Circumnavigation

New Blog

2011-10-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

I moved my blog to a different site, for anyone who wants to see what I've been working on lately.

http://ashnovember.wordpress.com/

Thanks for following

Alcatraz, inside the Prison

2010-10-13T10:26:00.001-07:00

There were some great complimentary colors in the prison, though I still wouldn't want to live there. Can you even imagine? I'm spending most of my time drawing and painting so I may not be able to post any more photos for awhile. I'll try not to make it too long though.

Alcatraz

2010-10-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to Alcatraz with some family and friends this weekend. It was fleet week so we got to see the Blue Angels and a number of naval ships in the harbor. Alcatraz was beautiful. I love pictures of things deteriorating. Next week I'll post photos from inside the prison.

Color for fun

2010-07-15T22:00:00.001-07:00

These are sketches that I drew around San Francisco over the last few weeks. I put some color on them, thinking of various color combinations that I'm learning about in class.

Avocado Egg

2010-06-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

We pass by them everyday at the market, we put them on sandwiches and eat them plain, we love our guacamole, yet the mystery persists.
What exactly is growing in the egg of the avocado that lies at its center? Now, for the first time, science has given us a glimpse, past the delicious yellow green, and into the heart of this oft misunderstood fruit.

Embryologist Mark Sutter M.D. at Callinston University stated that he believed it to be a new phylum "All signs point to a sea creature" he stated, though he admitted it was too early to know anything for certain.
"It looks as if it might be Dinosauria" stated Exobiologist Jane Klemens, also from Callinston University. Dr. Callinston's colleagues scoffed at the idea however, apparently believing it to be an absurd hypothesis.

First Semester

2010-05-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

My first semester at the Academy of Art is almost over. I've just finished work on my final projects and I'm getting ready for summer break and some much needed rest. Here are two of my final projects and a few other drawings/studies from class.

This is my "Figurative Concepts" final. It is supposed to be me as bootlegger, or maybe mafia, or a union rep from the 40's. I was allowed to choose any costume I wanted.\. It took quite a long time: charcoal and white conte on toned paper.

"Drawing from Imagination" final. The friends and family members that I showed my three concept drawings to all voted for the Snow White illustration, so I was surprised when my classmates voted for zombie morgue scene number two. This took a very long time as well. I almost feel sorry for the zombie.

1hr. Clothed figure study. It was fun drawing the pattern on her dress.

20 minute clothed figure. This is what the model was actually wearing, I didn't change a thing. (except adding the upper arm band)

Another 20 minute clothed figure. Lying figures are difficult because I rarely get a chance to practice drawing people horizontally.

20 minute portrait. I still need a lot of work on my portraits. Luckily, I'm taking a whole class on portraits in the fall.

20 minute clothed figure, Amazon Warrior.

This semester has been a ton of fun and an amazing learning experience. I hope I can continue to improve little by little (bounds would be nicer) over the next few semesters. Once this semester is officially over I'm gonna take a few days off to clear my head but then I'll be back to the sketchbook to draw draw draw some more.

Point, Click, Instant Art

2010-05-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post something but I haven't taken any photos since my friend Becky was here so dug some stuff up from that day. Hopefully I can find a few days over summer break to get some good shots: lately I tend to bring my sketchbook over my camera when I'm out and about.

Rosie the Dog

Final Project Vote

2010-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

For one of my final projects I have to pick one story from two that were provided and draw a nice finished illustration based on the story using everything we've learned in the class so far. This week we had to come up with 2 or more concept pieces that show some of our ideas. The class will then vote on the one that they feel would work best as a finished piece.

The first story was a morgue scene with zombies coming back to life and Anna and George fighting them off. I made George a dog and made Anna Anna Karenina.

The second story was a scene from Snow White. The dwarfs are all spring cleaning with Snow White making supper.

I needed more dynamic shadows so I did another zombie concept piece. These are all rough and a lot more detail will go into them. I'm curious, does anyone have a favorite?

The Background

2010-04-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

I finished this illustration for homework today. First I had to draw these two nude, then I added clothes (below) and finally I had to draw a background for them. I don't recommend this technique; next time I would more or less draw the whole thing at the same time, figuring out shadows and composition beforehand. But I'm happy with it despite all that.

