My head is full of memories from my younger years on the farm. Many of these memories revolve around cows. Dignified. Patient. Stable. Persevering. Tolerant. Pragmatic. None of these words have even the slightest thing to do with cows. At least not the cows I’ve known.

Next year, however, is the Year of the Ox (丑年). It seems a shame to depict a cow honestly - slow, lazy, gassy and mindnumbingly stupid - when we’re supposed to be celebrating the critter. So, I cast aside my own personal impressions and anti-bovine prejudices and set out to create an idealized cow. An Ox for the ages. A creature, mythic and proud, that all other cows could endeavor to be.

Apparently, that cow is covered in gold. It also joins a growing collection of animals and creatures in my work that seem to represent some sort of spiritual or mythological significance. Bamboo is a good omen for the New Year, symbolizing unbreaking resilience and speedy growth. It is telling that the bamboo and the ox are one.

Incidentally, the title of this piece came very close to being “Red Bull”. I was really tired.

The important news:
I will be at the Gallery on Thursday 9/4 and Saturday 9/6.

If you’re in the area and would like to stop by for a chat, it’s best to come in the afternoon. I should be there around 12pm Thursday and 1pm Saturday. I hope some you can make it to the show! Saturday the 6th is the last day.

You can see the photos from the show up on my Flickr account now. My wonderful wife was handling the camera, which is why they are mostly pictures of me. I’m afraid she’s quite taken with me. I did manage to get some pictures of the gallery and the artwork though. I’ve spared everyone the pictures from later in the evening, when the combination of lack of sleep, caffeine, beer, sake, and wine did their dastardly work. You can thank me at your leisure.

I’ve learned a few important things from this show. First, it’s great to work locally. The final piece for the show was finished at 6am the day of the show. I’m very happy with the way it came out. My fingers, on the other hand, would have preferred I had gotten more sleep. They are still healing.

Even more importantly, I recently discovered a great framer right nearby my house. He’s a tiny old dude in a small, easy-to-miss shop in Denenchofu with a surprisingly gorgeous selection of frames. He seriously reminds me of Yoda. But maybe that’s because he lectures me every time I go into the shop. I apparently have much to learn about making art.

Check out the traditional Japanese frame around “Traveling Cloak”. It’s a beautiful, rich red and brown wood, with some gold in the corners around the floral designs. Very simple and breathtaking. It’s a work of art itself.

The distressed wood frames around the postcard-sized pieces are great too. I found those at a wood working exposition a few months ago when searching through flea markets for traditional frames. A young woman (whose name I can’t remember right now) makes them from old chairs on a farm in Chiba, just east of Tokyo. It’s amazing the sorts of things I stumble on in this city.

Summer is a time of relaxation and long, lazy days on the beach or floating in the pool. Unless you happen to be me, in which case summer seems to be the busiest time of the year. My work is in a record three gallery shows this August. That’s 2 more shows than I was in all last year.

1. For the first time since coming to Japan, my work will show in a gallery, and I will be there for the opening reception!

If you’re in Tokyo, I hope you can stop by to say HI! and take a look at some of my newest cut paper work. There are six other Japanese and American artists in the show, and I can’t wait to see the amazing work everyone has done. Here are the details:

Name: 「SPACE ＆ NATURE」(believe me, the name sounds much cooler in Japanese)
Place: Gallery kópis 
(near Kiyosumi-shirakawa station, Tokyo)
ph. 03-5639-2381
1-2-12 1F Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0021
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 30th from 6pm
Dates: August 30 - September 6, 2008 (Gallery closed on Tuesday, the 2nd)
Time: 11am to 7pm (from 1pm on the 8th, until 5pm on the 14th)
I will be there for the opening reception and all day Sunday the 31st (probably). I will likely be there at least one more day during the week, but I don’t know when just yet.
Gallery kopis site

some more info on my blog

2. “Paper Pushers”, an annual group show with all works on paper, is open until September 6, 2008 at Gallery 1988 San Francisco. Nearly 40 talented artists have produced 200 pieces of amazing and affordable art on paper for the show. A number of my pieces have already sold, so if you’re interested, get in touch with the gallery quick as you can.

You can read about the show here

See the online preview here

Thank you,
Patrick

みなさん、こんにちは！
 
夏と言えば、海辺やプールで長い１日を優雅に過ごす人が多いのでないでしょうか？私にとってはこの夏は例外だったようで、今年で一番忙しい季節になってしまいました。８月１ヶ月だけで３ヶ所のギャラリーにて（新記録！）出展することになり、この時点で既に昨年１年の展示記録を２件も上回りました。

「宇宙と自然展」（日本では初めてのギャラリー展示！）
外国人と日本人のアーティスト７名によるグループ・ショーです。展示期間中に東京にいらっしゃったらぜひお立ち寄り頂き、私の最新作品をご覧ください！私自身、その他６名の素晴らしいアーティストの作品を鑑賞できることを楽しみにしています。

