Tokyo on Foot

Tokyo on Foot is the most amazing book I've seen in a long time. This book is by Florent Chavouet, a wonderful artist that while living in Tokyo for 6 months documented everything he saw and did in his sketchbook. The book is full of beautiful and comical color pencil renderings, of buildings, people, parks, maps, plus the notes and bits of story are really funny. Here are a few pages.


Tokyo on Foot by Florent Chavouet.

Sketchbook Project 2012 Launch and Brooklyn ZIne Fest

This weekend was filled with lots of great art, sketchbooks and zines alike. On Saturday, we went to the launch of the Sketchbook Project 2012 at the Brooklyn Art Library, probably one of the most fun art related activities you can do at any age. There are thousands of sketchbooks you can take out and view the library. You need to get a library card right there, and it takes about 2 minutes, then you walk over to the Mac stations and scan your card and make your request. You can request by artist name, or simply pick a medium like watercolor or photography, or search by tags like travel, japan, cookies, what-have-you. My friends and I spent close to two hours taking out sketchbooks, returning them and taking out more (you can take out only 2 at a time).
I also said my last goodbyes to my sketchbook that goes on tour with the rest of the sketchbooks at the end of the month (go speed little book, that I worked so hard on) The 2012 sketchbooks are in Brooklyn until April 29th then they pack them up and they go on tour, check out the dates to see when they are in your city.
On Sunday, we headed to the Public Assembly House in Williamsburg to check out the Brooklyn Zine fest. There was lots of fun stuff to see and some really exceptional work to buy. I spoke to a photo-zine artist who had a similar collection of photos as mine from Tokyo of lovely container gardens. Since I was on a limited budget I had to make a wise and careful decision the one purchase I was going to make. I decided on a beautiful zine by Miriam Singer, a collection or paintings and works on paper.

























artists are, Charity Capili, Kelly Zarb, Gea & Danny, Laura Osomo, & Miriam Singer

Sketchbook Project Update: Part 6-ALL FINISHED!

The last bits of my sketchbook, it's off to the Brooklyn Art Library today.

Sketchbook Project Update: Part 5-collage and watercolor

Time is gaining on me, I only have a couple of days to finish my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project 2012. The book has to be postmarked January 31,2012, so I technically have until Monday, but I really want to get it to the post office on Friday.
Here are a few more pages. The paper crane (Tsuru) page you saw, this is just a crisper pic. A lot of the pages are interactive too. I have a mini scrapbook with paper souvenirs from my trips to Japan. Then there's a little envelope that is not seal, the outside is futons in a gymnasium after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and the inside is the mangled mess of a freeway in Kobe. There are pages with little watercolors of things that were part of my everyday in Tokyo, and a little walking map (half watercolor half photographs) of my walk everyday to and from the train station. Of course I thought the train map from my zine had a good spot in here. Last is a mini package.

Sketchbook Project Update: Part 4-TSURU

This the next installment in my sketchbook. My sketchbook is turning into a sculpture, I think. I like adding the interactive or three-dimensional aspect to it.

Sketchbook Project Update: Part 3

This is the work so far in my sketchbook, it's evolving into a more complete piece. The book contains what I love about Japan, the influence it's had on me, the time I spent there, and the anxiety and fear I experienced because of earthquake. I'm posting some of the images from before because I feel it should be viewed as a whole. I'm drawing, painting, collaging and adding my photography to my book. I am treating as a sketchbook should be for working out ideas and emotions and not as a polished piece of art.