The mongrel cat came home, holding half a head.

For obvious reasons this blog lay dormant for the month of May but I do believe it is time to get things rolling once again. Today was a particularly lazy day, I awoke with sound intentions to be productive but couldn't muster up the will as the day went on. Lately I've been incredibly busy, my past 4 weekends were devoured by work and social obligations and  now my schedule looks to be booked well until the middle of July. I must note that strewn in there some where was a completely wasted weekend spent watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, but I'm considering that i productive endeavor. I might as well not even consider the last 2 weekends in July as being open, considering that i will most likely be packing and moving. So i've accepted today as a much needed day of lazing about. The worst part about all of this though, is that ever since returning home i've had a near irrepressible urge to create. A predicament wouldn't you say so? here i find myself motivated with a stock pile of ideas but little time to make them a reality. 

More specifically I'm feeling the urge to paint again. It's just that don't have the free hours to sit down and begin a painting. I'm unable to start a painting during the week, i mean with 3 or 4 hours after work i just can't get myself into the mental space required to start a large scale work. Ideally i would like to sit down for a full weekend, make a fair amount of progress at which point i can then sit down for 4 hour sessions and bring up specific parts. I don't want to give the impression that i've given up creative pursuits because I'm not afforded the necessary amount of time.  Rather I'm just voicing my frustrations at having to repress my urges to paint.

My trip stateside gave me a renewed perspective on life in Japan, more specifically it made pressing the reality that there is life after JET. Especially here in Japan it's easy to justify ignoring the future for the sake of living in the present and making the most of the experience. But as is quickly becoming my favorite theme in these blog posts, it's about balance. I obviously wouldn't be doing myself any good just concentrating all of my energies on the future and allowing this opportunity to pass by. The good thing is, is that I'm not just drifting aimlessly i know what i want to do after JET. I've known before i even came, now it's just making a concentrated effort to get to that goal. Like i mentioned while we were musing about  life on the beach, I feel that i have the potential to make this aspiration of mine a reality, its just that that potential needs to be harnessed properly. If i continue as i was, dappling for a few hours hear and there, all my artistic endeavors will ever amount to is a hobby, a mere side interest. 

So what am i doing about it you ask, besides whining about not having enough time? Well i did complete a drawing a few weeks back . It was after the completion of this drawing that i determined it was time to paint again . I've been laying out compositional thumbs for the Many ideas i have.  What's interesting in looking at all the ideas i have on the table is the diversity of themes I'm addressing. I mean some are fun and whimsical, some are serious, dark even and others are serene. This current body is  much more varied thematically than my previous work and i think it is a reflection of a healthier physical and emotional state. Further one of the reasons i'm so eager to start painting is i want to see these ideas realized. I think they can best be described as Japanese in content but through lens of westerner whose is stylistically influenced by traditional european art. Yes i know it's kind of a vague artist statement, but looking at my previous drawing of the Geisha, I think you can glean what I'm trying to say. Since i don't have the time to start a full a painting, I'm working on smaller studies for one of the larger pieces I'm hoping to start in the coming weeks. 

Another thing I'm making a conscious effort to do is to allot myself both a drawing day and a 4 hour period of messing about. It's a way for me keeping things fresh and not get to product oriented. I'm looking for a life drawing session but thats been difficult, as japan doesn't have as much of a history in classical drawing as other places. Needless to say both my drawing and painting skills are rusty. I've lost a bit of the fluidity and ease with which it used to come. So it's taking a bit more effort, but I'm not discouraged. So thats a bit on the artistic front. 

As for life, my only particular quarrel at this moment is how busy things are other than that i have nothing to complain about. I mentioned how much I'm enjoying life here and i don't see that changing anytime soon. The idea of a third year is still a thought that I'm toying around with. Currently the weather is  warming up here on top of that it's the rainy season, which is interesting cause being a Californian i'm not used to heat, humidity and rain. I took a rather interesting stroll in the rain the other day, not paying any mind to how soaked i was getting because it was so hot anyways. I'm looking forward to moving in August, i'm interested to see how i'll respond to living in such a small village. 

Oh one final thought, i was reflecting on our trip to the Santa Cruz. I find it interesting how the beach tends to illicit simultaneously insightful contemplation/conversation and childlike play. 

Auditory Stimulus:

The Mars Volta- Octahedron 

Dredg- The Pariah, The Parrot and The Delusion 

Why?- Alopecia 

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief 

Do make Say Think - Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn

King Crimson - Red

The Walkmen- You & Me

Currently Perusing the words (and pictures) of:

Vladimir Nabokov - Lolita 

Albert Camus- The Stranger

Taiyo Matsumoto- Tekkon Kinkreet 

Perhaps i mentioned this already but Tekkon Kinreet is a Manga (not your ordinary manga mind you). The artist was influenced by european comic artists. The story is about Two orphans Black and White and how their relationship is affected by the ever changing city around them. It's graphically violent, fantastical yet not overly, insightfully explores the darkness that exists inside us all (cliche wording) and the relationship  between the two lead characters is endearing. If you don't have to time read the 684 page english translation, check out the movie. The animation is spectacular,  and the story translates really well. Although i've noticed a trend in Japanese Anime (example Neon Genesis Evangelion) to become increasingly philosophical as they near the conclusion. It's not so much that i mind the philosophizing, but rather how it's handled. It could be evenly paced but instead the execution seems under-thought and consequently these philosophical conclusions seemed forced. It happens a bit toward the end of Tekkon Kinreet (the anime particularly) but is no where near as aggravating as the final episodes of Evangelion. Check it out if you have time. You also recommended an anime to me that and i'm trying to recall the name, but failing...

OVER AND OUT