A Week in Workshops

2010-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Every week I attend a number of drawing workshops as well as my regular classes. Here are some select drawings from the workshops as well as my homework assignments from last week.

My homework for "Drawing from Imagination" class. This week I need to design and draw a background for them.

Clothed Figure Workshop

Head and Hands Workshop

Figure Drawing Workshop

Clothed Figure Workshop

Special Peter Pan themed Sat. Workshop

Self portrait assignment for my Figurative Concepts class.

There is also a Monday night figure quick studies workshop but those 2 minute figures are still too awful for me to post. I'll be real happy when those are decent enough to show people.

March 31, 1952

2010-03-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a character from, "The Book Thief". Something I did to keep myself busy between homework assignments.

Some anatomy practice. Mostly from imagination, I used a bit of reference if I got stuck.

Special Guest, Rebecca Greenberg

2010-03-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

This week we have a special guest, Rebecca Greenberg, a dear friend and talented artist. Rebecca adores small children (and some medium sized children), loves dinner parties and can't wait to move back to San Francisco. We met earlier this week and wandered through Golden Gate Park where she got these wonderful shots.

My Sunday

2010-03-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Homework for my Figurative Concepts class.

In Class Work

2010-03-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

These are some life drawings from various workshops. I think they were all 20 minute poses except for the portrait below.

This is our first week of portraits in my figure class. Believe it or not this took six hours. They should only take about 3 hours or less but this was the first time so it was learning process.

3 pt Robots

2010-03-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

Robots done in 3pt. perspective for a homework assignment.

Patroclus

2010-03-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

My most recent homework assignment was to find a painting that portrayed anatomy done by one of the old masters and to draw the figure in charcoal.

I chose this oil painting by Jacques Louis David.

Define Anger

2010-02-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Just for fun after a long day of homework and greasy quesadillas.

Update : This is a bit messy but I wanted to see if I could make this work with a darker palette.　　I think the image is a bit messy looking but it's definitely got a creepier feel.

Two Point Perspective

2010-02-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

The idea for this week's drawing came from a radio show called "This American Life". It was a true story about a few boys who found a house that had been abandoned for 40 or more years. All the belongings had been left behind, it seemed that some horrible tragedy had befallen the entire family.

I decided to imagine the kitchen, this was the view I decided to draw.

I built a grid and constructed the kitchen.

The teacher told me I should put the light behind the camera, so I could learn how to plot to shadows, otherwise I might have had the window and the only light in the room.

The finished product. I learned a lot from a bunch of little mistakes I made on the way. It's very bright for what is supposed to be a creepy scene, but I'll figure it all out one of these days. It really was a lot of fun to draw. The original story can be heard on This American Life (here) .

SF Photos

2010-02-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

I've only taken a few photos since I've moved, I figure it's more important to carry a sketchbook around than a camera these days. But here are a few I've taken over the last couple weeks.

One Point Perspective

2010-02-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

This was my first big homework assignment. I had to draw an outdoor scene in perfect one point perspective with special attention to scale. Above are the rough thumbnails that I drew while brainstorming. I liked the idea of a Venetian Chinatown. The circles on the right side are lanterns though I didn't include them in the final version because they blocked too much of the building detail which was the assignment.

After drawing lots of perspective grids I found one that worked for my image and slowly constructed my scene from imagination and bits of reference.

Using various geometric principles I then placed a sun in the scene and calculated the shadows.

I finished the painting with color, which wasn't necessary for the project but I wanted to see how it would turn out. Also, the instructor said something that stuck in my mind, "The only reason to not do your best is because you're afraid to see what you're capable of. If you don't know what you're capable of you won't know how far to push yourself." With a few more hours I could make it a tiny bit better, but this is more or less what I'm capable of at this stage. I get a new assignment tomorrow.

The Edge of the Woods

2010-02-03T08:02:00.001-08:00

An unfinished drawing/ painting. I hope to finish this someday but I've go so many drawing assignments from school that I don't see myself finishing it anytime soon. A wrote a little story to accompany it as well.

DNA girl

2010-02-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Just for fun, a girl.

Figure Drawing

2010-01-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today was my first figure drawing class/ workshop at the Academy of Art. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to get back and draw more. I thought this would be a good time to post seeing as it's my first class of the year, hopefully the quality goes nowhere but up from here.

