Special Edition ROUND ROBIN for Japan

UPDATE: All paintings are SOLD!
Thanks very much everyone who has been supporting our efforts to raise funds for Japan! We have donated 795$ to Red Cross (that's 1590$ with the Disney match)!!! Thank you, thank you!

In an effort to raise funds for the victims of the heartbreaking crisis in Japan, we would like to offer a limited number of Special Edition ROUND ROBIN books, and donate all the proceeds to Red Cross. Our contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by the Walt Disney Company.

Each Special Edition Round Robin book will come with an original painting, and will be sold for 65$. This is a great chance for you to own original art while contributing to a worthy cause.

Please email us your choice of painting at katy-wu (at) hotmail.com
We will process the orders on a first-come, first-served basis.

Let us know if you'd like:

1. Book only 25$
2. Painting only 45$
3. Book and painting 65$ (5$ off)
4. Painting only, if already purchased the book 40$ (5$ off)

Thank you in advance for your support and solidarity!

-Dani, Katy and Jennifer

SOLD

Art 1-6 by Daniela Strijleva, 3" x 4", Gouache, Pencil and Pen
Art 7-11 by Jennifer Chang, 3" x 4", Watercolour and Pencil
Art 12-13 by Katy Wu, 3" x 4", Gouache

If you wish to donate through other venues, please consider the "Artists Help Japan" fund, organized by friend and co-worker Dice Tsutsumi and the Give2Asia Organization, or Red Cross.

Artists Help Japan
Red Cross

Art Blocks For Ghana

Here is my contribution to the "Art Blocks for Ghana" project. This event, part-art exhibit part-charity auction, will be raising money to build a children's home in Ghana and will take place sometime next March.
Visit the website to find out more about the fundraiser and to see some amazing submissions (many of which are by good friends of mine).

http://artblocksghana.blogspot.com/


"Home"
Acrylic and Marker Pen on board
10" x 10"

Bonaparte

Here is a new painting I did of young Napoléon at play in his Ajaccio family home, in 1776. I bet he liked sneaking in his dad's office to play with forbidden grown-up things!


And here are some sketches and colour studies.

Totoro Forest Project Update

Hi from snowy Montreal!

Let me give you a quick update on the "Totoro Forest Project".
The art auction that took place in September at Pixar was very well attended and extremely successful - we raised more than 200 000$!!! The Totoro Foundation promptly used the sum to buy off a small portion of Sayama Forest in order to protect it from land developers.
Bravo, Totoro artists!

Before I move on I would also like to tell you a little bit about my piece. "My Neighbor Totoro" is one of my favourite Ghibli films, and it is definitely the one I relate to the most. It reminds me of what it was like to grow up as the little sister, of learning to accept my family responsibilities, of helping the elderly, and of understanding that nature commands reverence and respect. I love this film for its balance of truth and fable, grown-up themes and childlike whimsy.

Naturally my painting is mainly inspired by the film itself so just like Satsuki and Mei (or my older sister and I) it depicts two sisters at play in a field on a warm summer evening. I went back to my own childhood for inspiration on subject matter and look. When I was little outdoor play was the most fun because stick, stone or leaf, just about anything could become a plaything. It was far more adventurous than staying indoors anyways.

Visually, I wanted my piece to be reminiscent of 18th century French landscape paintings and of fairy tales illustrations, both of which fascinated me when I was younger. I looked at Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Théodore Rousseau for colour, composition and mood, but I also referenced some favourites - Ludwig Bemelmans, Maira Kalman, Mary Blair and Aurelius Battaglia for execution and style.
Here below are some references, my digital study and the final piece, again, for those who may have missed the previous post about it.

Well, this is it for the Totoro Forest Project for now.
If you would like to see this or any other Totoro collection pieces, you can still do so at "The Cartoon Art Museum" of San Francisco until February 8th, 2009.

Totoro Forest Project

Allow me to introduce an extraordinary series of events I have the honour to participate in.
The "Totoro Forest Project" is organized by Dice Tsutsumi, Yukino Pang, Enrico Casarosa and Ronnie Del Carmen, but to name the core committee (although many more deserve credit here), and has a simple mission: to raise funds for the preservation of Sayama Forest, affectionately known as "Totoro Forest", as it is where filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki found inspiration for his 1988 classic film, "My neighbor Totoro".

This project of impressive scope aims to help the "Totoro no Furusato Forest Foundation" in a few ways, kicking off with a Benefit Auction, held at Pixar Animation Studios, on September 6th, 2008. A book of all participating artwork will also be available for sale at the event, and The Cartoon Art Museum, here in San Francisco, will exhibit a collection of selected pieces in Fall 2008 - Winter 2009.

I am inviting you to take a look at The Official Website, where you will find information about the events, galleries of inspired artwork and ways to contribute to this worthy cause from your corner of the world.

Enjoy, and help save the Totoro Forest!


Pencil and Gouache
6.5" x 10"