside out, and outside in.

So, when my amazingly talented friend, an internationally certified esthetician & aromatherapist, Chiharu finally opened her new private salon AURA (by appointment only) in the beginning of October, I was the first one to book and receive her relaxing treatment!! Amongst the number of treatments she offers, her holistic Esalen® Massage and Mary Nelson's Original LaStone® Facial & Body Treatments, which are still rare but highly sought after in Japan. I just love the name, AURA.

Chiharu is one of the few who infuses traditional approaches with aromatherapy essential oils and crystals. And I must say, my full body massage was just what I needed to get me prepped for my next big project! What's more is that she carries a number of beauty brands and products the are salon exclusives and not easy to find. I too became a converted fan! One of my favourites is the Soluna (know as Lunasol outside of Japan) Energetic Spray that even contains alchemical gold solution along with a beautiful mixture of essential oils. It "removes tension from the air, and promotes deep, calm breathing, creates a positive and creative atmosphere for mind and spirit, and when sprayed on to your pillow, gives you a relaxed sleep". Isn't that what we all need?

Her salon is situated in the relaxing area of Hiroo in Tokyo, and just 2 minutes away from the station. Please do visit her website for more information, which is only in Japanese right now, but she is hoping to have the English version done soon:

www.aura-aroma.com/

Superfoods & Aromatic Accents

Realized that it has been over 3 months since my last blog post.  I have to admit, I feel amazingly guilty......though I have been updating my Instagram account.  So, will finally share here my more recent work of superfoods & aromatic accents, lavender & hinoki--Japanese cypress.  Most of these were used in my "tokyo trend" reports.  Food has always been a big part of my life, especially healthy ones.

Have been very fortunate to be living in Tokyo for the past 6 1/2 years, cause Japanese produce is really fresh & delicious, plus some (sometimes imported) superfoods, have been having super healthy meals!

tokyo trend Update

My first "tokyo trend" report for the Bulletin magazine was for their Jun 2014 issue.  Fast forward to Oct 2016, "tokyo trend" will be taking a break.  I am known to be a hermit at times, but this absence has nothing to do with that.  Am working on something rather sudden & major right now, and will be announcing it once it is ready.

The above are my Oct 2016 and Jul 2016 reports: no-romantic sheers and backpack & midi skirt.  It's been a lot fun writing, illustrating for the Bulletin, focusing on what's new & popular in Tokyo and reporting back to Canada. I hope you all had enjoy reading the reports as much as I have enjoyed creating them!!  Thank you!!

BARAKA x JS - Moon Beauty

BARAKA x JS for Moon Beauty featured in BARAKA Bi-monthly Digital Magazine

Here's a first look at the special column written about how to maximize our beauty routines with the moon's cycle.  Written by internationally renowned and distinguished astrologist, Stella Kaoruko, regarding the powers and effects of each month's New and Full Moons.  Available exclusively to BARAKA members.  My "the stars" and the new "the moons" series are used in this digital magazine, which am so humbled to be a part of.

baraka-style.com

Jalk Coffee

Knowing how much I love coffees and homemade desserts, a friend recommended me to visit a coffee cafe & roaster with her located in the Eifukucho area (the closest station being Nishi-Eifuku) of the Keio Inokashira line. Eifukucho is actually a buzzing up and coming food center, packed with lots of excellent little places for foodies all over Tokyo.

My first visit to Jalk Coffee (pronounced Yalk Coffee) was a little over a month ago.  At the time just as they do every day, the cafe's owners, a very nice husband and wife team, and their staff were quietly hand dripping coffees, and explaining in detail about each of their own roasted coffee blends and lovely cakes.  Another plus, is the prices are very reasonable.  For example, a hand dripped coffee is 500 yen a cup, but the a refill is only an extra 200 yen, and you can choose a different blend.  We didn't get to try their seasonal coffee jelly.  I know it might sound suspicious, but trust me, coffee jelly is a common and very delicious dessert here in Japan.  So, it was decided that we'll have to go back again before the summer is over.

Just this week, we made our way back to Jalk Coffee for their handcrafted coffee jelly with ice cream--I am not joking when I said handcrafted.  The owner made it with a special coffee blend, and lovingly scooped the jelly from pan into the glass bowl, as with the ice cream, which was specifically chosen for its perfect balance of richness and sweetness.  However, upon hearing that their pudding (flan) was also limited, we ordered that too!

