★Bologna Children's Book Fair★

I finally arrived Bologna Children's Book Fair!!!
I had no idea what was going on inside of the building, but it was bigger than I expected and very crowded.
More than 1000 exhibitors were coming from all over the world and thousands of people were there such as literary agents, licensees, packagers, distributors, printers, booksellers, and librarian, illustrators and authors.

 

In some booth, you were able to buy books.

 

The majority of booths were busy with meeting such as trading rights.

Of course, there were many Italian publishers. Their books were amazing. It was pity that I couldn't read Italian.

 

A few publisher kindly spared their time for young illustrators to give them feedback for their portfolio. People were making queue for them. I did too.

 

There were thousands of children's picture books. Surprisingly I have seen many Japanese books there. Some publisher told me Japan has a long history of children's picture book, which I didn't realize before.

There was illustrator's exhibition.

There were some spaces for illustrators to put their name cards on.
woohoooo so many! there are thousands of name cards. This is the real world!!

Many of publishers were there for making contracts with other publishers, so it was not so easy to find someone who could spare their time for us, but I have visited almost all booths in 2days and had great opportunities to get a lot of useful feedback for my work.

The first time in the international bookfair was very thrilling. But this experience made me feel that I want to make more illustrations, stories and books.

I will definitely come back here in the future:)

I arrived Bologna!!!!!

When I woke up, my fright was landing on Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport.
I couldn't believe that I was in Italy because it was so quick from UK.

I went to the house I was going to stay for two nights and the dog welcomed me.

The hosts were super super friendly.
The one of them couldn't speak English but the other men translated everything into English for me and taught me about how I can catch bus, where I can find places to eat...etc. I felt so lucky to stay with them.

There was a pizza shop very close to their house, so I had a pizza on my first Italian night:)

 

lovely Italian people;)))))

Very good start of Journey -Suitcase saved my life-

In the end, I have kept packing and making my book until 5:35am this morning.

I ran to the station to catch a coach to the airport which leaves 5:50am.

It was still very dark and my flatmates were all sleeping, so I didn't turn on the right because I didn't want to wake up anyone.

Surprisingly I fell down from the stairs and made huge noise. I was in the bottom of stairs with my friend's suitcase(I borrowed) when I realized.

But I didn't have time to think about what happened on me, so I kept running and I took the bus in the end.

5:10am

When I got on the bus, I noticed there is a crack on the suitcase and I was so panic because it was not mine. I also noticed my leg had something wrong.

But I was tired, so I slept for while.

When I woke up, the glue was dry and my book was well-bound in my bag.

I was very relief to find out that I can take this book to Italy.

6:30am

I arrived the stansted airport, but I was very shocked to see loooooooong queue to the security gate. I arrived the airport one hour before my fright as I had already done online check-in. but it was obvious that I was in trouble.

What was worse, I was stopped by the security as I had scissors in the suitcase.
So, I had to wait another 20 minutes to see security stuff for checking the suitcase again. It was alrady 7:45am.
My gate closed 7:40am and fright leaves 8:10am.

I immediately ran to the gate after they said ok to go. However I had no idea where was my gate and I fall over in the middle of airport again.
Someone told me that my gate was not in that buidsing where I was, so I had to take a short train to go to different buiding.

When I arrived the gate, It was already 8am, I thought I was too late to arrive, but there was some problem with my fright and everyone was still waiting outside of gate. oh so lucky!

After...
I took the fright...

I had my own breakfast which were tomatoes and chocolate cookies,my friend made me to take with my journey.

And I slept and slept...zzZ

Send-off by chocolate cookie..

My friends came to my house this evening to make vegan chocolate cookies and pasta while I have been panicking with my book and getting ready for Italy.

One of my friend brought us beautiful flowers... such a wonderful surprise:)

 

They cooked....

I chopped...

Here are special vagan chocolate cookies.... 

They watched the movie "Charlies Chocolate Factory" while I was packing and they went back home after.

They are really good friends of mine in London. But I always amazed by them(in a good way).

They just do their business and enjoy themselves, even if I am panicking with something. And somehow I feel relaxed every time after seeing them.

well... I'm in a middle of mess right now, but I really appreciate to have such a magical friends...

I don't know whether I can catch my fright....

I have realized today that I haven't prepared anything for my journey to Italy!!!!!

So, today, I have researched how I can get to Stansted Airport from my house and tried to get a Japanese traveling guide book for Italy.
Thanks to Japanese community in London, someone offered me to sell her travel guide book for Italy and I bought it form her tonight.

And now, I have got to start packing which I am terrible at....

I have no idea where I am staying from Wednesday, so far I have managed to book places to stay from Monday to Tuesday.

The main purpose of visiting Italy this time is to visit Bologna Children's  Bookfair.

oh well...I really hope I manage to catch my fright on Monday morning with my new book.

I'm still sawing the text block of my book now...hohoho

Editing images in tube!!

