I spent a lovely morning in the San Francisco Botanical Gardens yesterday with a friend, sketching, having a small picnic, and catching up on the news.
I tried out some felt tip pens with brush nibs, and limited myself to a few colours. It was super relaxing and such a great way to unwind after a difficult week.
We nibbled on scones and blackberries and watched the geese. Sunny winter days are a treat!
I’ve been redesigning the website of my printmaking collective wood + paper + box, and it’s currently up and running, but not yet totally finished.
I made an opening page with a background pattern of drawings I’ve done over the years of all our individual pieces, and I’m hoping to change this pattern periodically, to keep it interesting.
The site opener also has direct links to each of our four collective boxes: the main works we do together. When you place the cursor over the name of each box, an image appears of that box. We have so many beautiful photographs now of our work, I wanted to highlight them as much as possible.
A new section on the site, that we didn’t have previously, is Exhibitions. We’ve had several solo shows, and taken part in some amazing group shows, and you can see photos and read about them here.
I’ve added an extra section of products that you can purchase from us - featuring our incredible hand-made baren pins.
I’m hoping to add descriptions to each photograph on the site, and expand on the projects we’re doing, including what we’re working on currently. But all in time.
Please take a look and let me know if you have any comments so far!
To go with the COPE picture books, we’ve been working with Teng, a company in Singapore, to bring the main message of each book to life with an animated jingle.
Jingles are an excellent way to capture children's attention and teach them essential safety lessons. Our new Earthquake jingle makes learning about earthquake preparedness fun and memorable, helping kids understand the critical Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) message: "DROP, COVER & HOLD."
Hopefully the catchy tune will help kids remember the message, and be prepared!
Working on the jingles, I had to essentially redraw parts of the illustrations, to fill in backgrounds and add new elements, which aren’t needed for a flat image in the books. Watching my illustrations come to life is fascinating.
This week the COPE team has been in Manila at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024 promoting the books, and to launch the new Tsunamis book.
This is Martha, Christine and Lina, in front of the COPE stand. Unfortunately Tim and I couldn’t be there, but I loved seeing all the busy pictures and hearing the stories of the event!
All the books, especially the ones translated into languages other than English, were highlighted and promoted.
The launch of the expanded Tsunami book commemorates the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and brings vital tsunami preparedness knowledge to children and communities worldwide. We originally had a much shorter tsunami booklet, but this new version fits into the whole collection with an extended story section and more information.
Here’s the trailer for the book!
I was given some lovely sheets of washi to try by Eriko Fujita at the Mokuhanga Conference earlier this year, for a project sponsored by the papermaker - Narushima Washi. I thought about what to make for a long time, and eventually decided that a simple flower could be the base for me to try out some new ideas…
I wanted to experiment a bit, and make some work that really highlighted the paper. I like to leave a lot of negative space for the paper to shine. I tested out colours, carved a block, and prepped my paper to print…
I set up my space, and managed to do all the prints in a day. I kept the leaves of my flowers all the same, with a two-colour bokashi, and then experimented with monoprinting techniques for the flowers, so each is unique and has its own special pattern.
I chose the best of the prints, and created a variable edition of 12. I liked the creamy colour of the paper alot, although it took time to get used to the slightly different texture than I’m used to.
The four prints at the top have been sent to Japan, to be shown in an exhibition in November alongside the work by many artists from around the world. I can’t wait to see how it looks!
My wood + paper + box collaborators Katie Baldwin and Yoonmi Nam gave a presentation at the MAPC Conference this week, about working collaboratively.
The pieces in the slide above are my cloud, leaf, puddle print from our box Mise-en-Scene, and my dammerung accordian-fold piece made to show the changing weather over a landscape, that can be viewed from different angles. They illustrate how work that is produced for a collective project can influence the work made in our own art paractice.
Our handling copy of the box Mise-en-Scene from the Beach Museum was on show at the presentation, and everyone could try their hand at making arrangements from all the pieces.
Back in June I sat down to have an online conversation with André Zadorozny for his podcast The Unfinished Print. It’s a niche podcast all about mokuhanga, and we discussed my printmaking practice, as well as my career in illustration, my travels, and how everything in my life has fed into my work.
I’m always a bit nervous speaking in interviews, but as I had met Andre at the mokuhanga conference in Japan in the Spring, it felt a little less daunting, and I relaxed into it. We covered a wide range of subjects and had alot of fun.
“The journey of an artist is a winding one. You make the decision to start, not knowing where it will take you. Over time, if you're fortunate, you build a career from your work while gaining the freedom to explore new forms of expression, with each project becoming an important and affirming part of that journey.”
