IF - Fierce

Last week, the girls and I decided to kick off our summer vacation by getting some Betta fish, otherwise known as Siamese fighting fish. My husband must have been disappointed, judging by the large number of articles on pet rats he had left strewn about the apartment. Nona decided on an active red one, which she named Red Dragon. Emma chose a more timid blue one, which she named Feather. The girls were so excited, they sat plastered to their tanks for hours, and the poor dog was beginning to feel neglected.

No, no, fear not. The fish do not really live in tanks that small.

IF - Hoard

I love paper. Any kind of paper. Paper with texture, paper with patterns - florals, Italian prints, architectural, you name it. I love to feel it and play with it. I used to have stacks of paper in my workroom back in New York. I made journals and stationery and just played with all my craft supplies. But when we moved to Tokyo, I had to leave them all behind in storage. There just isn't enough room in our little apartment.

But a couple of weeks ago, I went to Asakusabashi with a friend, a district known for its dolls and silk flowers and beads and...washi. Oh, beautiful, beautiful washi! Miles and miles of it! I couldn't help myself. I bought so many wonderful sheets. They are now carefully hidden away at the back of my closet, safe from the hands of curious, crafty children. I have many glorious dreams for that washi. They're almost too beautiful to use.

I'm trying to become less of a one-trick-pony and have started playing with Illustrator. Thank you to everyone for all your wonderful inspiration and encouragement!

IF - Punchline

Waiting for the Holy Punchline

Some of the animals we have here on earth make me think they're part of some divine joke. Some humans, too.

IF - Forgotten

It was at that moment that Edison realized he had been forgotten.

My Babies

Having drawn pixie babies earlier this week, I was inspired to draw my own babies.
This is Nona, my first baby. She's not so much a baby anymore. She's nine now. We recently went to Tokyo Disney, and she wanted to buy a Cheshire Cat hat. I made a comment about how she would probably never wear it anywhere else, and she's determined to prove me wrong. Sometimes she wears it as a nightcap to bed to keep her head warm.

And this is Emma. She's the real pixie. She's six years old, but she still wears size 4T. In Tokyo, advertisers stand on the street and hand out useful things, like a packet of tissues with their ads on it. Last summer, we were handed these large paper fans (it gets mighty hot and humid here). Emma took two and started furiously flapping across the room at full speed. Then she'd take a huge leap onto the couch and breathlessly exclaim than she had honestly been flying.