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September 2007

josianneishikawa@gmail.com — 2008-09-07T15:03:51+09:00

September 7th
Picnic by the lake
Went to Lake Kawaguchi again today, one of the five lakes of Mt. Fuji and I think my favorite. Too cloudy to see Fuji but lots of autumn ornamental grass even though it is still very hot and humid.

I ate lunch by the lake, an onigiri ( rice ball wrapped in dried seaweed ).

I use to hate nori ( dried seaweed ) but I grew to appreciate it. I've been told that onigiri are the "Japanese hamburger" and that nori will give you glossy black hair, so far it hasn't. It's been too hot to do much of anything and I haven't been painting or preparing for my trip to America. My onigiri looks like Mt. Fuji.

August 2008

josianneishikawa@gmail.com — 2008-08-14T16:33:51+09:00

August 29th
Purikura (print club)
I'm painting again and I have started to paint a series of paintings that will be influenced by Japanese pop culture. When my daughter meets her friends they always go to a digital picture sticker booth which is vastly superior to the old photo booths I would go to when I was young. The picture sticker booth was invented in Japan, these pictures are called "purikura" which is derived from the English words "print club". You have the ability to change the lighting, the backdrops, add your own writing or add special effects, this is all decided within a few minutes. My daughter always shows me her new purikura and I'm fascinated by these tiny pictures and the designs and colors that she and her friends make, what a wonderful memory of being young and hanging out with your friends.

This is my interpretation of purikura, it has a very flat, stylized background surrounding the figure with a message written into and part of the design in a innocent child-like manner. I have combined modern with traditional, which I often do, with the waves right out of a Japanese wood block print. This is just the first experiment hopefully they will improve. Titled "His Dream Is My Nightmare"
I love the beach but I have a fear of being in the ocean it's my nightmare. The ocean is deep dark water full of scary creatures that will eat you. When we went to Guam I was walking in water only up to my knees and screaming to get out. I may have permanently damaged my daughter too on this matter hopefully she will overcome her mother's fears and be a far more adventurous person than I am.

August 14th
Fireworks and Guam
My daughter went to one of the many fireworks shows we have in Japan in the summer, this is a little bit of the video she took. She went with some friends mom wasn't invited sorry I missed it, the firework shows in Japan are the best. My daughter has returned to America and I will be joining her in September and living in a small town in Iowa, this will be a big adjustment for me even though I grew up in Iowa I haven't lived there for years and am more Japanese than Iowan, I'm sure I will suffer from culture shock for a while. I will miss Japan very much!

This summer we went to Guam for the first and probably last time. Guam was very hot and humid, my hotel room was awful it had a strong smell of mold and everything felt wet but it did have a swimming pool next to the ocean and we could watch the sunset every night which was quite beautiful. I didn't like Guam at first but after a while it started to grow on me, still I don't think I will ever go there again too many Japanese tourist!

It's unfortunate I don't have any pictures of us riding the banana boat because that would have been the funniest picture of me ever. I thought I was going to die!

June 2008

josianneishikawa@gmail.com — 2008-06-16T07:43:27+09:00

June 16th
Sunday Afternoon at Lake Kawaguchi
My daughter is home for summer vacation so I will be lucky if I can pick up a paint brush. Sunday I went to the Mt. Fuji five lakes area and took a walk around Lake Kawaguchi, even though it's rainy season in Japan we are having pretty decent weather. This scene reminded me of a George Seurat painting "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Gande Jatte".

May 2008

josianneishikawa@gmail.com — 2008-05-05T16:21:14+09:00

May 30th
Daughter's Portrait

Finished a portrait of my daughter today. She became seventeen years old this month. Before my daughter started high school in America she wanted to put some pink strips of color in her hair. She could never do this and go to high school in Japan most schools have very strict rules, no dyed hair, no makeup, no jewelry etc... So I couldn't blame her for wanting to have a little fun. The schools in Japan can go too far like making a student with naturally brown hair dye it black or if the student has naturally wavy hair like my daughter they question her like she committed a crime because perms are against the rules. Conformity is the driving force behind these rules and I think it is stressful for the students sometimes. She likes her American high school better but she misses her Japanese friends.
In the background of this painting you can see a small picture of my daughter when she was seven years old. In Japan there is a special religious ceremony performed at the shrine for girls at this age. They usually wear either a kimono or a party dress. I wanted to compare the difference between the ages of seven and seventeen. Also in the background you can see my eyes and our dog Emma watching Millei grow up. The rose symbolizes my love for my daughter.