In this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with Mariko Jesse, a professional illustrator who has integrated mokuhanga into her artistic practice. Mariko draws inspiration from her life experiences, sharing insights on her family and travels. We discuss how living in San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Japan has shaped her outlook and creative process. Mariko also reflects on her involvement with MI Lab, now based in Echizen, Japan, as well as travelling to the International Mokuhanga Conference in April 2024. Finally, we explore Mariko's collaborations with The Mokuhanga Sisters and wood+paper+box, and how these partnerships shape her own artistic practice. - A. Zadorozny
I currently have two mokuhanga prints in a show at the Pacific Arts League in Palo Alto, California.
The show is about how stories and memories are connected to the images we create. I wrote about how when we moved to California, the idea of growing a lemon tree was like a dream, and that it inspired to me to create this print of a branch of a meyer lemon tree, and about seeing a frog hiding from the rain under a leaf in Japan.
There’s still a few more days to see the show, do let me know if you make it.
My newest mokuhanga print Wildflowers is currently on show in Taiwan at the IPC International Mini-Print Exhibition at Teh-Chun Art Gallery.
I made this print while I was in Japan earlier this year, and this is the first time it has been shown publicly. I based the image on a tiny drawing in my sketchbook of some wildflowers I had in a simple vase at home. I’m interested that the organisers chose to put my print in the catalogue on a page where all the other prints are black and white!
Do let me know if you manage to go to the exhibition, I’d love to hear your thoughts. After the show, the print will be held in their permanent collection.
I am honoured to share that COPE, the children’s book series that I have been illustrating for several years, has been highlighted by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, during a recent visit to Tonga. Mr Guterres joined forces with the World Meteorological Organization and METService to raise awareness about the #StateofClimate and the critical need for #EarlyWarningsForAll, particularly in the Pacific Islands. On the frontline of #ClimateChange, these islands face immense challenges from natural hazards and disasters.
I created a special illustration featuring the Secretary General of the UN, and also all the new heads of the WMO.
I am absolutely delighted that António Guterres launched a new booklet from the WMO/COPE Disaster Champions series when he took time from his busy schedule to visit a local school. The Cyclones book has been translated into Tongan, especially for the local children.
You can read more about the initiative with the WMO here.
I've just returned from a month away, mostly in London, where I spent time with friends and family. I felt like I didn’t draw as much as I would’ve liked, but here are some of my sketches that I did when I could.
I did a spot of sightseeing (showing a friend around the city) and it was fun to see some of the famous spots I haven’t visited in a while…
I spent some time with my nieces, and we did some sketching in the park - here’s my younger niece’s sketch as we drew the view towards the Serpentine pond…
…and I especially love this sketch by my older niece, of the two of us doing the sketches! (That’s me with my hair up and a floral blouse).
I went to see a football match for the first time - at Wembley! - and had a fantastic time.
And to top it all off, I even managed to get tickets to see a live recording of my all time favourite podcast The Cryptid Factor!
It’s always great to spend time with family, and London truly is full of new and wonderful things every time I visit.
This week I took my parents for a mini-break to West Sussex, really not that far away from their home, for a little holiday in the countryside.
It was lovely to see different skies and wide vistas that you don’t really get in the suburbs. The first few days were cloudy with bursts of sunshine, and then it rained all day when we left.
We stayed in a converted barn airbnb with a big lawn and wide meadows that you could walk through. It was delightful! I saw a field mouse, lots of little bats in the dusk, flocks of geese that flew overhead and plenty of other birds that I didn’t recognise.
We drove along winding roads, past tall hedgerows and through green summery woods. We all loved these old English road signs.
We visited the little village of Bosham Quay that is on an estuary, and it happened to be a high tide day! The road was totally flooded and we walked all the way round to avoid getting our feet wet.
I loved collecting blackberries from the garden where we stayed and we enjoyed them for breakfast.
English country roads are truly delightful in the summer, creating tunnels of leaves and foliage…
I popped over to Ibiza, one of the Spanish Balearic Islands last week, to visit a friend. It was just a few days, but such a lovely mini-holiday. These are some scenes from my friend’s finca - they have so many lovely trees; pomegranate, figs, lemons, cedrat, mangoes, grape vines…
I had been hoping for some sunshine and beaches, but what I got was thunderstorms and torrential rain! Apparently very unusual for the time of year. I managed to photograph some of the giant clouds one evening in the distance filled with flashes of light.
…and even captured some of the lightning! It was incredible to watch.
While it was rainy and cloudy I did a sketch of the interior of the house and all the fascinating objects inside.
And then when it cleared a bit, we managed a dip in the warm sea. I loved bobbing up and down in the gentle waves.
We ate a delightful lunch on top of a cliff overlooking the sea.
In fact all the meals we had, either at home, or in one of the lovely cafes, were delicious.
On the last day, the sun came out and we went to a popular sandy beach and I managed a sketch before having a lovely swim in the clear water. I’ve missed this!
