A picture I submitted for a fairy tale project. Also now I have some work at Open Houses with delicious cake.

walled garden flowers

Preston Manor

Yesterday I visited Preston Manor. It is really really beautiful. The people working there have so much knowledge of the place that it made the visit so much more interesting. I was most intrigued by the basement area where there were the kitchens, washing area and butler's room with all the tools and equipment. In one of the kitchens there is also a beautiful embroidery by an eight year old. I also liked the paintings of the pet dogs. Outside in the garden area we found a long row of dog graves. I must revisit with my sketchbook but I was also told that it is a haunted house...

Si o No

Sometimes it's hard making decisions. But not anymore! SiNo Project

...

I have been making lots of crochet flowers and sitting on grass and going to the beach. As my co-worker Ben puts it, 'it's like fairyland at the moment'.

new project

I have found a new project. To learn to make crochet flowers. I have made a couple at the weekend for the great friends who cycled on London to Brighton Bike Ride. Well done to Debbie, Rosie and the team!

Also now my windowsill plants are doing well. One of the cactus has some flowers. I think it it is Kalanchoe tomentosa (Panda Plant).

Junkboy Koyo

At the weekend I followed the naked bikers to the seafront and joined a knitting picnic that Emily organized. I am only learning and doing rows. I am in need of a project or an adventure. I really do. Maybe I can keep knitting and knitting and it will be a warm scarf.

Here is the artwork for our friends and great musicians, Junkboy that Debbie and I worked on.

more summer weather please

last weekend i saw some people swimming in the sea. i just got my feet wet and had an ice cream in a cup.

'Fifty-two'

debbie and i have some work at this exhibition opening next week organized by claire platt and camilla stacey.

Calm Air All Ice Presents: 'Fifty-two'
31 March-3 April

Opening times: Wed-Fri 12-4pm / Sat 12-5.30pm

Opening Night: March 31st 6-8pm

Room 212 Glouceter Road, Bristol

exhibiting artists:

aaron sewards • alika cooper • alys paterson • amanda kindregan • amy greenan • ben o'leary • bess harding • bjorn lie • camilla stacey • cathy cullis • claire platt • courtney chelo • dave bain • debbie hill • deth p sun • edith abeytan• ekta kaul • elin thomas • fiona cassidy • gail mason • genevieve dionne• gunilla jähnichen • helen entwisle • jill bliss • kate parsons • kirsty hall • laura donald • leah duncan • lisa aaron • lisa solomon • lizzie stewart • lucie sheridan • marci washington • michal c william • mithila shafiq • nicole licht • nura porat • patrick gildersleeves • peskimo • roz inett • shannon rankin • simon daly • susan schwake • tinee häcker • yumi okuda

spring begins

it's so nice to be so close to the sea.

airports and airplanes

at shoreham airport you can sit and have a cup of tea and biscuits while admiring the planes taking off and landing.

indoor plants in colour, age nicolaisen

i got this beautifully illustrated book from oxfam bookshop. i like how there are decorations drawn with the plants.

miniature dinky toys

last week debbie and i visited brighton toy and model museum. there are many model trains there.

Book House Project

Today Natacha, Debbie, Vicky and I went and displayed the rooms we created inspired by stories at the Books for Amnesty in Brighton.

よしみつさんへ

いつも応援ありがとうございます。これからもどこからか笑いながらみていてください。

a snowy day drawing

i like it when the trees turn white with snow.

omisoka

i've become more adventurous with cooking and did a lot more baking this year. i'd like to go on more outings next year. train journeys, bus trips, bike rides, visiting places.

in japan, we are meant to have a big clean up on new year's eve.
i just cleaned my bedroom, kitchen next.

drawing game, scrabble and trivial pursuit

things i experienced for the first time this christmas:
• played scrabble; fun but i can only make 3 or 4 letter words...
• ate pigs in a blanket; tasty!
• got a stocking; what a wonderful surprise to wake up to find a stocking!

christmas make

this week i did a lot of making for christmas gifts and cards. evenings with tea and biscuits with good friends. yesterday i went round debbie and rosie's house and we made christmas crackers. but i was not so good at wrapping them so i did some decorating while debbie skillfully did the rolling and wrapping. we had mince pie and nice smelling herbal teas.

big value jotter

this morning i woke up with a fever and lot of noise everyone trying to get to places in time. i heard my phone get a message, but when i checked there were no new messages. i lay in bed confused. later i watched garden programs day dreaming.

Blue Bird

My sister reads lots and she used to read me stories when I was little. This is a drawing I did inspired one of those stories. I found out that it was by a Belgian playwright called Maurice Maeterlinck.
Also now my Biking is the Best print is on sale at Little Paper Planes for any bike lovers!

greeting card illustration

Here are a couple of illustrations for a book of new year cards now on sale in Japan.