テーマ：宇宙と自然展
場所：ギャラリー「コピス」　清澄白河駅から徒歩３分
期間：２００８年８月３０日（土）−９月６日（土）＊９月２日火曜日は定休日
時間：午前１１時　−　午後７時（初日は午後１時から開館、最終日は午後５時で閉館）
オープニング・パーティ：８月３０日（土）午後６時から　＊簡単なスナックと飲み物があります。
ギャラリーのウェブサイト

私のブログでも紹介しています（英語）

私は初日のオープニング・パーティと翌日８月３１日の日曜日（終日）ギャラリーにいます（翌週平日も１日もギャラリーにいると思います）。小規模なショーですが、お近くに来られる機会があれば（なくても）ぜひお立ち寄りください！
2.  「Paper Pushers（ペーパー・プッシャーズ）」
毎年開催される「紙」を基本とする作品のグループ・ショーです。サンフランシスコにある「Gallery 1988」にて２００８年９月6日まで展示中です。４０名の才能あふれるアーティストが本展示のために約２００点の作品を創出しました。私も作品を多数出展し、お陰様で既に数点お買い上げ頂きました。展示作品の中でご興味のある作品がありましたら、ギャラリーまでご連絡ください。

ブログにて本展示の紹介をしています

出展作品はこちらのURLからオンラインでご覧頂けます

Today…today is historic. Epoch-making. The universe quakes in antici…pation.

For the first time since coming to Japan, my work will show at a gallery, and I WILL BE THERE.

At the opening reception, you can chat with me and I will regale you with tales of paper and cutting. And maybe, if you’re really lucky, of my childhood on a farm. And, since I’ve been a bit of a teetotaler lately (not by intent, I assure you), you might get to see me bump into a wall or say something mind-numbingly inappropriate! Oh, the excitement!

Here are the details:

Name: 「SPACE ＆ NATURE」(believe me, the name sounds much cooler in Japanese)

Place: Kópis Gallery (http://www.g-kopis.com/)
near Kiyosumi-shirakawa station, Tokyo baby!
ph. 03-5639-2381
1-2-12 1F Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0021

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 30th from 6pm

Dates: August 30 - September 6, 2008 (Gallery closed on Tuesday, the 2nd)
Time: 11am to 7pm (from 1pm on the 8th, until 5pm on the 14th)

I will be there for the opening reception and all day Sunday the 31st (probably). I will likely be there at least one more day during the week, but I don’t know when just yet.

Here’s a link to the gallery (all in Japanese!)

And here’s a map (also in Japanese).

English directions from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa station: Just use exit A3, when you finish climbing the stairs take a left and then an another immediate left. When you hit the road, go right and the Kopis Gallery will be on the next corner. It’s like, a 3-minute walk.

Now, I have to get back to cutting paper, or the walls will be very blank. Space indeed.

They exist detached from society; a shadow people slipping silently through the darkness, nothing more than a fury glimpsed out the corner of the eye.

But in their quiet moments, their silent vigils, they blend into their surroundings, becoming more a part of their world than we could ever hope to be.

“A Black Moon Rises” is Japanese washi paper mounted on a shikishi calligraphy board. The gold of the moon is even shinier, and somehow more subtle in person (it seems like there’s a super-thin layer of paper on top of the foil…a really interesting, soft effect). To fit the theme, the frame is a traditional Japanese cloth frame, also in gold. You can see the framed image at the bottom of this post.

This piece was made for Gallery 1988 SF’s Paper Pushers group show. And what a magnificent show it is. I can’t even begin to say how impressed I am by the vast range of talent and imagination on display. I’m also thrilled that I’ve managed to sell a couple pieces on opening night. Here’s hoping the rest of the run continues this success.

The other pieces in the show are: Fierce Nekomata and the Skull of Goemon, We All Laugh Together, Now I Got Worry (StressMonkey), Flung Wide Open to the Snarl, Down On the Bottom Again, I Will Stitch Myself a New Fur Coat, Night Whistling, That Which is Always Missing, and And the Moon Was Held Prisoner in His Chest.

You can see the entire show online here. If you have the chance to see the work in person, you definitely should jump at it. Art is always so much more impressive in person.

Speaking of impressive, these are some of my faves (and it was hard to pick just a few):
David Habben
Julian Callos
Laura Laine
Roland Tamayo
and of course, Noferin

I just realized that it’s been a long, long time since I’ve worked on anything with this many pointy teeth. Thank goodness for ToyQube and their Sharky vinyl toy. Since ToyQube has lifted the embargo on showing art and custom toys for it’s 4th Anniversary Party and Sharky Show at the Sullivan Room in NYC on August 15th, I am now free to let my Shiny friend free on the world.

And he is shiny. Sparkly too, even though you need to see him in person to really appreciate the shimmering. In my personal life, I’m not a real big fan of gold (the color, I mean. I adore the element. Feel free to send me as much real gold as your heart desires). Recently, however, I’ve come into possession of a plethora of sharkly, shiny, luminescent, and just plain gold papers. And suddenly I feel the urge to use them. Could I be entering my “gold period”?