Into the city

2010-01-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Friday night sketch

On my mind today

2010-01-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

For Tomoko, who gave me the idea, a flutterwasp.

Yes, strange indeed.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

Chinese scooter of the future. Merry Xmas everyone, hope everyone got what they wanted, or at least was able to give someone something they needed.

Roma and Ruins

2009-11-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

Pictures from Rome, our final stop. The city felt a little touristy but the ruins were fantastic.

The Colosseum. Truly amazing

The scale was incredible. You can see a few spectators on the walkway.

Palace Ruins

The inside of the Pantheon

The Roman Forum

Our last stop, Vatican City. Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Trevi Fountain, and my mother looking a little lost puppy.

2009-11-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

Florence

Siena

Tuscan view from Cortona

Cortona

Venice Part II

2009-11-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more of my better shots from Venice. I'm in Florence now but off to Rome tomorrow. I don't think I'll have internet for awhile but if I do I'll try to get some shots up of Tuscany.

Venice Part I

2009-11-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

Venice was beautiful. It rained a lot but in return the colors were more vibrant. We met some nice people, ate some great food and got ourselves lost a few times. What more could a traveler ask for?

More Paris

2009-11-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

The Louvre's Pyramid

Cheese

Musee d'Orsee with a fisheye lens

The big Three

2009-11-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

A few shots I took in Paris last week. It's a little cold in Europe in November but it's still beautiful. More Paris to come.

DISCO girl

2009-10-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Friday night sketch.

Truckee

2009-10-20T18:09:00.001-07:00

I took my bike up to Truckee to see a friend last weekend.

バイクに乗ってトラッキーって言う町に友達を会いに行きました。

Donner Lake, where my friend lives. Everyone seems to be just hanging out, waiting for the ski season to start.
ドンアー湖の近くに友達が住んでいます。町の人たちはみんなスキーをやりたいので雪を待っています。

Adrianna

This is Erik. He's into plates of gravy and beermosas, as in mamosas with beer.
彼はエリックって言う。エリックはグレビーとビールもさが好き。ビールもさってビールとオレンジジュース。おかしいよね。

I got snowed in on Monday, which was pretty sweet. Truckee was built for snow and the whole place mountain just made more sense.
月曜日雪が降って帰れなくなってよかった。トラッキーは雪によく合います。

Donner　Lake

Fall to Winter

Thanks Michele.

Desk Sketches

2009-10-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've got my Cintiq hooked up and I've been doing sketches/ paintings of things in my room plus one photo.

Plane window

2009-09-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

I took this from a plane between Spokane and Portland, in Oregon.

Arboretum II

2009-09-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

This shot is not from the arboretum but up in the hills in Greenbluff.

A deer in the arboretum. There are two fawns who seem to have been separated from their mother. Hopefully they can find her before the winter.

A little bug

2009-09-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

Just a little something

Arboretum Insects

2009-08-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

These images are posted in higher resolution so you can see more of the detail. Insects are fascinating little monsters.
今回写真のしつを高くしました、細かい所を見えれるように。昆虫は怪物だよね。

Abstract

2009-08-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

Today's photos are more abstract, primarily color and composition. The top two are my favorites. I took these at the Arboretum where my mom works. Next time I'll put up some insects.
今日は美術的な写真です。色と構図を考えながら撮りました。お母さんの公園の仕事で撮って今度あそこで撮った虫の写真を載せます。

The New Macro

2009-08-26T21:30:00.001-07:00

I finally got my very own macro lens. You'll have to open the pics to see all the good detail.
やっとマクロレンズが来た！写真を拡大したら細かいところを見える。楽しい。

Squirrel

2009-08-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Llama

2009-08-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

A Llama spotting in Northern Idaho.

Maddeline's, a cute French style cafe in Spokane.

Bob makes pickles.

Cacti

Swimming in the fountain at Manato Park.

Flowers for Tomoko.
Macro lens comes tomorrow

Garden

2009-08-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's cat Kumori. He's super sweet and still young enough to be Genki.

Some peppers at a market in Spokane.

My mom's back yard.

Ann's garden.

Peaches in the garden

Seoul

2009-08-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow

2009-08-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is my last post from Japan. I'm flying out tomorrow. I've spent the last few weeks with friends in Kagoshima. I visited castles, aquariums, concerts and beaches.

