Ojika Island

From Shin-Kamigoto, we took a short ferry ride to Ojika, a smaller, less mountainy island with a peaceful fishing village vibe. We hired electric bikes for our stay, and with the help of the incredible staff (thank you Victoria!) at the tourist office, started our perfect three day visit.

We explored the whole island, cycling over the gentle slopes and having picnic lunches. We wandered in the main village near the port, sat on beaches with turquoise waters, and watched glorious sunsets…

We stayed in a restored kominka and I loved this particular room with the tatami floors and lovely view. I sketched in the house, and used the large table surrounded by windows as a temporary illustration studio.

There was so much inspiration everywhere, I felt like I could keep drawing forever. Here’s my first sketch in the town, drawn while sitting on the steps outside a temple.

I particularily loved doing the local pilgrimage ‘stamp rally’ where you collect stamps for specific locations. I love these Japanese location stamps, and doing the rally meant we found places we might not have done otherwise. We got lost, but loved it!

This was honestly one of the best and most enjoyable places we’ve ever stayed in Japan, with many, many years of Japan travelling under our belts. It wasn’t that the views were spectacular, or famous, but that the atmosphere was truly special, the local people so welcoming, and the feeling of experiencing a genuine rural Japanese life. They’ve really gone out of their way to preserve something unique, while keeping up with modern times. I loved that there were no convenience stores, only local shops, and that the pace of life was just that much slower. I miss it already…

You can find out everything you want to know about going to Ojika here. I wish I could share this place with everyone.

Goto Islands

After having cancelled our planned early 2020 Kyushu trip due to the pandemic, we finally made it to the Goto Islands a few weeks ago. It was magical, and everything we hoped it would be. We took the ferry from Nagasaki and arrived at Shin-Kamigoto, picked up a car, and started exploring the island.

First stop, the hidden and peaceful Kashiragashima church. It’s one of the twelve Hidden Christian monuments in Nagasaki recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can’t photograph inside the church, so I drew a sketch of the pretty ceiling structure and let the atmosphere sink in. We were the only visitors.

We spent the next few days visiting different sites around the island, watching sunrises and sunsets and sampling the local delicacies. The water was beautiful (but a bit too cold to swim in) and the views of the sea at any time of the day was spectacular.

I sketched the first sunrise we saw, the light was neon pink and orange over the sea…

This is one of the beaches we visited, we almost always had them to ourselves. The water was turquoise and the sand was soft. Incredible.

From here, we took another ferry to our next destination - Ojika Island…

Nagasaki visit

Last weekend we went to Nagasaki for one day and managed to do an amazing amount!

We visited Dejima, the island where the first Europeans who visited and traded with Japan lived. It’s in the process of being restored as a historic site, and the museum and buildings were fascinating.

And then we spent the rest of the day eating the local specialities (Turkish rice, champon, castella), wandering the streets, and riding the awesome old trams!

Nagasaki totally charmed me. One day was just not long enough. Can’t wait to visit again!

Art Biotop

I just got back from a wonderful week in Tochigiken, staying in an airbnb and working from home, but taking time out to go for walks in the mountain air and visit a few local spots. One of those spots was Art Biotop in Nasu.

It’s a water garden designed by Japanese architect Junya Ishigami. It was truly magical. I wandered around the pools, admiring the reflections of the trees and watching tiny frogs jumping and hiding in the mud at the bottom of each pool…

I sketched a little, sitting on one of the carefully placed rocks, and marvelled at the balance of everything.

A beautiful white heron flew in and walked right past me as I sketched, totally unafraid. If you’re ever in the area, I really recommend a visit!

a trip to the countryside

After a succession of grey rainy weeks in Tokyo, it was a pleasure to take a few days off and visit the countryside. We stayed in 2 cabins, the first near Karuizawa, the second in Gunma. I sketched a little…

…and spent the rest of the time walking, taking photographs, and eating many, many different kinds of apples.

