Tag Archives: select social post

At Work, Autumn 2005.

November 28, 2007Art, Completed, Journal, Processartist at work, creative process, dragon, dragon series process, select social post, thoughts on creativity, traditional japanYuko

Photo#1: Self Portrait – 31Oct05. A selfie before there was “selfie”, was meant as a snapshot taken for myself, as a record of things going well on the test version of “Dragon Series”, the fragmented / deconstructed dragon, a blueprint roughly drawn with fabric marker, creating “flow” good enough that made me smile.

Originally posted on my website which used to have different URL, sometime in 2006, then on Flickr in 2014. With those uploads I photoshopped/trimmed out the clutter – it was shortly before moving out, but this time you get the full picture – nearly untouched / minimum edits, messy as a part of the story.

Photo#2: Wall Decor – Oct05. Also a snap of my apartment wall.  
The drawing is one of the ‘study’ sketches of the dragon below, the print from Redon exhibit I traveled to see in Gifu, and a few impressive leaves I collected, all somehow translated into the piece above.
Honorable mention: I have a special fondness for wire hungers and clothespins. The one on far right facing the pic is from Italy, and so far the most durable. The top three on wire are classic Japanese bamboo pins, they are also very sturdy but I haven’t seen them in stores for some time.

Photo#3: Dragon Carving – photographed circa 1998 at a shrine down the street, where I used to swing by in the morning and practice drawing the dragons even just for 5 minutes, before heading out to catch a commuter train packed like sardines in a glass jar, carrying a purse heavy with books (mostly materials to aid unblocking my creativity), a journal, a sketch book, pens, pencils, a sharpner, swim gear, lunch, a mini disc player…

Now that I am on the subject please allow me to elaborate…..
In 2002-2003 I painted the first dragon dress using the acid dye, spent about a year painting it and messed up over-applying the dye. Couldn’t wash off excess dye. The “failed” piece became the threat, a potential source of air bound dye particles. Had to throw that one out. So disappointed I nearly threw the whole thing out.
(Special shout-out to Mr.S from the dye material store in Tokyo for going out of his way to give me his constructive criticism to the 2003 me nearly in despair, along with all the encouraging know-hows since around 1998.)

What you see in Pic#1 is me working on the second try – the semi-abstraction on the test piece I worn is “flowing”, but when I painted with dye it looked like was drawn with a felt marker, which was not what I was after.
In 2006 finally “got” it the 3rd time (if included the first dress painted with pigment marker on rayon/poly, this would be the 4th try) – the year I worked on 3 pieces – Aqua Dragon Dress 1, Aqua Dragon Dress 2 and Indigo Dragon Top.

Why am I telling you all this – mostly as an encouragement in case it’s needed. 
I am getting good at what I do, in other words I like where I am at but it wasn’t done overnight. I had to practice, make lots of mistakes, and while at it hold the vision and believe in it all by myself, simply because no one else could see it, it was my vision.
Believe in what I alone can see and keeping at it thru thick/ thin/ fine/ foul, when what is happening in the current is anywhere near where I wanted to get to. That probably was the hardest part of the whole process. Made me stronger though. And proud, in a way nothing can take that away from me.

Additional Note on March 23, 2022:

“Is your dad Poseidon and is that a pyramid?”

Me: no and no.

Since early on, I sensed what was there but not visible, a form of floating vibe / energy / emotions.
I was an empath before there was ‘empath’.
What I try to depict is what’s sensed combined with what’s seen. Bring the “hidden” to surface.
…And be hated – worry not tho, I am being funny mostly.

The triangle, bottom-left of me facing the pic, is a calendar falling off – as mentioned above, I was packing to move. Calendar had pictures of wild horses, their mane was what I used to draw dragon’s flowing, um, hair..?

Poseidon’s daughter Lamia, in Greek mythology, was a half-lady, half-snake creature with a sorrowful history. I didn’t know anything about her until someone pointed out to me.
In contrast, I am a common human female down the street. doing her clumsy best in this strange world of ours.

History:
Written / compiled 19~21Feb22, published on 21Feb22.
March 23, 2022 – Additional Note added.
October 22, 2023 – Post date changed from October 31, 2005 at 18:38 (the top photo taken) to November 28, 2007 at 0:16 (when the version of the top photo was created for my website’s about page – the time stamp embed I dug up from the depth of digital files today)).

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An artist at work. — 2019.03.22 – Creative Process, September 2005.

Art is a Process, Revisited.