It's been a great two years but I have to say that I'm ready to go home. I can't wait to see everyone back in the States.

The Knife

2009-07-29T00:29:00.001-07:00

My friend Mr. Oka makes many things, boats, houses, delicious Thai curry and knives. He offered to show me how to make one and over the last 4 months I've been working on my first hand made knife.

I had a lot of fun sketching interesting designs. This was my favorite.

After drawing the outline on a piece of steal I drilled out holes to make cutting out the shape with a hack saw easier.

I further refined the shape with various files. I also used a belt sander for some of the larger areas.

After filing it into shape and then sanding it into a thinner piece of steal I worked on the edge, carefully.

Once the shape was more or less perfected I used sand paper to polish it. I started at around 300 and worked all the way down to 2000 which feels smoother than notebook paper.

I made the handle out of ebony, cut it into shape and screwed it into place. From here I used a hacksaw to cut off the metal bits, a file to get the shape and a belt sander to get a smooth surface.

This is the final product except for a few tweaks here and there. I still need to put the edge on and sand down the wood in a few places. It turned out pretty nicely for my first and possibly only hand made knife. If I ever do make another I've got lots of new ideas.

Headlines

2009-07-26T03:13:00.001-07:00

A few thousand people came to Yakushima from the mainland and even from overseas to see the total solar eclipse that intersected the island. Unfortunately it rained that day and all we saw was the sky darken and then turn back to its smokey gray. This girl wasn't as upset as she looks but there were definitely a lot of gloomy faces that day.

I had the idea that we should show some of our photos at a restaurant or some other public place and Tomoko made it happen. We chose six prints each and a cute pasta place not far from where I live gave us the okay. They said they wanted even more prints and asked if we could make postcards to sell. Its pretty exciting to have our own public showcase.

The Board of Education threw me a going away dinner last week at a nice Japanese restaurant. My boss who is directly above me is on the far right, bottom row.

I went around the island again last weekend and got a few more shots of the wildlife. If I got too close the baby would squeak and and run to have her mother hold her.

This little guy was pulling bugs out of the dirt and eating them.

July

2009-07-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

This is my last week of school and tomorrow is my last day of classes. The next few weeks are a procession of farewell parties and last minute outings. With only a few more weeks on the island I've got to start packing and preparing for life back in the States.

Above is a picture of Tomoko at a restaurant in Nagata.

A Japanese staple, tofu, with dried smoked mackeral shavings.

We went out to get pictures of the big waterfall in the moonlight but the only pictures that turned out were the pics of the moon.

Coral with Tomoko's macro lens.

A fisherman's boat in Shimoda, a small port town.

One more spider for all you spider enthusiasts.

Flowers and Grass and a bug.

2009-07-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

This is a flower special. People seem to like flowers so I decided to go all out this time with lots of flowers.

Garlic

2009-06-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Garlic. Its more expensive to buy one than it is to buy four.

Brush practice

Postcard watercolors. These are a few of my most recent postcards. There is a postcard painting class I attend once a month.

Macro Science Experiment

2009-06-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

I borrowed my friend Tomoko's macro lens and wow I'm really wishing I had my own. It's a bit tricky to use but I'm getting the hang of it. I'll be posting more macro (non insect) shots soon. Check out Tomoko's site for flowers and such.

Miyaura Junior High II

2009-06-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

Pixels

2009-06-09T02:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I did a little drawing or painting on the computer everyday after work. I should be painting this week too but something about leaving the island in another month and a half is keeping me from concentrating on much at all. I feel like I have so much to do and yet there is almost nothing I can do, yet.

The Science Room

2009-06-02T17:16:00.001-07:00

The science teacher at Miyanoura Junior High came back after two years of maternity leave and found that most of the bookshelves had been completely infested with termites. I suspect that it had been a little longer than two years but its still impressive what these little bugs had done regardless of the time it took them. The termites ate through over a hundred books and scientific journals.

The book bindings were the only thing that remained of the original paper. Taking off the bindings, we could see the vast interconnected sponge-like structure that the termites had created.

An old constellation and star globe.

Almost everything in the science room is so outdated that it's more reminiscent of a museum than anything else. Old chemicals that haven't been used for years line the shelves.