The skies were always beautiful, and the clouds were filled with colour. The sunsets were magnificent.
As a taster of Ibiza it was perfect, and I can’t wait to go back again and explore more!
COPE Participated in the "Making Ecology an Olympic Discipline" Exhibition during the Olympic Games!
The COPE picture book series that I illustrated took part in a special exhibition at the Climate Academy in Paris, held during the Olympic Games. In collaboration with the Academy, COPE helped create an engaging and educational space for children to learn about climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction through the Heatwaves book.
Throughout the Olympic Games, the general public, leisure centres, and associations for priority groups visited the Academy to participate in games and activities centred around sports and climate issues. Participants received copies of the Heatwaves book in English and French. It was an excellent opportunity for children to engage in interactive workshops and activities while learning about heatwaves and climate adaptation.
I’m really excited that we were in a small way part of the Paris Olympics!
I’ve just arrived in England for August, and have spent a few days at my parents house, admiring the lush summer garden and spotting the local wildlife.
We walked on Farthing Downs, and I was so happy to see that they’ve left it wild and meadowy (for nesting skylarks!) with a grassy path along the top to enjoy the view.
The wild blackberries were sweet and a little tart and I’m wondering if I should go back and collect some more to make a summer pudding.
I also spent a day in London and visited a few of my favourite shops, and met a friend for a picnic and a long catch-up in Green Park.
I bought marmalade in Fortnum and Masons and a few brushes in Cornelisons and browsed in Hatchards. They just don’t make shops like that anywhere else.
I’ve had a relaxing birthday week - it’s been lovely to enjoy my time slowly. I finally visited the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, where I’ve been meaning to go for years. I’d heard it was based on the Palm House in Kew Gardens, which I love.
It did not disappoint. Although it’s much smaller, I adored walking between the rooms being surrounded by so much beautiful greenery. I took the time to do some sketching where I could…
…and especially enjoyed looking at the huge floating lily pads and water plants.
I cooled down outside and drew the building itself, loving the afternoon sunshine and green lawns.
We had a special dinner at the North Beach restaurant Hilda and Jesse in the evening, and it was one incredible course after another.
Each dish was prettily plated and felt like jewellery. It was such a special evening.
And this weekend I had a picnic in the local park with some friends, and we ate cake and cucumber sandwiches and laughed at everyone’s wonderful exploits. I really love birthdays!
I had my hair cut this week, by the lovely Steven Kelly. I managed a few quick pen sketches in my sketchbook, filling in with tone on the computer when I got home. It’s always great to sketch in unusual situations!
The latest COPE book is out in the world! It’s all about Avalanches and how to be prepared when you go to areas where they may happen. The book is set in New Zealand/Aoteaora and the COPE team witness an avalanche there and help out afterwards.
We worked with UNICEF NZ, as well as the New Zealand Met Services, and the Avalanches book is available on their website too. You can take a look at what they’ve said about the books here.
When I get a COPE project I always start with a full book storyboard. Here’s an example of my storyboarding process: this is the very first stage, when I go through the story text and work out what needs to happen on each page, what sort of location it will be, and what sort of space I need to leave for the words.
And this is the final stage of storyboarding, where I’ve worked out the backgrounds and locations, and drawn in the COPE team in the right places for their actions and dialogue. Things can still change after this point, but this is where I start when I begin the final drawings.
And here’s a final double page spread in colour, with the text and speech bubbles in place. I really enjoyed making this image of the beautiful Milford Sound. I hope I can go there one day! Most of the pages towards the end of the book are snowy, so there’s alot of white, and it was great to be able to add in some full, colourful pages to contrast with them.
Here’s the trailer for Avalanches. Please spread the word about the books, and read them with your kids, you never know when the information may be helpful.
For a change, we recently went to a different beach than usual - Martin’s Beach. It’s smaller, but has an interesting shaped pointy rock that’s pretty dramatic.
I sketched the view and the incredible waves in my tiny sketchbook…
The sky was an incredible blue when we arrived, and the waters a lovely turquoise, but while I was sketching, the grey clouds rolled in, and it went dark for a while.
But then the fog and clouds rolled away again, as it does on the Pacific Coast, and it went back to being a perfect California day.
I roamed the shoreline looking at the various seaweeds…
I’m always amazed by the brightness of the flowers on the coast. All in all, a lovely weekend excursion!
I went to a workshop recently run by Kojima Shoten at HEATH Ceramics in San Francisco, to make a chochin - a Japanese paper lantern.
We watched a demo, and then worked with a tiny structure made of bamboo…
…and added layers of various patterned washi onto the rings with glue and a brush.
The edges are trimmed and glued down and voila!
It was so fun to use washi in a different way than I usually would, and gave me some ideas of things to make in the future!