The atmosphere, the lighting, and the quality of service, food & drinks, are all that you want for a small, stylish, yet welcoming cafe.  It's the perfect place to have a conversation with a friend, or to daydream by yourself--over a cup of great coffee of course!  I made it a point to share a picture of their coffee cup, because the cups are one of their signatures.  Heard from the owners that they like porcelain Danish drink ware, especially from Royal Copenhagen.  During my first visit, there was an exhibition on at that time, and I was honestly jealous of the artist who got to show his works there.  I actually said that to the owner.  Am sure these two visits would not be my last!!

Please visit them if you ever have the chance, it's all worth it for making a trip out to Eifukucho.  And save room for desserts, even you don't have a sweet tooth!

www.jalkcoffee.com

Egg Tart, Pineapple Bun & Other Goodies

I grew up having lots of Hong Kong style baked goods, fresh out of the oven.  Have always loved bread more than noodles, pasta, and rice.  When I was visiting home back in spring, I took lots of pictures of the real thing, so that I can paint my own.  Yes, these goodies are what I miss terribly when am in Tokyo.

Above is my rendition of the flaky yet smooth egg tarts, soft and well-balanced spongecake, and the oh-so-sweet and gooey--in a good way, coconut/cocktail bun.  Below, the famous pineapple bun that never contained any pineapple and got its name only from looking like one, and the sweet and savory BBQ pork bun.

If you ever get a chance to try any one of these, be sure to have it with a cup of strong and rich Hong Kong style coffee or milk tea!!

JS Blotted Line Drawing Supplies

I've posted and even did a PechaKucha presentation about how I create my blotted line drawings (jodisam.com/blog/2014/04/07/blotted-line-drawing-aries/ and jodisam.com/blog/pechakucha-from-daydreams-to-ink-and-pixels/). Thought that it would be interesting to share with you some of the supplies I use for my works, cause am a rather particular & habitual person and insist on using certain items.  The following are an essential part of my so-called "art kit".

Every year when I visit home, I always bring back a couple of things with me.  The first is Clearprint's Design Vellum that is made of 100% cotton fiber.  I know that there are many types of tracing paper available here in Japan, but this is the only one I have used for my blotted line creations.  I find Clearprint's Design Vellum clear and thick enough for tracing and blotting, especially because it is made of cotton fiber.  Just love natural materials.

The second is tape--low tack masking tape, or painter's tape.  I used 3M Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape for Delicate Surfaces for a number of years until this February when I discovered Frogtape Delicate Surface Painter's Tape!  It was only when my art supply store ran out of the 3M one I went to Home Depot store to buy it, and when I was speaking with a staff there that he recommended Frogtape to me.  I must use low tack tape to secure my tracing/blotting paper and watercolour paper to a board in order for me to blot my illustrations with ease and be able to completely remove the tape after the blotting is finished and inked dried.  Even with the most low tack tape, the watercolour paper can still sometimes rip when the tape is being removed.  But I have to say that with Frogtape, such damages happen less.

For pen nibs, I mainly use Speedball Hunt Globe Bowl Pointed 513EF (for regular lines) and Zebra Mapping No. 2586 (for fine lines).  I have a number of nibs, but somehow always reach for these two.  For ink, it has to be Platinum Carbon Ink in Black. I swear by this waterproof, lightfast, pigment-based carbon ink!  I get the darkest, waterproof lines from it, and one bottle lasts forever.

In terms of paper, I don't use top-of-the-line watercolour paper, though I would love to, simply because of the unpredictability of blotting.  I don't know how many sheets of paper I have thrown out because of too much ink and other silly mistakes that comes with this method of illustrating.  I like a true white, somewhat textured, grained paper, and of what is available in Japan, I choose to use Canson Montval Watercolour Paper that is cold pressed, 100% cellulose, and of good weight (300g).  It does have its limitations where I cannot do too many washes with it, but considering the type of painting I do, it currently fits my needs best.

For watercolours, I just tube paints from a number of makers: Schmincke Horadam (my favourite, though most expensive), Maimeri MaimeriBlu, Winsor & Newton, Holbein, and so on.  And lastly, I use traditional Japanese & Chinese brushes, not the typical western watercolour ones.  They are of a bamboo body, with natural fiber hairs.  This makes them light, and enables them to pick up and distribute colours beautifully.  They help me bring my work to life.  I think it's also because they were the first brushes I ever used when I was a child, and I never really gotten away from them......

