Category Archive

Ncha! Hi, Arare here in Japan.

Here is some of the stuff we have done so far and don’t forget to check our flickr page too:

Wednesday 21st : arrived. Meet little brother and Tomo… ah, good to be in Tokyo again.

Thursday 22nd : Wandered the streets of Shimokitazawa getting lost and found and going in circles. Eat Mister Donut and buy knick knacks. Got ready at around 6pm and head into Daikanyama for the opening of Chance 10 Gallery Lele where innocentgirl’s portfolio is on display.

Friday 23rd : Public holiday here in Japan so woke up late and wandered down the street for coffee with little brother. So funny when we took him to the station and there was the big brother waiting. Ha, ha, ha… surprises be of much goodness. Then it was all day shopping, eating Mister Donut, playing in game centre’s and exploring Shimo again. Gyoza restuarant dinner, drinking at an Okinawan bar and late night karaoke. Got home around 3pm climbed into the futon and went straight to sleep.

Saturday 24th : Woke up early again and the apartment was getting real squashy with four people. It was like playing human tetris! Big brother came with us to Roppongi to visit the Mori Arts Center. The exhibition “Roppongi Crossing 2007: Future Beats in Japanese Contemporary Art” was pure brilliance… lots of fun interactive stuff! We even went in a wind tunnel that replicated what Hurricane Katrina might have been like. Then it was off to Kawasaki to meet a friend of younger brother who has a new baby… I wanted to take the baby home but they wouldn’t let me… strange, ne? I was dragging my feet by this time…. so much walking and really cold as I was still wearing my summer yukata but then younger brother took us to an all night crepe place run by a really cute old lady with eyes that go in different directions. How clever!

Sunday 25th : The skylight above my futon is waking me up early every day and the novelty of this has begun to wear off now… but it’s and up and getting ready for the ‘freaks’ (what big brother calls them) at Harajuku. He, he… I even got a photo with them. The best part of all was the trip to Kiddyland where innocentgirl bought me a winter coat… so cozy now and I even have ear muffs! We also checked out Design Festa gallery and saw live painting and drank a really yukky coffee.

Monday 26th : innocentgirl and big brother take me to Akihabara where they visit a maid cafe. ‘They are such otaku sometimes!’. When I introduce myself to the maid’s they go crazy with love for me… we got a picture taken and we learned how to speak otaku… ‘moe, moe!’ Then we spend the afternoon eating bento in Inokashira Koen in Kichijoji, so lovely. On the way back we visit Nakano Broadway… more otaku stuff, innocentgirl looks for more Arare goods but can’t find any… ‘I’m really rare!” We decide to head to Chiba to visit Jun at his bar, Jun can’t believe its really me and has to pinch me to make sure… more surprises! We meet a real crazy plumber with a broken finger who keeps hugging big brother and looks drunk but he explains to us origin of otaku and for the first time I really understand it! We stay in a hotel… I am thankful our room doesn’t have a skylight.

Tuesday 27th : Big brother shoots lots of video’s in and around Chiba port… I don’t exactly know what it’s for but some kind of art project I suppose. innocentgirl and big brother talk alot about that kind of stuff. The train ride takes us past Tokyo Disneyland and back into Tokyo again. We head on in to see some exhibitions, the one in Daikanyama and another in Hatsudai at the ICC. This one is way cool!
Big brother is leaving tomorrow so he goes home to pack all his items while I head off to meet the Cotton’s or Martine’s bday party in Shinjuku. They all came as a surprise for Aunty Marty who turns 40 on Wednesday! Happy Birthday!
Meet big brother and little brother on the way back and have a drink at a bar called Ma and Ka’s…. big brother is still packing when we get back, he’s so funny how he’s always crazy rushing. He has to take a train at 5am!

Wednesday 28th : Wake up really late… yay! Sleep is good. innocentgirl catches up on emails and stuff while I go done to get a bento and coffee for lunch. It’s fun to just sit and listen to the Tokyo sounds outside, kids running home from school, neighbours talking and shop keepers spruiking. We have a nana nap together and then head on in to Shibuya for Tokyo Dr. Sketchy! Crazy fun but innocentgirl forgets I am in the bag and sits on my head while she draws…. I forgive her though when she tells me she won a prize for her sketch and my head doesn’t hurt ’cause its made of plastic anyhow. Tokyomade goodies were being handed out and we meet Deanne who runs the site. Very cool goodies… check it out!

Anyway that’s all for now… bye bye cha!

Headed on down to ACMI today to see Tekkon Kinkreet, absolutely, breathtakingly, fantastically, awesomely good! I found myself a cozy little seat next to the most otaku looking dude I could find, turned off my phone and breathed in the musty smell of serious movie goers in a Melbourne winter. The two women next to me were discussing their schedule, they had seen two films and were off to three more after this one. I can only imagine the distorted sense of reality they would be walking around in later that evening.

Anyway on to what the topic the title of this entry suggests, I attended my second Dr. Sketchy a couple of weeks ago and found it just as awesome as the last. I feel right at home drawing to lounge and rock music and loved the casual banter of the model ‘Chikita Margarita’ this time, she was hilarious. The pics above are of her and a sketch for a new piece I am working on from the last session of ‘Miss Nic’ for her new tattoo.

Was at Tequp last night and doing a bit of surfing with my nerdy buddies (hence the previous ‘Hard Gay’ post) and thought I’d check to see if one of “the best jobs I have ever, ever had the pleasure of being invited to do” was online yet and yes, yes, yes, it was! Check it out here.
I was invited to do an image for the Fantasia Festival in late March early April and to be honest I couldn’t really say it was work, it was my absolute pleasure, my research involved looking back on past festival posters and movies and drawing, drawing, drawing. If only all my jobs could be this wonderfully fulfilling!

“Fantasia Festival (Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, Fant-Asia) is North America’s premiere (and largest) genre film festival.[citation needed] It usually takes place in the month of July, in the city of Montreal. It is a place where distributors come to pick up genre films from around the world for North American release, and where fans come from all over North America to see films that normally would not even be screened on the Art House or repertory circuit for fear of low turnout” Wikipedia

I am actually extremely tempted to head on over there….. should !? (Takes magic eight ball key ring from pocket and shakes…..)…..

Then later on last night I decided to head over to South Melbourne to check out ‘Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School’. Strangely enough I had heard about this while in Tokyo after randomly meeting an old high school friend of mine … but don’t get me started on coincidences again…. suffice to say I was not disappointed.
Dr. Sketchy began in New York and probably the best way to describe it is like a life drawing class with personality. The models at Melbourne’s classes are generally from burlesque troupes, and they are not naked, they wear some FABULOUS costumes! the model we had, had some pretty awesome tattoos, including some cute as a button bows around her ankles.

It’s all very decadent and so much fun! I forgot how lovely it was to draw from real life and under the pressure of time. The model decided for the second half of the session that she would choose her next tattoo from our sketches and/or there would also be a First Prize (her garter), Second Prize (’Cry Baby’ DVD starring Johnny Depp) and Third Prize (Plastic Medal), which she would choose at the end of the session.
Much pressure filled scritching of pencils later and the model stood up, stretched and began floating around us looking at our work (she was wearing platforms, she seriously floated). Although I seriously coveted the Johnny Depp DVD I was ecstatic when she chose my work for her next tattoo. Sweet!

Ahhh! Me be happy.