watercolor on the one side laminated Washi paper

2024年2月3日未分類mogu

I like buying mysterious paper in Japan.

around the Kyoto Sanjo area, there are some interesting paper makers. They sell the left over papers for cheap price after they cut off the main part.

this is a Washi paper called “ LAMIESU”.

translucent like the transparent paper but not shiny like that.

This paper is laminated one side to keep moisture or oil leaks from the food.

I watercolor painted Washi side( not laminated side) .

Paint color are translate and watercolor did not bleed through the back side.

keep painting the back yard’s flowers

Outdoor art installation in Boston

2024年1月30日未分類mogu

Oh I saw more arts in Boston nowadays.

last year, I found bunch of colorful cow in all over the Boston from south station to east Boston harbor.
These Arts figures are temporary or not,
I like the impact of the installation outside. since all arts get out of the limitations of museum sizes, rules, etc

I am a big fun of Setouchi international Art Triennale.
It is an art festival held in every 3 years on the islands and coastal cities in Seto Sea of Japan .
That is huge project to show art installations out of the museum box.
Arts were placed in some rural island old house, in the forest, some random building.

Seeing arts Outside is totally different experience from seeing the art quietly in the museum.
It might be the great background of the view, it might be the mood of the outside air.

I enjoyed Biwako biennale which held in every 2years around the Lake Biwa. I like Quebec winter arts installation too.

now in Boston!

The winter active arts started this January 15 to April 17.

Free and open to public area. the art installation location map is this.

which is great! Which might collect more variation of comments from Art fun or non Art fun. Especially in old historical city like Boston, some people afraid of jammed the iconic landscape with new stuff.

but definitely these arts gave strong impacts to people walking by Boston. The impact of Boston is alive.

Most of my friends in Japan imagine Boston is the place there are bunch of university and tech company. But Boston has lots to see, not only the university village!

Up cycling the Apple products boxes

2024年1月12日未分類Apple products, boxes, iPhone, Up cycling projectmogu

Hi crafters!

My family are big fun of Apple products. iPhone, Mac book, iPads….and I have kept all the Apple products boxes …

Those boxes are so strong and so beautiful to throw away. But never come up the ideas to use them.

today, finally I up remake the one iPhone box into a pen tray.

i grabbed some scrap of clothes from patchwork pile. Glued those clothe with Elmer’s school glue to the box.

it is surprisingly easy to glue the clothes onto the box. This cotton clothe print design is “ forest retreat”.

I tacked the corner like wrapping the gifts.

for inside of the box, I used Japanese masking wide tape( Washi tape wide type) . Washi tape is easy to undo or adjust the placement . Nicely hide the edge of the cloth.

this William morris design Washi tape is available in 100yen shop in Japan.(Currently 70cents value shop)

the size of iPhone SE box lid is perfect for the BIC pen.

now I am very happy to find the usage of the iPhone boxes!

Cambridge open studios

2024年1月11日Art, 未分類mogu

autumn is good season to walk around the outside.

I love the open studios event. I joins these events in Somerville and Cambridge so far in the past.

This year the Cambridge open studios held in September. I completed the central sq area gallery last time. So this year I wonder around the edge area of the Cambridge.

Day 1 Walking from porter sq .

I enjoyed so many different styles of art. Also I like to visit the artist cozy home gallery.

all open house art is has super nice organized room with great furniture settings. I hesitate to ask permission to take photos of home of course. So at least outside I sketched on the train back home.

How to Wrapping paper patch work

2023年5月15日未分類Up cycling projectmogu

Ahhh… every Christmas, birthday, it is hard to see the cute wrapping paper is throwing away.

I tried do origami using the wrapping paper. But hard to make crisp fold.

I made bow ribbon topper out of the used wrapping paper. It is cute but the paper topper also will be throwing away after 1 time use.

I realized the wrapping paper has grid line on the backside.

so I cut along the simple shapes like square and triangle, then use as patchwork materials.

Then glue wrapping paper parts onto the some square paper.

Done!

Now flame it, hang on the wall.

This paper patchworking art is simple, repeatable work. It is too addictive to stop making it.

