Otto's blog

オト　の　アート　#10

Jun

26

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This is a small (15 x 15cm) pencil & watercolour sketch of a woman I saw on a ferry on the Chao Phraya River in 2005.

I took a photo of her, then did this picture later, at home.

オト　の　アート　#9

Apr

12

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I used to live in Kiyosu, not far from Kiyosu castle & its red bridge. This is a woodblock print (black ink, plus watercolor, 10 x 16cm) I did at that time (2000? this copy doesn`t have a date) of one of the bridge posts.

I sketched a couple of other bridge posts along the Gojo River, and my plan was to do a small series, but in the end [kekyoku] I only did this one.

One Man`s Trash #12

Apr

5

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I made this clock from:

- wood I picked up at Mihama Beach in Fukui Prefecture
- coloured glass from the beach in Chita Penninsula which we visited a few weeks ago
- a clock from the 100 yen (A$1) store!

I want to make the hands longer, but if they get too heavy, they won`t turn properly. Maybe I should just leave it as it is. I think it looks okay. What do you think?

オト　の　アート　#8

Mar

4

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This is a small (13 x 18cm) acrylic painting I did in - let me see - 2005! Wow, time flies...

It`s a view of Casuarina trees by the sea at a place called Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast, which is near my hometown of Brisbane in Australia.

My mother made the frame for this painting. Nice job, mum!

One Man`s Trash #11

Feb

28

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2 years ago I made this bird-house from beach driftwood. I put it in a tree, but no birds came to live in it. I moved it to another tree, but later I checked it & wasps (hornets?) were living in it! I got rid of them, and last autumn I put it in a new place. I hope that this spring some birds will move in.

オト　の　アート　#7

Feb

10

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I love traditional Japanese black, cast-iron teapots.

I have a couple (which I bought at Osu Kanon markets) at home in Australia.

This is a picture (20 x 30 cm woodblock print) I did of them.

One Man`s Trash #10

Jan

6

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When we look at wooden kids` toys in shops, I often say to my wife "Huh - I could make that!"

It really annoys her.

Maybe this is because:

1. It`s not true
2. I say this, but then do nothing
3. When we go shopping, everything annoys my wife
4. Especially me

But this is one toy that Owen really seemed to like, and it looked pretty easy to make, so on my holidays I made this version from wood I had lying around.

オト　の　アート　#6

Jan

5

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This is my 2011 Year of the Rabbit nengajo design. This year I attempted a 2-colour woodblock print for the first time in ages - usually I just use black. It was extra work - and some trouble - but I think it looks good.

If you`re not Japanese, maybe you don`t know that on the back of post office issued nengajo, there are numbers down the bottom - they`re lottery numbers! The winning numbers are released on the 15th of January. I hope I win something!

Have you ever won a nengajo lottery prize? What was it?

オト　の　アート　#５

Dec

30

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This is my nengajo (new year`s card) from last year, year of the tiger. The design was inspired by traditional Thai tattoos. It`s a hanga (woodblock print).

I also made a woodblock print for my nengajo for 2011 - year of the rabbit. I sent most of them yesterday, and the rest today. I hope they arrive in time.

Have you sent all your nengajo? Did you make your own design?

I`ll show you my 2011 nengajo picture in a couple of days.

オト　の　アート　#４

Dec

19

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I love orchids, & they are quite common in Thailand, where I used to live. I took photos of some that were in my friends` garden in Nonthaburi, in the north of Bangkok, & a long time later (in Japan in 2008) I did these small pictures.

They are pencil & watercolor, 16 x 16cm.

They have been on the wall of my classroom since 2008 & you can see the paper has become very brown from exposure; you can see the edges are still white where they were covered by the frames, (which I took them out of to scan).