I already can’t wait to go on another trip…

Point Reyes

It’s my birthday weekend! As a treat, I managed to go on a little trip (not too far) and spent 2 days in and around Point Reyes, visiting the Point Reyes National Seashore, and even managed to do some sketching…

This is Indian Beach, and it was totally empty, except for jellyfish, floating along happily in the sunshine.

I sketched the sailing boats in Tomales Bay, and then the wetlands and bridge over the mouth of the river where it fed into the bay.

Cow Track Ranch was an incredible, cosy place to stay, and I loved the whole cowboy feeling of the interiors! Also the chickens and swallows…

The hills were all dry and yellow, but still beautiful. I really hope it rains soon, and that the land can become green again.

Can’t wait for another little trip there soon!

summer newsletter

Hello and welcome to July! I just sent out my third newsletter, filled with Mariko news and some interesting tidbits from around the internet.

I’m still working out what works in a newsletter (all advice welcome) but one thing I like is to start with a recent topical sketch that I make specially. This is the view from the balcony here in California.

You can sign up for my newsletters here. Thanks!

tokyo meal

On a quick visit to Tokyo recently, I managed a little sketch of the desserts during a very pretty meal at Hannariya.It is a Kyoto style place and the dishes were as beautiful as they were delicious...

the French Laundry

We finally managed to visit the French Laundry recently, in Napa, and I enjoyed every single bite.I did a little sketch of each course and item as it was served...The food was beautiful, as well as delicious, and it was a pleasure to draw. I can still taste the flavours now...

Lassen National Park

This weekend I visited Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. It had forests, volcanic rocks, and beautiful lush meadows with wildflowers... There were tiny streams and creeks of clear icy water...and incredible mountain-top lakes, surrounded by snow.We watched the Perseid meteor shower and saw many falling stars.It was like a dream...

London wedding

My brother-in-law got married this weekend in London, and it was a beautiful day.I sketched as much as I could, and loved seeing how my designs were used on the day. For Luke & Amy's wedding stationery, I started with an illustration of the happy couple on a London bus, with pink flowers in the background, which was used for the Save the Dates. I started them off in casual clothes, and added a simple hand-drawn pink border around the card.I developed this motif and drew a more detailed background for the formal invitation, including important places from their life together and secret elements from the wedding reception, like the ice-cream cart, the bowling pin and neon arrow, to hint at what would be in store on the day. I also put them in more traditional wedding attire.For the welcome reception, before the wedding, I created a simpler version of the illustration, with a celebratory bottle of champagne...

....and then for all of the other stationery, another version with just a few of the details from the full invitation illustration.It was used on the menu

for the wedding lunch, which was delicious, and the table where I sat was full of interesting and beautiful people to draw.There was dancing and cocktails...and an awesome sweet bar: check out the sweet bags! I hadn't seen this, but the bride was given a special dressing gown with the illustration embroidered onto the back. Isn't it amazing!I also made a square-bordered version of the illustration (with an added heart detail) to have printed onto a pillow for the bride and groom as a gift.I have more drawings of the day, but this is my favourite of the bride, my new sister-in-law. Welcome to the family!

London week two

This week I spent some time with friends in lovely places, and managed to do a little sketching too: here's a watercolour of a quiet garden inside Regent's Park.I also did a little drawing while I was having a tasty afternoon tea with scones at the Mock Turtle cafe in Brighton,and here's an atmospheric shot of my sketchbook in the window of Kew Palace, the summer home of King George III, inside Kew Gardens, one of my very favourite places in London. I'm loving being here, seeing all the familiar places with new eyes and sketching every day...