Happy up cycling!

Styrofoam printing /up cycling art project in the kitchen

2023年5月15日未分類mogu

How may styrofoam food tray I am consuming in a week? I collected styrofoam food trays and counted them.

It it scary to see the reality. But this is the styrofoam trash as a 4 person family /week.

I buy vegetables,cheese,ham,etc…many things are on these styrofoam tray wrapped with plastic. I like repurposing the trash.

How to upcycle styrofoam to printing materials.

I washed and cut the edges to make then flat styrofoam .

Then keep in the plastic container which was BBQ meat container.

Let’s start print making❣️

use pencils or ballpoint pen. Draw the image you like on the styrofoam plate.

Then, add ink on the styrofoam.
I used roller for adding ink onto the tray. Ink is acrylic ink this time.

Ink tray is the plastic container lid of BBQ meat😝

Applying the ink on the styrofoam, put the paper on the styrofoam. Rub the back of the paper to attach the ink to paper.(I use my hand to rubbing)

Done!🥳

I like simple black. I added yellow to see the different.

Styrofoam printing was fun. It is safe Art for kids because no knife to make prints.

Can’t stop printing! This is the view of my kitchen floor in the end of the art making day

Now I need to clean these and cook the dinner!

Let’s collages all printed art.

This art is now exhibiting in the art fest at Quincy May13-June 11 . (@ Qarts gallery)

Options/ stamp pad , watercolors

The stamp ink pad works too!( left side was stamp pad ink, right side is watercolor and crayon to add detail color )

I tried the watercolor using brush for colored printing. It works too. Need to adjust the right amount of water is a bit challenging but watercolor printing might be easier to clean the mess.

Let’s use kitchen trash to make art🤩

Happy up cycling 🥰

Is Covid over yet?

2023年1月9日未分類mogu

After the long quarantine life, we finally flew to Japan and came back to the USA.

I felt like Covid is getting weaker and the pandemic is ending…

But my friends told me the new type is spreading… oh my!

I believe new Covid viruses spread faster but give weaker symptoms, hopefully.

Because that the way virus keep their lives.

My family is used to wearing masks indoors .

I always forget where I put masks. Also glasses. (I even have glasses for searching for my glasses)

One day I noticed how good I am at forgetting when I wanted to go out and look at myself in the mirror.

hey! You already wear enough amount of masks and glasses !

Now I hang this note at the entrance to remind me that I might already have the stuff I am searching for.

Happy new year!

“E-tegami” using Sumi ink and chopsticks

2022年8月30日Art, 未分類mogu

Hi, do you like snail mailing?

I like sending letters and cards.

In Japan, we have art post cards with very short messages called ”E-Tegami”.

“E” means picture, tegami means messages and letters.

Usually people draw pictures on the postcard using Fude brush with sumi ink and some water colors. Add some messages to friends as postcords.

I try Sumi ink painting on the blank postcoard.

I use disposable chopsticks instead Fude brush.

Why?

Because I wanted to try unexpected lines from chopsticks with ink.

It is fun!

Now I start urban sketching with chopsticks and Sumi Ink.

Sketching, and painting…and now, I have enough amount of Sumi ink art in my stock.

I will post those Sumi ink paintings at somerville public library during this September!

Now, personal post cards will hang on the library wall!

Origami flower bouquet for kids classmates

2022年3月17日Artmogu

We are planning to go to Japan in the middle of the school term.
Kids need to say goodbye to their classmates and teachers.

I want to make some thank you and goodbye gifts for their friends.

As my kids are half Japanese, so I think Origami might be interesting. Would origami flowers on pencils be a memorable gift?

The colored paper I use is from the kids school.

Yes, school gave us lots of letters, news, and homework papers. I kept the colored paper.

This origami flower is a tulip, it is very easy to fold.
After creating the flower part, cut the bottom a tiny bit, stick a pencil to the cut hole, and tape around the pencil.

I used green floral tape to attach the flower to the pencil. That tape is bit stronger than washi tape.

Hmm… 40 pencil flowers. Still lots to go!