More clouds and an update

Photo of some clouds near the ocean.

It is starting to get chilly here, although not as cold as Boston. Insulation etc is not as well put together, though, so I feel like the cold is felt more then Boston.

Work is busy busy busy. I am learning about US history to make presentations, and keep having flashbacks to highschool history classes. I am also giving watercolor classes, and getting up to date on my art history. Ditto with winter holidays. I am not sure how other people do things in my same job position, but for now I can say, become a JET CIR (with focus on events and presentations) and you will be a full time ambassador, anthropologist and researcher.

Have not been to comics shows (still not sure if indie comics and comics arts festival culture exists in Japan like I saw in Boston etc.), but I do occasionally show my printed comics to people. Most of the time they can't immediately read the English text, though....

Black Cat

A squashy black cat I saw.

Fields

Cycling through the fields.

I am settling in. It is very rainy here with hurricane season, but it means there are amazing clouds.

I'm in Japan

I'm in Japan settling into my new apartment (handed down from former CIRs) and figuring out my new job at the city office. I'm still alive, just wanted everyone to know! I am going to another orientation tomorrow.

My supervisor suggested I put a drawn/doodled self-portrait on my business cards.

Farewell to Boston, Hello to Japan

Hello all!

In July, I wrapped up work at MIT and left Boston. In a few days, I am flying out from San Francisco to Japan to work under the Japan Exchange and Teaching program. Whew! A lot of change! I will be in Kyushu.

At Farmers Market April 21 and Boston Comicon April 22nd

I will be selling books at the Cambridge Farmers Market on Saturday April 21st from 10am - 2pm.

I will also have books available at the Boston Comics Roundtable table at the Boston Comicon on April 21 - 22 at the Hynes Convention Center in Downtown Boston. I may stop by Saturday before the Comicon wraps up for the day. I will be tabling all day on Sunday at the Con.

Directions or Map

Selling books at Camridge Farmers Market again, Sat April 21th (correction)

Hello all, I will be selling book again at the Farmers Market at the Cambridge Community Center on Saturday April 21th (correction from April 14st). 5 Callender St Cambridge (click for map)

Enjoy the nice weather that has breezed in!

Selling books at Cambridge winter farmers market

I was at the Cambridge Community center's winter farmers martket yesterday, selling comics. It was a last minute tabling event. Pretty low key, fairly nice sales -- especially when the daughter of a comics collection curator (from Michigan; Michigan State University?) came across our table. She called her father and asked if he wanted copies of our comics. Getting a yes, she purchased one of everything, from anthologies to $1 minicomics.

These occurrences, which I think of as "A Patron of the Arts visits the table", do happen once in a while. Not at MOCCA or large shows, but I think more at smaller shows, or shows where an indie book maker stands out more (such as Boston Comicon, a few years ago). Or sometimes at friendly larger shows, where a visitor just decides they like your books and buys a copy of everything. It's fun and much appreciated, and I usually give a big discount.

Another interesting thing that happens (and this is more at Farmers Markets and craft shows) is when a visitor picks up a book and talk about it without realizing the person who make them is nearby. Usually it is funny, and a bit like being in a play; I secretly want to see how far it will go if I just smile or comment vaugely. But customers first, so pretty soon I clear up the misconception by saying, "Why thank you!"

Also, many visitors are curious that people can draw their own comics and print them into books themselves. I didn't know about "minicomics" until a few years ago, and I think they are a neat thing to know about.

Farmers Markets and craft shows also have fresh food nearby, which is great. I am a fan of tabling at these events.

New Show later this month

I am in a new art show, later this month!

"Comics and Society: Observations of Boston Comic and Cartoon Artists"
Riverside Galley [googlemaps]
Artists' Reception on Sunday, 26 February, 2-4pm
* This event will be free and open to the public. I will also be selling books there, and I think there will be some kind of entertainment.

I will have pages from "Mark and the Gillys" there". These pages, actually. The book is for sale at my store, or at the gallery reception.

New portfolio case

I have a lovely new portfolio case!

In fact, it is so new and nice, that I was in awe of it.


So I drew all over the first page in the notebook, and felt much better.

(But I will probably have to tear off that first page before using it for my interview.)

Ice sculpting photos

Our team designed a Jackalope.

Ice sculpting at BU Winterfest next Saturday (Jan 28)

I will be ice sculpting at BU Winterfest next Saturday (Jan 28)

http://www.bu.edu/winterfest/

I don't think I'm in the video on the page, but at 0:38 you can see m'friend Julia Abrams hacking away at what I think was a version of Cerberus we were sculpting.




Also if you are in Hartford, CT in the week of Feb 14 - 17, you should go see my cousin Tom perform in William H Hall High School's "Cheaper by the Dozen".

Covers and art on display at MIT

I have an art display in MIT's infinite corridor during January. I am displaying the two covers I did for Trends in Cell Biology [link], along with some of the original watercolors and a blurb about the process.

The display is in the main infinite corridor, very close to MIT's main entrance at 77 Massachusetts Avenue (Lobby 7, the bright lobby in the photo). After entering at 77 Mass Ave, continue walking into the main corridor. The display is to the right.


Below are the blurbs I used:

Atomic force microscopy techniques, or AFM, allow scientists to observe and manipulate cell surfaces using a small probe tip. This conjured an image of a scientist kneeling on a cell surface and prodding things, which lead to this cover. Graphite, watercolor and gouache were used.

Many thanks to MIT graduate students, who assisted by donning lab gear and crouching in the hallways while I took reference photos.



Protein molecules are transported through the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane by translocation channels. I read as far as “protein transportation” in the abstract, then put it down and drew the cover. (I did do other research, but the basic design was very fast.)

Pen and watercolor were used to finish these illustrations. Both covers were digitally edited with Corel Painter.