May 23rd
Air Of Loneliness
I will be changing domain hosts soon so my site may be disrupted for a day. I have also joined a new art gallery site : spraygraphic.com

I also finished the fourth painting in the "Lily Pond" series, the title of this painting is "Air Of Loneliness" . I was only planning to do four paintings in this series, it is inspired by the book "Snow Country" written by the first Japanese writer to win the Nobel Prize, Yasunari Kawabata who is believed to have committed suicide. "Snow Country" explores themes of loneliness and the possibility of love. To learn more go to my paintings-lily pond series page.

May 13th
Disheveled Middle Aged Woman
Another week, another painting. I finished a self-portrait, I haven't done a self-portrait since my college days and I haven't done a portrait of anyone for at least twelve years. The last portrait I painted was of my daughter when she was four years old. I added this painting to the end of my "Ten Masks" movie. I think it looks like me except maybe ten years younger. It's hard to paint all the wrinkles.

I'm wearing my bathrobe and pajamas because I've been wearing them so much do to health problems and I guess they are my favorite clothes. The mask I'm holding is the Noh mask for a disheveled middle aged woman.

May 7th
Magnificent Matsumoto Castle
It was golden week in Japan and I went to Matsumoto Castle yesterday. I wasn't that thrilled about going because I've been there several times before but the weather was perfect and the scent of Wisteria was in the air so I actually had a good time. I tried going to the top of the castle which involves climbing very steep stairs. I was OK until I got to the last set of stairs, which are the hardest to climb, and then I knew I couldn't do it when I watched young healthy people struggling and almost falling to their deaths.

They also have a small museum on the castle grounds with a few interesting items like this collection of large wooden penises.

I also saw a giant straw sandal which could easily pass for modern art.

To see more of my pictures of magnificent Matsumoto Castle please look on the photo page.

May 5th
Freshly Pealed
I surprise myself today by actually keeping to my plan to finish at least one painting a week. I finished the third painting in the "Lily Pond" series. The first two paintings were very stylized, influenced by an antique kimono design. What I like about this painting is that it has more of a feeling of real water and the reflection of clouds. My daughter likes the fishes' mouths.

Freshly Pealed

April 2008

josianneishikawa@gmail.com — 2008-04-16T19:42:59+09:00

April 16th
Dogwood In Bloom
Now the dogwood tree in front of my house is blooming. There are many dogwood trees where I live in Japan, many streets are lined with dogwoods. The dogwood tree was a present from America in exchange for the cherry blossom trees that are famous in Washington D.C. The problem with Cherry Blossom trees are the annoying black flies that circle around your head if you go anywhere near them when they are in bloom.
Not so with the Dogwood, it's a beautiful tree.

I'm finally painting again after many health problems caused by a prescription drug. I will never take a drug without googling it again! I've been dealing with one problem after another for the last seven months and have to go to a pain clinic every week. I think I finally finished this painting, it took me months.

Milky Way
April 28th
Soft Happiness
Finished the second painting in the Lily Pond series in one week. It's my goal to finish one painting a week till my daughter returns for summer vacation in June. I have my doubts I will be able to do this but.. I'll give it a try. I am planning to do four paintings in this series.

Soft Happiness

March 2008

josianneishikawa@gmail.com — 2008-03-18T18:16:13+09:00

March 18th
Spring In Japan
The beginning of Spring in Japan.
Went to view the plum blossom trees...

devoured a strawberry parfait.

March 30th
Cherry blossom trees were in full bloom today. There beauty is short lived and will only last the week.

Cherry blossom flavored sweets can also be enjoyed only at this time of year.

Cherry blossom ice cream.