Sticks and things

2009-05-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

A few images from around town. Above is Shoko, an elementary school teacher and friend of mine.

This is a sea serpent that washed up on the river bank.

A tire on the playground.

Sticks

Guests

2009-05-15T18:04:00.001-07:00

Yuko and Keta, friends of a friend, are staying at my place until they can find a house or cabin somewhere on Yakushima. They moved down from Hiroshima and had been living in their van for a few weeks. Their hobbies include making jam, skinny dipping, playing digirido in the mornings and dancing with fruit. I wish them luck finding a place to live. In the meantime it's a lot of fun to hang out with them.

Three Weeks

2009-05-15T17:46:00.001-07:00

Asagi nantoka

The view from Nagata, looking across to Kuchierabu island.

Tomoko and I were practicing using a tripod to get some longer exposure water shots.

Nagata beach

Kazuki kun.

This is the workshop of one of the better wood workers on Yakushima.

Nakama

2009-04-25T23:37:00.001-07:00

Some pictures from Nakama, a town about 80 minutes away on the south side of the island. They have amazing gajumaru trees. Twisted bunches of roots hang down from the branches and grow until they root themselves into the ground.
I put a link to Tomoko's new blog, Dandelion, just to the right. She likes flowers and bugs in particular.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

2009-04-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

I started reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Biography today, Infidel. At one point she talked about stories her grandmother told her as a child growing up in Somalia. One of them in particular left an image in my mind which I sketched when I got home from work today. The following is the passage I took it from:

"My grandmother's stories could be chilling. There were stories about an ugly old witch woman whose name was People Slayer or People Butcher, who had the power to transform herself, to adopt the face of someone you liked and respected, and who at the last minute lunged at you, laughing in your face, HAHAHAHAHA, before she slaughtered you with a long sharp knife that she had been hiding under the folds of her robe all along and then ate you up."

Wow, nothing like a Somalian bedtime story to keep you awake... forever. I recommend this book to anyone that's curious about women in Islam or women growing up in traditional societies.

The Rice Fields

2009-04-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Tomoko and I went to Nagata last weekend to take some more pictures. We started in the cemetary and made it down to the rice paddies just as the sun was setting.

Things I saw on my walk

2009-04-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

The first thing I saw was...

An old rusty Caterpillar.

Later, the moon, waxing.

An abandoned Gundam.

Bridge #3

This bird.

The Old Forest

2009-04-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

A couple friends from the mainland came down to Yakushima this weekend and I toured them around the island. The above shot is from our first hike, through Yakusugiland.

My friend Yuri. Curtis is just visible in the first shot.

There's never any shortage of monkeys on the mountain roads.

On the last day my friends and I hiked up to Miyanoura dake. This is the same 10 hour hike I did when I first got here. It's a tough hike but it wasn't nearly as hard as doing it during the hottest time of the year.

Knife Making

2009-03-31T01:57:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Subbia making a knife with Mr. Oka here on Yakushima. Mr. Oka has been making beautiful knives for a long time.

Grand Piano

2009-03-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Jessica and I were at the office again on Friday and I got the idea that we should go backstage again so I could play with some photography.

My original idea was to get ghost hands moving across the keys using a long exposure but that didn't really work. I think that maybe a secondary light over her hands might have helped.

Backstage

2009-03-25T01:57:00.000-07:00

I was stuck at the board of education office today but was able to sneak out for a little while. Last year the offices were moved into a wing of an old dilapidated concert hall. I found a stage entrance that was unlocked and got a few shots to show just how eerie the place is.

Miyaura Elementary Graduation

2009-03-24T03:37:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Miyaura Elementary for the graduation ceremony. I brought my camera so I could pretend to be the photographer and not have to sit through the whole thing. Above, sixth graders walk out of their class and down the stairs for the last time.

This girl was wiping away her tears.

3 days in Kagoshima

2009-03-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

I went to Kagoshima with my friend Tomoko over the 3 day weekend. We visited the local museums, a temple, the ocean, an aquarium and some really nice restaurants. We also took a lot of pictures. Me with my new Nikon (I finally bought an SLR as some people may have guessed). Here are a few pictures from the last few days.