年賀状のイラスト描かせていただきました、インフォレスト社プリントするだけ　おしゃれ年賀状2010発売中です。

how to trim basil

last night a group of us from the studio gathered for blac night. a night of sharing skills, performance, story telling and a meal. we made a mini animation and catherine presented her shadow puppet. we learned how to maintain your bike, how to make a flower and a box from paper, and how to trim basil so it will keep growing.

After the Rain

After the Rain

After the all day rain,
The path now blooms
With blossoms pink and white.


Rey Ventura

cat drawing

new images!!

i've updated my website with new images and new links.

our first studio newsletter

catherine and i have produced our first studio newsletter, 'trolls live under bridges' with suggestions, jokes, biscuit ratings and more. email me with your address if you would like to receive a copy.

MA09 Exhibition

the MA Illustration Exhibition is coming soon at University of Brighton. Many friends are exhibition in the show and i got a chance to see some work in progress and they are looking great! I am really looking forward to seeing all the work together.
http://www.ma09.co.uk

british fete

on saturday catherine and i were at tea & make(a great british fete). it was a lot of fun and we had chocolate brownie, lemon cake and chocolate marble cake. met lovely people and had fun making an explorer beard by the the talented artic. the images are cornelia o'donovans' beautiful toys, pheasant's teapot and our stall.

john o' groats to land's end

a friend from the studio, david and his friend have gone cycling in scotland. they are cycling all the way down to land's end! you can follow their great adventures here.

Tea and Make

Catherine and I will be at Tea and Make craft market in london next weekend, Saturday 22nd August at St Saviour'S Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, London SE23 1JN.
There will sure be lots of cake too!

confirmed stall holders:
Abigail Thomas
Capital Bee
Cassie English
Catherine Grimaldi
Choc Star
Cornelia O'Donovan
Cup of Sea
Eva Nueno
Garudio Studiage
Hannah Waldron
interim
Kamala Katbamna
Laura Laura
Mr Scruff's Make Us a Brew
Pete Fowler (Monsterism)
Pheasant
pingo [art vending machine]
Polly George
Sara Tierney
Selvedge
The Artic
Yumi Okuda

crow and heron drawings

a couple of drawings i've been working on for a fable.

hat party

a couple of weekends ago, i went to a fun hat party. everyone wore hats, a lot of them handmade including this lovely giraffe hat and there were homemade treats like this yummy hat cake. i made a paper bag hat.

outside in exhibition

outside in, a biennial art competition for outsider and marginalised artists is opening at the pallant house gallery where i have been working as an intern. the exhibition opens from 4th august to 8th november. the images above by bob newman, kristen grbec and andrea cook.

t shirt illustrations

my first trip to wales

last week i spent one week volunteering at centre for alternative technology. we mostly helped at roger's field picking beans, weeding and thinning. in the evenings we went to some lectures. an architect called pat borer gave an interesting lecture about ecological buildings. at the weekend we went on a scenic train journey to barmouth - a seaside town, climbed cadair idris - second highest in wales! went skinny dipping in a lake!!

People Tree in Brighton

last week i had some fun with paint helping my illustrator friend, chris haughton paint a new fair trade fashion shop opening in brighton.

how great the sea is, how small my split ends are

yesterday i had a nice cycle along the seafront to saltdean to draw rabbits and horses. there was a gentle breeze. cycling can be so relaxing and enjoyable. in the evening i went to my friend simon's house where many of his lovely neighbours and friends gathered to enjoy his band, mates of mine play.

lovely morning

i had the most wonderful morning today. debbie and i cycled along the seafront for a free breakfast. The sun was shining and some pleasant music by the hornblower brothers.

treyarnon bay and an ottoman embroidery

last week i went on a camping trip to cornwall. it was the most luxurious camping trip i've been on! we had ceramic plates, table cloth and had risotto for dinner. we stayed at a campsite by treyarnon bay. i love the sound of wind in my ears when walking in the meadows.
my friend kim was visiting from japan too, so we had a day in london. we started at the victoria and albert musum and ended with curry in brick lane. we are already planning our next camping trip in the americas.

fun with architecture

i tried out some stamps that i got some time ago in a charity shop in manchester. it is a box of rubber stamps called fun with architecture by david eisen.

The Recipe for Marmalade

Illustration for a poem by Emily Wills.

graveyard drawing

at the weekend i went on a stroll and location drawing at woodvale crematorium with debbie. it was really quiet and there weren't many people around. we saw a fox. the pond looked a lot bigger on the map than it was. on sunday we went on a bike ride to stanmer park. rosie found a barbie colouring book and we practiced some poses from it. after a bbq pork, potatoe wedges, spinach and cheese cake meal, we went to the pub for pub quiz. we came second! great weekend!!

the front garden

it's been sunny and warm, i am spending more time in the garden. vicki, my housemate and i sit out with our cups of tea observing the birds and flowers. the tadpoles in the pond are doing well.
last year they didn't grow to be frogs... at the weekend i went to see the coach rally that debbie told me about. there was a lot of impressive driving on show.

drawing at the hunterian museum

yesterday i went with a group of friends on a drawing trip to the hunterian museum at the royal college of surgeons in london. there were many animals in jars.