December, 2020, really.  Life around me seems like in the "ordinary" holiday mood, twinkling many front yards, piling up gifts items at storefronts, continuous holiday musics on radio, and etc, etc.. Being in the studio under this circumstance is a blessing and I feel so real and meaningful, meaningful to stride forward.  I am currently showing 14 pieces of my prints at Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery, one of the landmarks on Pearl Street Mall. Honestly I have not seen the display of my works since I dropped them off sometime ago but hopefully my work brings a new layer of cheer to the gallery and help the gallery business as well.  We are all helping each other regardless we are aware of or not.  For this holiday season, a sense interdependency and conformity is even so profound.  Let us overcome together. Peace to everyone....

Deep exhale....followed by a new breath.  Finally the most waited Presidential election is behind and I am uplifted with a hopeful era and vision.  
As the reopening of ASLD studio, I have been officially working as a studio monitor.  I sense such a fulfilling reward when I work in the studio for both as a printmaker and a monitor.  As a side note, I have been invited to Alicia McKim's class at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design for a small presentation on Zoom tomorrow.  On Thursday I will be delivering my work to Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery for a holiday show.  While the official show that was planned on September this year was cancelled due to the pandemic, the gallery has re-invited me for showing my works over the holiday as a first artist choice! Wohoo! Gradually I feel that I am getting back to somewhere normal...Hearing invitational voices are good signs of recovery, I believe. 

The light is crisp and bright.  It is October and it remarks the seventh month of the pandemic-still-pretty-much-stay-home-life.  Things are a lot slower to open up than we all have anticipated.  I visited the printing studio of Art Student League of Denver a few days ago, after 7 month of absence. I almost broke down and cried when I noticed the last date of the sign in sheet of the studio, March 13th, 2020.  It looked as if everything had frozen from the day, so surreal.  I was called for monitoring the studio one day for the first "testing" open studio.  The layout of the tables and other furnishings in the studio have been "updated" for a new pandemic distancing format.  A half of the work tables and one small intaglio press have been removed from the studio so that it will be more room for the maximum of six people.  The scent of ink was the highlight of my day and it encouraged me that everything will be okay.  I nervously layered on some of my unfurnished prints to move forward, feeling vital. 
Let's hold our breath for a short more time, we all will see a light together soon... Stay positive & Test Negative!

On a side note,  I sincerely thank to those who come to visit ARTS ON GREEN show last month with such positive energy and the most civilized manner despite some restricted  pandemic safety rules.  I had a good and successful show.  I extend my deep gratitude to the show organizer as well. 

Labor Day, it is.  We are having a snow day tomorrow. Everything around our life seems to be surreal and I had never felt this way before.  My life has been in the "stay home order" mode since March 12th while visiting a few "trusted" friends either on FaceTime or in person and dining out at "selected" restaurants help me to create "a highlight of the day" in regular basis. I suppose going to grocery stores to hunt the seasonal fruits and vegetables and baking the most aromatic cakes and desserts are also falling in the highlight category.  I also began to meet with a sweetest humming bird in our backyard every now and then and her appearance has been a godsend like  pure comfort.  Okay, so in a way many rather ordinary elements in my life  have now become such meaningful events that I adore and feel excited.  Perhaps reaching out my sensitive antennas further to the edge of my universe has brought me something unexpected....Speaking of unexpected, I have been invited to a new outdoor art show event, ART ON THE GREEN, for this weekend.  It will be one day event but I am so thankful to have this opportunity.  Let's roll!  Wohoo!

Well I have no more excuses to stay away from this monthly blog.  You can tell how fast the times have flied under this most unprecedented environment that the whole world has been enduring since March this year. The image here is the last print that I was working on back in March, having absolutely no clue about how the whole world, and my world, would altered so instantly. I purely miss going to the studio.  Airy space, abundant light, scent of etching ink, and laughter of familiar faces, this most ordinary studio atmosphere is now the most extraordinary treasure box I cannot reach.  
My life is somewhat simplified now, may be called "adapted" to the new.  I still have been keeping daily drawing/painting and curving wood plates as alternative.  As far as I know the studio will be closed till at least the end of August. Ahhhhhh.  Two more months!  
Oh by the way, an important note, my work has been selected by International Printing Center New York for its "Give Me Space:2020/Summer" show, which is currently on going on their website.  How honored I feel, needless to say.  Life goes on and stay cheerful as much as we all can!

Sadness continues.  This worldwide pandemic, Coronavirus, has been transforming our everyday life so forcefully. 
Our annual trip to Japan is now up in the air, hoping the airline will be reasonable to all the booked passengers like us for changing our flight plan due to the circumstances.  As much as I would love to visit my aging parents in Osaka, I would also like to be a responsible being, not to create more reasons to spread the virus by traveling and visiting places.  

Here a little bright news my friend delivered a few days ago.  This seasonal program of Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities that recently published shows my print image on the cover, so colorful!  What an honor! 
When I was handed this copy on the Friday morning at a coffeeshop, my day was already fulfilled.  A little step at a time, and moving forward is an essential.  Keep on printing. 

The Arvada Center show opening on Jan 16th was truly delightful.  What a difference that space makes when it comes to showing a variety of art works.  The installation of the show is so well done, flawless and delicately grouped.  Seeing all dressed up ASLD printing studio fellows was also a highlight with an enormous pride.  My two prints were sold during the reception and I was lucky enough to meet this wonderful couple who wrote me next day and said "Your works lifted our spirits from the bleak midwinter evening."  What a perfect comment that I would love to hear!  A "the mission accomplished" moment, with a full of encouragement.  Summer Art Market application is now open and I will be applying on the 4th, a lucky day according to the calendar my dad sent me.  Yes, I am a totally superstitious being and it works!  Happy February and keep on printing!

Happy New Year and happy 2020!  Boy it arrived a lot faster than expected but it's surely nice to welcome something new!  Speaking of new, my print is currently showing at D'Art on Santa Fe art district here in Denver now.  It is a juried printmaking show and it introduces you such a variety of printmaking techniques and aesthetics. 
The second show will be at Arvada Center for Art and Humanities.  This one is a biannual and regional printmaking juried show and my two prints were honored to be selected for this show. In fact one of my prints is printed on its show brochure and needless to say I am so elated!  It is a good start of the New Year and I feel continuously grateful of my path.  Wishing everyone a proactive and cheerful 2020 and I will see you soon!

Here comes December.  My sincere apology for skipping the blog for November.  I had a few weeks of a memorable vacation days in Lisbon and Paris at the beginning of November and by the time I managed to return to the my normal routine, December was just a week away.  During the trip I was informed that my two prints had been accepted to 528.0 Moprint Regional Juried show at Arvada Center for Arts, which elated my spirit so high. Yesterday I dropped off those two works you see here in the image at the venue and I am so excited to be at the opening reception on January 16th, 2020 (open to public).  I will also be showing one of my work at a new gallery, D' Art, in the Santa Fe art district here in Denver in January.  I will be focusing on a few more productions over the next few weeks at the studio and then shifting a gear for celebration of the holiday and welcoming the New Year.  I sincerely thank you everyone of you who has been supportive about my work. I had a very rewarding year and am utterly grateful.  wishing you all a wonderful holiday season! Keep on printing!