Well, this is a pretty long and extensive list.  I hope it gives you more insight into with what I create my illustrations with, since most of the work you see here are digital images of the actual paintings.  Am old school--I love love love things that are tangible and have depth, texture, look & feel to them.  Below is the finished painted that has been scanned and ready for my "tokyo trend" report for Jun 2016!

Retro Sweet Tooth - Koppepan

A little late in posting, since it's already mid-month, but here's my Mar tokyo trend report: retro sweet tooth. Simple childhood memories are making retro school meal items desirable again. Koppepan, plain bread rolls, with various fillings is one of them--especially sweet ones with customizable options!

Am Yours, So Be Mine

Am yours, so be mine!  Happy Valentines'!!

love energy & flow II

While on my quest of finding things to "embody" my love energy & flow mantra, I went to Etsy looking for items that would do just that. One of them was a pair of Sugilite (a beautiful purple stone) earrings, which after lots of searching, failed to click with me. So, I decided to make my own and ended up meeting Lari & John of Movingrock, who offer some of the amazing hand-cut loose stones I have ever seen.

Lari & John is a wonderful couple with over 30 years of experience as a jeweller (Lari) and a lapidary--a artisan gemstone cutter (John). Unfortunately, their home-workshop was burnt to the ground in 2013, and Lari can no longer make jewellery, which I have seen pictures of and are impressively beautiful.

After hearing their story, I ended up purchasing a pair of Sugilite stones, and 3 loose cabochons--1 Moonstone with Purple schiller (sheen), 1 Moonstone with Pink schiller, and 1 Lavender Quartz. The schillers of the Moonstones are hard to tell from the pictures, but they are amazing in person. The Lavender Quartz (the biggest stone and on the left) is really wonderful, not only because of its warm purple colour with a touch of golden glow within and a star that shows itself when light shines on it, but the story behind the original rough stone as well.  Here it is in her own words:

"I made jewelry for over 25 years - all fabricated, silver and 18k. I lived and breathed to make jewelry and dreamed I was working as I slept, then I would get up and make what I designed in my dream. (After the fire) we couldn't afford to replace mine (workshop). We had to replace John's - our livelihood depended on it. This is our sole income - we are in our 60's and after our home and shops burned, we had to start all over. Not what we had in mind ;~), but life gives you what it does.

The lavender quartz, John and I mined ourselves probably 20 years ago. The site can no longer be accessed as all the old logging roads have been moved, or more often removed altogether......

As luck would have it, I had moved a box of stones over to what was my brother's house (now ours) we were care-taking it for him, and I worked here and had my photo booth set up. We didn't have high speed internet at our old house. It burned to the ground along with our shops in July 2013. We lost everything but the box of stones I had moved. And the lavender quartz survived the fire as it was buried in a flower bed in coffee cans!"

Their story was so inspirational and encouraging that I had to share it with everyone. Please do check out their items--they are really lovely, and Lari & John is one of the nicest couples I have ever met! It's a blessing being to wear their stones:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/movingrock

Now about the ring, I once again asked Youzan & his team to set the amazing stones into a pinky ring. I never thought that I would wear, let along request a customization of, a pinky ring, but it felt like the right finger to wear Lari & John's stones.  The 3 stones were set into a branch-like band of gold vermeil to match the other rings I have from Youzan. When I first saw the finished ring, which was so gorgeous--the detail, the comfort of the fit, the balance of the setting, that I couldn't stop praising them for the excellent job they had done!

It looks like am wearing the bubbles I painted recently on my fingers--hence the second last picture. Thank you very much for making my dream bubble, 3-stoned "love energy & flow" ring into a reality! Again, here is the link to their store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/youzan

The last picture is of the Sugilite earrings which is something I put together with 10K gold wires and beads.  Am really happy with the results, and both Lari & John and Youzan & team agree too!  Hahaha......here's to love energy & flow!!

Keeping Warm - Haramaki & Bunny Slippers

For my Feb tokyo trend report: waist warmers--haramaki. I personal wear one at home, and a thinner, black cotton one under my winter clothes when am out.  Am also posting some work-in-progress photos as well! Enjoy and stay warm everyone!!