These last two photos are from Isso Junior High, the day before I left for Kagoshima. The first of the two is Miyuki who I had play for me a little during cleaning period.

Miyanoura Junior High

2009-03-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

Sussex

2009-03-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Some tone and color studies I did this week. Done in PS7 without any texture brushes.

Everyone Likes Pandas

2009-03-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

Photo Sketches

2009-02-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

A Grackle

A few paintings/ sketches that I did this week. The above is from an internet photo. The two below this are from photos I took in Japan and the last one is just made up.

Izumi

Osaka Castle

The North side

2009-02-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday my friend Tomoko (above) and I went around some of the smaller towns on the island to take pictures with her new camera. It was a lot of fun to use a real SLR instead of my little point and shoot. It's a completely different experience.

A few days later I brought my computer to her place and fixed up a few shots in Photoshop.

This is the North side of Yakushima. If you zoom in on the picture you can just make out Nagata lighthouse on the far right.

Tomoko took this shot as we were passing through (the only) tunnel on Yakushima.

This one was also taken by Tomoko. The little town of Yoshida. She was no confidence in her photo skills but I think she's pretty good.

Samantha and the Clouds

2009-01-31T15:06:00.000-08:00

This was done with pencil and watercolor and then scanned and colored in Photoshop.

Shogun Ball

2009-01-30T20:18:00.000-08:00

Nara and Himeji

2009-01-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

This is my last set of pictures from my winter trip. After this set I'll be putting up some art that I've been working on. This is Becky feeding the deer in Nara. They're pretty sweet though they do try to eat your jeans or shirt once in a while.

Becky's mom, Martha, feeding the deer. This was New Years day so there were a ton of people visiting the temples here. The deer, too, were out in large numbers.

An Okonomiyaki food stand. You can see what they put in them and how they assemble them. It's mainly a kind of cabbage pankake with different veggies and pork thrown in. We didn't eat Okonomiyaki this day but instead opted for Tako (Octopus) Balls, which aren't disimilar in taste.

A monk taking donations for the temple. Martha was kind enough to donate.

The most well preseved and arguably most beautiful castle in Japan, Himeji-jyo. We walked the grounds for a few hours and even went up to the top of the main tower. Every aspect of this castle complex was built with high security in mind.

Another shot of Himeji-jyo. There are at least four rings of walls such as this that need to be scaled, that is, once you get over the moat.

Back in the station. I took the Bullet train back to Kagoshima and then a ferry to Yakushima. It was a great trip and I think we all burnt outselves out sufficiently enough to be glad to be home.

Kyoto

2009-01-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. Becky and I are gonna build one of these but with lots of windows, a first floor full of couches (like the Hilton) and instead of ducks we'll have duckbill platypuses.

FushimiInari Shrine. This is a famous shrine with over 40,000 of these torii (gates). If you walk through all of them your wish will come true. Three hours is a long time when its close to 0 degrees C. We didn't make it.

Tofukuji. A famous temple complex in Kyoto.

Rock Garden within the Tofukuji temple complex.

The Kyoto skyline. The city is in a valley with mountains on all sides which gives it extremely hot, and cold, temperatures depending on the season.

My friend Rebecca and me.
One more of FushimiInari shrine. Next time I go I'd like to make a point of walking through all 40,000.

Miyajima and Hiroshima

2009-01-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

From Shimane I traveled back to Hiroshima where I met my dear friend Rebecca and her mom Martha. We took a day trip to Miyajima, a small island famous for its large shrine compound, a large torii that was built in the water and friendly deer.

A small back street on Miyajima, just off the main route.

The famous Miyajima water torii. It's not as big as I thought it would be but I like to imagine the monks out there trying to figure out how to build it.

The main temple complex, just behind the statues, trees and branches. Ok, so its not a great shot of the temple complex but if you use your imagination you can see that its amazing.

Walking up the mountain to a gondola Becky spotted a sign that read,
"10 minutes to ropeway, 7 if run a little."

A Miyajima local. There were bunches of deer but this was the cutest one. For some reason they were all hungry for paper.

Hiroshima's Peace Dome. One of the few buildings that was left standing in the city after the atomic bomb was dropped. One of the reasons this building didn't get blasted away is that the bomb detonated almost directly above it, blasting downward. The initial heat wave melted the copper dome immediately and was followed by a blast that traveled straight through the top of the building, blowing out the windows, some walls and everyone that was inside. The building was originally an industrial promotion hall.

