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.

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

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

“Hitching a Ride on the Breathe of Fortune”, “Koi Kihagaki”, “Gravity and the Rebellious Stone”, A Slothful Mind Wanders, and Heavy is the Head that Bears the Brain.

Get a pack of all five cards for $6 US (or ¥600). Or save a few bucks and get the 10 pack for $10 (¥1000), and get 2 of each card. One to mail, one to cherish for all time.

The fiercely playful Nekomata (猫叉) joins my hoard of Yokai today. When I first came to Japan, I wondered why so many cats were completely lacking in tails. I guessed that they might be a strangely stubby local breed. It turns out that the owners cut off the tails when the cat is a kitten so it won’t turn into a nekomata, a “forked-cat”.

How a cat becomes a nekomata (or any kind of bake-neko / monster cat) is…odd. And downright ungrateful. If a cat is fed in the same place for a certain number of years, it turns evil. It then grows to rather unusual size, walks around on its hind legs, plays with dangerously magical fireballs (or dangerously fiery magic balls?), and can transform into a human. Most creepily, they are said to be able to re-animate the dead and control them like puppets. Big, ooky, used-to-be-your-best-friend puppets. (image details below the bump)

From a creative standpoint, this piece made me realize something very, very important. Thinking “For my next piece, I want to do something quick and fun!”, is the surest way to guarantee that I will be spending days and days wracking my brains on how to get that piece done. Nekomata fought me nearly every step of the way, particularly when it came to color. For some reason, I hit a massive wall when trying to pick the right color scheme. Ghostly, yet fun. Creepy, yet light and funky. I’m very happy with the way my kitty turned out, but, man, I got scratched alot. Thank goodness for the hours of amusement my bony friends provided. Poor Goemon, I think he’s getting dizzy, being batted around like that.

These are the three pieces I have hanging in the show, and I couldn’t be prouder of them, or the company which they are currently keeping. All three are available for purchase, so if you’re interested, give the gallery a call!
You can see the whole dang show online here! Or, better yet, mosey on down to SF to bask in their full glory.
Check out the individual blog entries:
The Electric Narwhal
The Plain One
All the Little Things Said

There’s nothing quite so rejuvenating as sharing a joke, laugh or punchline with our friends. It really is the best therapy I know. Mix in a decent, full-size cup of coffee and I’m set to jump back into the grind (pun not intended…but I did smirk when I noticed it). Of course, not all of us can carry our support group around with us wherever we go. Nor would we want to. I’m betting that this bunch can get pretty rowdy. They just have that look about them.

Incidentally, my one, big, current pet-peeve about Japan is teensy-tiny half-full cups of coffee. When I order coffee, I want a mug. A real mug. A mug that puts a person in jeopardy of a broken wrist if they lift it wrong. Not an espresso cup that’s only filled half-way up. Especially if I’m paying ¥600 (about 6 bucks) for it. Back in the US, I almost never went to any of the big chain coffee shops. I was always lucky enough to find a local place with great coffee, and usually for about a buck. Here, I am reduced to Starbucks. Ah well, I shouldn’t complain. I’ve seen coffee run higher than $10 a cup here. Like during the great Blue Mountain scandals of the early 1990’s. Now that was good for a laugh!

Just about every culture has their trickster myths. In Japan, there are plenty. The ghosts all tend to be mischievous. Animals transform themselves into humans at whim, playing us bipeds for fools. The Tanuki (raccoon dog) unquestionably reigns supreme among all the tricksy beasts and beasties.

Nearly forgotten among the various tanuki stories is the Mame-Danuki 豆狸, or the “bean-tanuki”. This Yokai (a type of spirit or mythical critter) could inflate it’s testicles (don’t ask me how, I’m really trying not to think about it too hard) to monstrous proportions. It then uses them as an umbrella on rainy nights. Or just about anything else you can think of. As depicted here:

Unfathomably hilarious traditional Mame-Danuki prints!

Seriously. Check that page out if you dare. I haven’t laughed that hard in…maybe ever. For my money, the catfish is the best. Pick your fave.

I would have gone merrily on my way through life, not knowing of the wonder that is the Mame-Danuki, if my wife had not picked up a great little Yokai Origami book for me recently. It’s done by the design team Cochae, and is fantastic. As soon as my astonishing wife saw the Mame-Danuki, she made me promise to create one to add to my growing Yokai collection.

Incidentally, “Kintama”　金玉 is the Japanese word for testicles. It translates literally as “golden balls”, illustrating the level of importance placed on the little guys. My floating friend here is using his to drift softly down to earth, a kind of “golden parachute”. I will leave it up to you to decide if he should have remained forgotten.

• Koi Kihagaki
• Gravity and the Rebellious Stone
• Hitching a Ride on the Breathe of Fortune
• Heavy is the Head the Bears the Brain
• Meeting the Neighbors

I hope that everyone enjoys the prints. I plan to add to the selection over time, so be sure to let me know if there are any pieces that you would like to see as Gicleés. Usually I make prints of artwork when the original has already sold (except for “Neighbors”, which I am enjoying too much to part with just yet!).

You may also notice that there’s some new artwork up on the Original Art page, and the text has been tweaked a bit. Hopefully it is now a little clearer that pretty much all my artwork is for sale.

Oh, and the Shop homepage has been reworked as well. I think I may actually be happy with it this time. Let me know what you think!

I hope that the international shipping instructions are clear (please let me know if they are not, or if you run into any problems at all). Paypal only offers limited shipping options at the moment. Rather than charge $10 shipping on each print, please click the “ADD international shipping button”. This way, you only have to pay shipping once, no matter how many prints you purchase.

Blast from the past, that is. Every technique and style has to start somewhere, and “Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater” was pretty close to the beginning for me. Even though I had been using cut paper for a while before I did this piece, I had always been combining it with other mixed media; pen/ink or acrylics or scratchboard. “Baby” was one of the first fully cut paper pieces.

Sadly, not long after I scanned it, I managed to drip a big blot of black ink smack dab into the middle of the green. Knowing what I know now, there’s a chance I could repair it. Back then, the best I could do was shrug and file it away.

It’s been a long time since I looked at this piece, and what surprises me most is to see the beginnings of my current style here. Granted there are no odd critters (well, babies are kinda odd…) or parasitic trails of smoke, but the dynamic movement, the decorative spirals, and the weird little details are all there. Personally, I still dig the teensy little fingers and toes.

Illustration Friday