I can’t make the show (not until someone works out economical teleportation technology), but that’s no reason for all y’all not to have a great time. If you want to see some of the amazing custom Sharky vinyl toys, I highly recommend going to the Kidrobot forums.

Show details:
ToyQube’s 4th Anniversary Party (and Sharky Show!)
August 15th, 2008
RSVP only 7 - 10 PM
RSVP at rsvp[at]toyqube[dot]com
Open to the public after 10pm
Sullivan Room
218 Sullivan St.
New York, NY 10012-1354
212.252.2151

The opening reception is 7-10 pm on 8.15.08
The show runs until 9.06.08

I’m really excited about this show, because the ten cut paper pieces are some of my favorites to ever hang in a gallery. Of course, I think that about every show, so don’t take my word for it. Check it out yourself. Some of the artwork can be seen on the blog now (like We All Laugh Together, but I’ve done some brand new work just for this show! Here’s a quick tease (check out all that shiny, shiny gold!):

Together with ToyQube’s Sharky Show, I’ve got both coasts wrapped up that weekend! If you want to see both, you had better charter your jet today.

The first event is ToyQube’s 4th Anniversary Party and Sharky Show! That’s right, it’s a PARTY! At the Sullivan Room in NYC on August 15th! And I will, as usual, be sitting at home in Tokyo while everyone else in the world has fun at the extravaganza. But that’s alright. You go have fun. Don’t worry about me. I will comfort myself with sushi.

Chief amongst the festivities, ToyQube asked fifty-odd artists, including myself, to contribute customized Sharky vinyl toys (designed by Keith Poon)and/or Sharky-influenced artwork to the show. Since I still haven’t figured out how to wrap paper neatly around vinyl, my piece will hang nicely on a wall. Here is a sneak peak at the art:
Read on for details…

Online Toy design central, Vinyl Pulse, is an official sponsor of the event, and will likely have sneak peaks of the custom toys as August 15th draws closer. Keep in mind, the show is only a one-night event! Don’t miss the revelry! Event Info:

ToyQube’s 4th Anniversary Party (and Sharky Show!)
August 15th, 2008
RSVP only 7 - 10 PM
RSVP at rsvp[at]toyqube[dot]com
Open to the public after 10pm
Sullivan Room
218 Sullivan St.
New York, NY 10012-1354
212.252.2151

And here’s the artist roster:

I blame Global Warming for the lack of new, bizarre critters gracing this blog (and my apartment). And no, I’m not just complaining about the sudden and brutal onset of summer here in Tokyo (seriously, we went straight from rainy and clammy to hot and humid, shooting past all those nice days in between. Not fair!).

TIME (the magazine, not the slow grind of the ages), asked me to provide an illustration for their special report on the G-8 summit for the July 14 Asia edition, depicting what Japan can do to help stop global warming. You can see the final artwork above. Notice the Asia-centric globe. My brain kept trying to slide North America back into the center.

The first version is below. While I still hold the burning red planet dear to my heart, I completely understand why the magazine made the choice it did. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to introduce more color, which helps to define the sumo’s fundoshi (his pants). And I’ve got to admit, the torn paper glow around the planet worked out very nicely indeed.

I always find it interesting how a project develops conceptually. So, here are a couple of sketches along the way. Bits or ideas may find their way into my work at some other point:

The first idea was to use a samurai. While everyone liked the idea of slicing down the smokestacks, another illo in the same issue used a similar concept. Bummer.

Here, our intrepid sumo fights a fire creature. The other option was smashing a thermometer.

And finally, the samurai returns, doing battle with a creature born of car exhaust. While I like this one too, I think the sumo with the fan gets right to the heart of the struggle with global warming, rather than it’s various and nefarious symptoms.

• A Huge Thank-You goes out to Matt Dawson for nominating me for the “Brillante Weblog Premio-2008″ award…thingy. Rest assured, Matt, that I am honored to receive this award, and will drop by asap to claim my solid gold statuette. Which will then be dismembered, melted down and sold to pay for my rent and the paper which is my life-blood.
• Startdrawing.org was started with the aim of showcasing and sharing drawings from talented artists in Asia, and in the process, promote the joys of drawing. Mark Deutsch contacted me a little bit ago, asking if he could profile my work on the site. It’s so nice to be asked. You can read the profile here.
• The first batch of postcards shipped out a few days ago. Thanks to everyone who ordered a pack. I appreciate the support! I couldn’t make art without you. On a side note, I was wondering if anyone out there was interested in packs of individual cards (ie: 5 or 10 copies of “Hitching a Ride on the Breathe of Fortune”) as opposed to the current variety pack. If enough people are, I will gladly add them to the shop.
• “Everyone In Together“, the current group show at Gallery 1988 San Francisco ends today! If you happen to be in the SF area, drop by to check out the scads of great work. If you’re interested in purchasing any of my pieces in the show, you can ring up the gallery at (415) 409-1376.

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