A graveyard in the city. The stones in the lower picture appear to have been collected from an earlier site.

Shimane

2009-01-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

I had a great trip around Japan. I visited several cites and towns over the last few weeks and saw tons of temples and shrines. I've got a bunch of pictures so I'll put them up over the next couple weeks. I started in Hiroshima and then went with my friend to her house in Shimane.

In Japan, making a Christmas cake on Christmas eve is a tradition, though I'm willing to bet its not a very old one. My friend Miho, her sister and her sister's kids made this one and it was delicious. Don't miss the Koala cookies lining the second tier.

My friend works and lives in Shimane, a cold mountainous area known for farming. I think they're mascot is a giant salamander. The tiered mountain farming is reminded me of China though I didn't take any good pictures to show it.

Miho in front of a shrine in northern Shimane.

The older sections are closed off but I got my camera through the bars.

The grounds around the main shrine are for the many gods who come here each year for a kind of summit. One area has a kind of god apartment complex but the more powerful ones get their own seperate buildings.

I believe this is for a god as well but I don't know which one. Perhaps one that likes water.

we threw coins up into the ends of this giant rope. If you can get it to stick you can make a wish. It was kind of tough to stick one plus it was already jammed with coins.

Happy Merry Christmas (Jap)

2008-12-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for Hiroshima and then I'll be on to Kyoto and Osaka. I'm planning on taking a bunch of pictures so I should have plenty to post when I come back a couple weeks from now. Have a Merry Christmas and check out Cake Wrecks if you have a few free minutes. http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Cat check

2008-12-15T00:17:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty cloudy these last few days so I haven't gotten any decent shots of anything. I went to Jessica's adult English class today to help out and as a bonus I got to see how the cats are doing. Both Nemo and Misa seem happy and healthy. The pic is for Brittany more than anyone, look how big he is!

As an aside I wanted to tell anyone interested about some strange English-Japanese I learned recently. When a boat or ship goes in for repairs they refer to it as boat dock but in Japanese you can use it with people as well. They say "ningen dokku" meaning human dock to refer to a check up at the doctors. Strange and simple.

Pooh San, as he's called in Japan, and his buddy Piglet. I did this for a student who gave me a nice Christmas gift.

Morning Orange

2008-12-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

I took the morning yesterday between classes and got some shots around school while the light was still nice. These are all from around Nagata. It's been a long week, I'm so glad the weekend is finally here so I can take some time to clean up and relax. I took a lot of time this week talking to friends and teachers, trying to get good advice as to whether or not I should stay in Japan. It's gonna be a touch decision, I wish I didn't have to make it so soon (February).

Winter is ... coming

2008-12-11T00:55:00.000-08:00

but its not here yet. Strangely it was pretty warm this week.

Today I taught at Nagata Junior High. I got lucky and it happened that my friend Hiromi was at the same school. Hiromi is the island school librarian and she travels around to different schools like I do except that she has the whole island which means she has twice as many schools as I do. I'm rarely at the same school as her but its always fun to hang out in the library with her when shes around.

The Cosmos. I took this while my mom and I were driving in the southern part of the island with a few friends. I few weeks later I passed this field again and there were even more.
My mom spotted this on my screen a few days before she left. It was the biggest one I've ever seen, probably because it was about to lay eggs. We have tons of mantis' on the island, I see them all the time. The cats catch them and eat them.

I took this today from the school in Nagata. Its Nagata peak, one of the tallest peaks on the island and the only one you can see without hiking for hours and hours. I've got Nagata Junior High school again tomorrow. Next week is my last week of work before my trip. I was given a special assignment from one of the history teachers, "take lots of pictures in Kyoto and Osaka so I can use them in class." I'm sure this blog will benefit from that request.

Orange in Apple Orbit

2008-12-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

I booked 4 hotels this week for my Xmas holiday trip to Kyoto. I'm meeting my friend Becky and her mom in Hiroshima and from there we're going to Kyoto and then to Osaka. I'm also staying an extra night at the Kitagishi's house. This is the first family I stayed with back when I came to Japan on Semester at Sea. Here is an apple with a small mikan securely locked in its orbit.

