You already might know, there are so many stamps anywhere in the store , museums and stations in Japan.

I started collecting the stamps on the blank paper.
I did not use fancy stamp collection notebook because sometimes the inks were dry and had messy stamp on the notebook.(sad)

I reached my style using blank postcards for the stamp．

The postcard paper from 100yen shop is cheap and good quality. Usually 40-50cards are 100yen.

So, I stamp on the side of the postcard, and sketch on the site, write the comment . That become the souvenir postcard to myself.

Ofcourse airport has the stamp but hard to find🤣 I run to get on the plane so hard.

JR west has a great landscape illustration on the stamps. Must collect those.

of course, the ferry ship has stamps. Each ship has different stamps.

Here is the stamp / urban sketching/ journaling collection that I posted my Instagram.

If you go to travel to Japan. Buy the postcards or sketch book at the 100yen shop and hunt the stamps from anywhere Japan.

For a long time, I wanted to do “graphic recording work” or “illustration recording “ during conference or presentation.

I like taking notes, doodling on the edge of notes.

I tried several times to illustrate the online lectures , presentation at the conference.

Here is a quick memo from Indigenous artist talk by Sebastian.

And all the things I learned in this session.

Yes, I know I need to resize notes and correct spelling and clean my terrible handwriting.

clear writing and correct spelling are the hardest things. Same things on the urban sketch paper. I always afraid to write something on my sketching in English .

Is there any way to write English fast without mistake?

When I’m about to start something,
there’s always so much to do.
Sometimes I need a little engine to get myself moving —
so first, I choose a nice cup of tea.

There are things I have to do, things I want to do, and things I should probably do.
In the morning, my brain doesn’t work very well, and I often mix up the order of those.
So I set aside the “should probably” tasks for later,
and focus on creating an environment where I can stay motivated until my head clears.

Music helps too — something upbeat, or like background music at a café.
If I put on YouTube, trending songs, or the radio, I end up paying too much attention to them,
so I go for records instead.

I don’t really know much about old music or vinyl,
so I usually pick ones that say “Greatest Hits.”
I’ve made plenty of mistakes buying records just because the jacket was cute,
so now I stick to hit collections.
Even if they’re just one or two dollars,
you can’t really go wrong with jazz.

Now that the music and good tea are ready—
let’s begin.

As I mentioned previously, I have lots to do in summer in Boston. I am counting this September as summer.

It’s been already a bit chilly in New England (compared hot hot humid Japan)

I like outdoor exercise sessions.(and sketching at same time)

yoga/ urban sketching. Who is sketching and doing yoga at same time? It’s me.

Sadly this is the last week of seaport yoga session.

Sketch yoga postcard

I always carry cheap watercolor set and small sketchbook.

After the month of yoga session, my memories are filled with lots of yoga postures.

All collections of yoga sketch become my next art poster.

Yes! I am living for the shavasana.😎😎😎

The pop-up store @ Seaport got a fall makeover! This color combo “pink and orange” is just too cute!

Not only the color senses of furnitures, building,

fonts of the posters, cards, etc..I like the seaport designs.

During the summer, these pop up stores were greenish tone.

I liked those too.

Seaport sometimes has the free giveaway stuffs.

/

I am always impressed their goods designs.

Usually the free stuff has the role of advertising the company and sometimes the logos are too much on the product.

Most of case, seaport products are simple and chic.

In 2024, I got a blanket for the outdoor movie. This was cute picnic blanket style check pattern but blue tone for stands as seaport theme color.

Sometimes they are not simple but probably Intentionally colorful,  like the retro style.

These socks I got this year 2025 bike maintenance at seaport.

Font collection studying for my works

Walking around town and observing the fonts and colors of the trendy posters, cards is my part of research to design my own work.

Now I am making the winter event posters.

More warm tone? I will work on it!

I made sketch of Quincy center this spring. I made that art into the magnets and sale at the book store in front of Quincy center. “The next chapter books and more”

After I came back from 3months of Japan trip, I got an email about all magnets sold out. So I made more magnets and add Wollaston beach design.

Of course I am an urban sketchers. I sketch at site (mostly)

also requested stickers and postcards.

I want to make more landscape magnets series for sale at local store limited edition.

My drawing is always line drawings like comics or illustration. It’s because my sketch skill started from drawing figures from comic books. 

 when I was a child,  I wanted to become comic artist. I try to copy the comic book myself again and again. Here I am. 

I can draw portrait illustrations now.

But not realistic portrait.

Live model sketching with instructors have so much leaning.

Also it is difficult to draw someone face with funny angle. 

How can I do that?

Today’s teacher answered it with step by step instructions ..

Teacher recommended to check the video about Instructual sketch.

Hmm maybe lots of art text books are showing those techniques but I am not good at leaning from the books. I see the books but not read it.

shadow, shadow, like this?

charcoal mess!

After 3months of life in Japan. Flew back via San Francisco to Boston gave us a huge jet lag week. Usually 5days, but this time, I took around 10years to recover the jet lag.

In summer, there are so many fun stuffs to do in Boston. Outdoor exercise , outdoor painting, urban sketching outside, movies cruises, bicycling the coast etc..

I forced myself to keep awake in daytime with filling the fun things like above mentioned.

Despite all my efforts to keep me awake in daytime, I kept waking up 2am , 4am. So I did not set the alarm for the morning since I knew I will wake up and enjoy tired morning.
Suddenly the jet lag disappeared at the important appointment day! Woke up 9:30am.
Why today?

It was a Super bad timing to recover from my jet lag days.
I learned , even I can’t keep sleeping for some reason, I should set the alarm.

I like tiny book of tiny pleasures . Even I have a tiny calendar of tiny pleasures.

The book (and calendar) contains tiny happiness pictures in everyday life.

I want to collect my little pleasures too!

what do I feel happy for ? I like going out to step on new snow.

Those happiness are not big things. Easily miss that happiness unless try to notice and memorize.