May 10, 2007Art, Diary, Journalartist at work, creative process, select social post, thoughts on creativity, wing dress processYuko

i would like it some day, somehow i become a master like this artist
flow in the jizou moment and leave behind me
a little something someone can sit by
and know that everything’s cool, if only for a little while.

– “it must be (love).” October 10, 2011, written about these masterpiece jizous.

All photos from a blog “art is a process” (on blogger/blogspot, 2007-2012).

How time flies.

I published the first post on May 10, 2007. It was titled “in the beginning there are scribbles.” It was about a new project “Wing Dress”, the idea conceived while on the train, April 27, 2007, according to the post.

This was, apart from a few posts I shared on Myspace earlier in the decade, my very first blogging experiment. Started out writing about anything that caught my attention along with how the Wing Dress project was growing in detail, a bit like a kid reporting to mom about her exciting new discoveries.

Excerpt is from one of my later posts, my personal favorite I wrote about the neighborhood Jizous that are carved so simply yet masterfully, the carver/artist “must have been in his Jizou moment when he did it”.

(Simple is hard. Nowhere to hide. What’s in you spills out whether you like it or not.)

I learned with each post, to write with audience in mind, share candidly but also selectively, as in, tap into what wants to be spoken and flow with it (i.e. in “Jizou moment”), knowing I will never know what exactly I did, if I got it right.
It is from me but not about me, which is a practice easier said but I aspire, to this day, every step of the way.

Published first on March 24, 2022 at 03:07.
Revised, with long text on June 13, 2023 at 00:44.

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Tracing wing drawing. — 2014.06.07 – Process in Pictures: Wing Dress (2007 – 2009)

Misty shore with a wave. — Process in Pictures: Wing Dress – Velocity (2009 – 2011)

Where Angels Dare to Tread

October 13, 2006Art, Diary, Journalart is psychology, artist studio, california, quote, select social post, self-portrait, thoughts on creativityYuko

“The path of love is a dynamic balance of opposites, a painful creative tension of uncertainties.”

All photos are of the apartment I lived in in Los Angeles, California, 1997. Initially posted on my website, possibly on MySpace and Flickr as well, around late 2006.

The jacket in the top pic is a meticulously patchworked circuit-board inspired abstract design, precursor to my “Dyed Threads” series. The piece is called “Mao Jacket”, as it was designed after the socialist Chinese uniform, there, my own variety of un-obvious socio-cultual commentary and conceptual twist in their budding stage. The person in mirror is my then-self, to whom I will give a warmest, sweetest bear hug after I’m done writing this.

The fancy text below the photo 1 is a line from “People of the Lie” (M Scott Peck, 1983, p.267, Chapter 7. The Danger and The Hope / A Methodology of Love).

The second from top is a snap shot of my dining table, in small kitchenette by the window where I did lots of stitching. My bestie Sofi who was a canine creature at the time of photographing used to take refuge beneath it. Facing right, half showing is one of my 2D abstract (acrylic on cardboard, 1995-ish), using lines in multiple colors attempting to depict Energy/Movements I see in my mind’s eye.

The last one is the view from the rooftop, taken on one of those warm southern California evening. I moved there in late 1980’s when West Hollywood Oki Dog was still in its original location. When there were not much tall buildings so the sky above greeted everyone open and wide, when the city of Angels itself was the wild side in its own right, offering the likes of me about a ton of spaces to jump in, be silly to the max, and push it to the edge. I am a firm believer that, if aspired to create beauty one cannot just look at pretty things in Light*. I wanted to feel the otherwise, come alive in it, not so that I will rot in a swamp but to survive it somehow and bring the experiences to the creative table where I’d stitch, draw, paint, freely envision while my toes resting on the soft thick coat of the beautiful creation I had the honor to share residence with; a potent reminder of what is True overseeing lovingly, the painfully petit existence of mine.

*Please be noted: what I share here is my experience. Each of us, as you may be well aware, is in charge of keeping oneself safe.
Simply because no-one else can know your strength: psychological, spiritual, physical, emotional and more. Knowing that oneself is hard enough. From my experience tho, my soul/heart would know, and to be guided from within I need only to ask. In order to sense/hear It’s subtle directions however, to the best of my ability, I’ve got to not lie to myself about the realities of my existence. That, between me and Me, I must enough-grasp, at very least not look away from, my own truth. Then I have the best chance at keeping myself “safe” – as Life is not always safe, and clutching onto safety too tightly it seems to negatively affect one’s creative freedom and quite paradoxically, punch security holes in the person’s existential firewall.

History

Published:
13Oct22 @20:32 JST
Edits:
16Oct22 Added the quote in fancy text.

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