Student Art

2008-11-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

This piece is appropriately titled "Battle of the Cats"

I'm thinking (hoping) this is an illustration from a story that the 6th graders are reading and not a plea for help. Either way I thought it had a strong message.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T17:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why her eyes are two completely different sizes. This was just for fun, its no one I know.

Fashion girls

2008-11-04T23:29:00.000-08:00

I had a great time with my mom while she was here. She's home safe and sound and I'm getting on with my regular schedule.

Some fashion sketches from JJ, Japan fashion magazine. These were fun to do. I just wanted to get the major colors and shapes in, nothing fancy.

Annabelles Days

2008-10-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

My mom Annabelle is here visiting and she's got a little blog going of her time here. I thought it would be fun for people to see different pictures and a different perspective.

http://annabellesdays.blogspot.com/

School lunch

2008-10-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh when I read the description of the school lunch on Friday.
"Colorful bean stew in ketchup sauce, roll of bread, chewy chewy salad, mayonnaise and whole milk." What? Despite the strangeness of description it tasted really good.

Isso Sports Festival

2008-09-28T17:40:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went to the Isso Junior High annual sports festival. Unfortunately it was pouring rain almost the whole time and it ended early. It was fun to watch the little kids slip in the mud though.

The front of the main building with a few spectators watching the race.

Sarah Palin Disney Movie

2008-09-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is awesome for so many reasons.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The House

2008-09-27T02:31:00.001-07:00

This house is a bit of a breakthrough for me. I've been practicing painting buildings for awhile now but with dismal results. I had a bit of an epiphany a few days back that eventually led to this and hopefully more like it in the future.

Sketch painting I worked on while I was taking a break from doing the house. Hands are tough, looks like I'll have to work on that.

Autumn, Wai Wai

2008-09-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

I often run into students at the store. Sometimes they hide behind the aisles and peek out at me and some run up and shout "Hello" before running off again. I'm hiding tempura behind my back.

Autumn is officially here so I thought I'd redo my blog title once again. I hope everyone likes it.

The Calm

2008-09-18T02:29:00.000-07:00

Today we had a typhoon come over the island and just before it got dark there was a calm and the sky turned a brilliant orange red. This photo wasn't altered in any way. I took it with white balance set to cloudy.

Isso Point

2008-09-17T00:58:00.000-07:00

Dragon Boat Races

2008-09-07T20:50:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday the local offices got together and raced "dragon boats" in the nearby river.

We didn't win any of the races but we had a good time. We had eight oarsmen, someone on rudder and person in the front who kept the beat with a taiko drum.

This is the new ALT, Jessica, and her boyfriend Ken who came to visit her last week.

We had a barbecue after the race. The man waving in the picture above is Fukumoto sensei, my boss. Toward the end of the day there was a raffle and I won the second to last (and best) prize, a compact stereo system and speakers. The final prize was a mini freezer.

Misa Kitty

2008-08-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

This is the newest kitty to come around the neighborhood. She showed up at my door last Sunday. She was really scared of people when I first found her. I was afraid she would starve so after a few days I started giving her a little food. Well, you can guess what happened next.

Technically she's still homeless. This is the box she lives in. I just wanted to keep her alive but it seems that I've adopted my second stray cat.

Max at Isso Junior High

2008-07-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

My little brother Max is on Yakushima visiting me for about a month. The first few days he was here I brought him to school with me so that he and the students could do a bit of a cultural exchange since they are more or less the same age. After Max gave a self introduction each student stood up and told Max about themselves and then asked one question.

During another period we made origami and played Japanese cat's cradle. The English teacher, Nakao Sensei, is on the far right.
Max had school lunch in the classroom with the students. The day before we had "make your own" sushi rolls but this day it was curry and naan. The students all adored Max and had a great time talking and playing with him. For the last few periods Max and the students all played hide and seek. Yesterday was the last day of school, summer vacation is finally here.

Brush work

2008-06-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Some practice paintings.

Tanegashima

2008-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Brittany and I went to a nearby island, Tanegashima, for the weekend to see our friends. One of the coolest things we saw was Japan's main rocket launch center. They put satellites into orbit a few times a year. If I get a chance I really want to go see a launch.

Kitty's getting bigger. He's running amok and attacking everything in sight.