London

I'm in the UK for a while, and working hard, while trying to fit in some visits and exhibitions when I can. Here's a sketch I did today watching my niece and her dance group in the little town of Horsham. It was adorable, and sort of like going back in time.Whenever there's a chance, I stroll in the garden, and soak up the green-ness of the Spring. I could sketch plants and flowers forever...I've been inspired by some amazing exhibitions, sketching and making notes as I go. This one was at the London Original Print Fair at the Royal Academy. I love trying to work out how different prints were made, and what techniques were used... I especially loved the Josef Frank exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum. So many incredible patterns and designs!I was incredibly moved by the Howard Hodgkin exhibition Absent Friends at the National Portrait Museum. I've always loved his work, but this show made me see the paintings in a different way...So much to do while I'm here. More London sketches next week!

Japan Kyushu travels - week 2

After the mountains, we travelled to the coast, in the misty rain, ready to explore another side of Kyushu. We stayed in a hotel in Nango, and watched the changing mood of the sea and the sky...We drove and drove, along winding roads, past smaller and smaller villages, watching the green around us get more tropical, and finally reached the southern-most tip of Japan. There's a little lighthouse and the sea was wild and it was wonderful. We took a ferry across the Sakurajima bay to Ibusuki, and I sketched the misty views of the mountains on both sides.We went to see the little volcano called Kaimondake, jutting out into the sea. It's somehow not as scary as Sakurajima, and both calming and beautiful.

I find rural Japan fascinating and special and worry that people are leaving for the cities, but am hopeful that there is a movement now for people to return and enjoy a slower pace of life. These are rice paddies in Miyazaki after the rains, when we could hear the frogs singing. Just thinking of the beauty there makes me happy.

calligraphy

I did a little calligraphy job this week, for Van Cleef & Arpels in Hong Kong, for a press launch of their new collection. I hand-wrote place-cards for the invited journalists in a pretty, delicate style.I was also on location during the event, to write any cards for unexpected guests, and while I waited, I sketched the pretty PR ladies.

sketch

This week, just a little sketch I did of an astroemeria flower I have on my desk.I was trying to concentrate on work and got distracted and thought I'd do a little drawing to get focussed...

Hong Kong

I'm in Hong Kong at the moment, working on all sorts of projects, and loving being back after far too long. I had breakfast at the retro Hoi On Cafe with a friend and did a quick sketch..I adored the glossy red booths! I visited my favourite sort of hardware store......and wandered the evening streets, admiring the old and fast disappearing Hong Kong.

Los Angeles

Went to stay with some friends in LA at the weekend and spent an afternoon in their lovely back yard.Summer the dog, an adorable labradoodle, helped me with my watercolour sketch...Long live the sunshine!

Nathan's wedding

My friend Nathan asked me to create some illustrations for his wedding invitations, and I came up with several ideas for the three different event cards. Each card had a slightly different level of formality, so I tried to accommodate that.I also drew a little vignette of their names for the cards, that could be used on various stationery. I was asked for 'rustic but stylish', as the wedding was in Yosemite National Park, so I thought about the time I'd been there, and concentrated on the sweeping views and sequoia trees. The first event was on the lawn at the Wawona hotel, where I drew the lovely floral arrangements in the glowing early evening light.The wedding ceremony took place on the lawn of the Ahwahnee hotel, with the glorious mountains as a backdrop, on a perfect summer day.As a wedding favour each guest was given a waterbottle with my illustration of Half Dome on, but as a special thank you, Nathan and Strawn gave me a set of glasses as well, and I couldn't resist taking this picture. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Yosemite

We went to Yosemite National Park at the weekend to attend a wedding, and I loved being surrounded by the trees in the wonderful clear air.We stayed at the historic Wawona hotel (now renamed the Big Trees Lodge), and completely relaxed.We went up to Glacier Point twice, the first time at midnight to watch the Perseid shower, and the second time during the day. The meteor shower was one of the most magical things I've ever seen: the night was totally dark and all the stars in the milky way were visible. And then the stars fell, some brightly, some quickly, and some leaving a trail of sparkles. During the day the view was spectacular, with blue mountains and valleys all around as far as the eye can see. Truly a marvel of the world...