It was like riding jet coaster this week.
I really wanted to finish printing all of my pictures today but also I didn't want to give up making them poorly.
So, I have just committed all of my time for making pictures and finally I have managed to finish printing them in digital reprographic room at uni today!!!!

The quality of home printer is horrible when it comes to print colorful images and especially my pictures were full of colors this time.
Although I finished making collage last night, I had to use indesign to put text(story) on pictures. It's short texts, but at the same, because the text is so short, It's so important to choose fonts and where to places.

I kept placing many kinds of fonts and different size of texts, as I couldn't finish making the file by 2:30pm, I had to keep editing while I was waiting a train in plathome and riding in a train.
Although it was a bit embarrassed to use my mac in a crowded train, when I arrived the printing room 3:30pm, I was able to give my data file to the technician to print out. 
After, I went to the print finishing room to ask another technician to cut the edge of papers.

I am just so relief that I managed to print and cut my pictures before the book fair!!

woohoooooo!!!

However, I'm like a zombiiiiiii now!!!!! hahaha

never ending...talking with papers all the time...

It's really fun to make pictures but for last few days have been crazy.
I don't know how long has been passed since I sit on here and making collage.

I just know that maybe it's time to eat and take shower and sleep....

not smart....

a bit arrogant?

so so!!

My friend came from Tokyo!!!!

I've been making collage all night but I had to go out!!! because because my friend is visiting me from Tokyo!!!!!!

well...many of my friends told me that they would visit UK to see me when I left Japan last September, but of course, it's Japan, so far away from here and they don't have many holidays especially most of them are working in companies so hard.
so, officially, he was the first visitor to see me in London!!
He told me he wanted to see our university, so I took him to the canteen and showed around the campus like a open day.
He was surprised to see how young my friends are at uni, but I was almost forgetting their age until he mentioned.

He is super cool Japanese salary-man but also he is a comedian!!
I met him at my first student life in Tokyo about 7years ago. lol
We didn't talk that much as we were in different classes, but we met in NY accidentally after we started working.
I wanted to leave my company and wanted to commit doing my art at the time and he wanted to be a English comedian when we met in NY.
so, we kept in touch and had a lunch in Tokyo sometimes.
That's how we become a friend.

And today, he was in London!!
well... I really wish if he could come after my final major project, so that I can spend more time with him.
But It was the only time he could get his "summer" holiday(crazy Japanese company!!lol).

Anyway, It was really really nice to catch up with him.
I love my friends in London very much, but sometimes I miss talking with people who are in my actual age or who speaks native Japanese. Especially, he is also the one who is trying to make his dream come true!

I don't know about English comedy at all, but I think he is funny.
so, if you want to laugh, please check his videos↓
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCokMLFoAVItO-Yy8dZesMdA






 

Making Collage

I've decided to use the technique of collage for my book this time as I have already made many pieces of painted papers by marbling and watercolours.

I went to school and met my classmates, but I really know what I want to do now, so I went to go home immediately after lunch and I have been making collage since 2:30pm today.

well...It didn't work in the way I imagined. At first, I draw the draft pictures on white papers in detail, but when I cut the painted paper as the same shape as I draw on white paper, sometimes i couldn't cut the way I draw and sometimes the colour didn't much the pictures. So, I started to draw pictures of each pieces on the painted paper directly and just placed them on white paper ramdom.

It was adventure to make a one big image from nothing drawn.
But I enjoy this sooooo much. I can choose any pieces as long as it's before I glue them. And I can cut if it was too big, if it was strange shape and I can add something if I need more.

But I have a time limit, I hope I can finish making the images in this week!!!

Finally the story came...

It was like a quiet big bang in my head this after noon.
After seeing the cherry blossom flowers, the new story came up on my minds.

I have already written three stories for my new book until now, but I couldn't drive into myself to none of them unless I pushed myself.
This time, everything was so smooth, the story came up and I already had images of pictures when I was writing the story!!

So, I have decided to make a book with this story!!
Thanks to my friend, he helped me to correct my English so quickly.
I hope it makes sense now.

The short story is called "After She left…", the story tells what happened after she left in a little funny way. I wanted to share the message that life will goes on even if you feel it's end of the world sometimes.

Cherry Blossom Trees in UK...

It was so sunny today.
Also, I guess it was my first day off since I moved to my current flat.
It's been quiet busy for last few weeks for finding flats, packing and moving while I was doing my final major project.

I was walking around my flat and I found a beautiful cherry blossom tree.

I didn't know there is also cherryblossom tree in England.
As you may know, cherry blossom flowers are important flowers in Japan culturally. We have a custom called “Ohanami” which is to cerebrate spring and beauty of Cherry Blossom flowers under the trees. Especially my hometown is famous for thousands of beautiful cherry blossoms trees.
It was very funny to see a cherry blossom tree in middle of road in London.
But it was so beautiful. It has brought me back a lot of old good memories of springs in Japan.
I used to go to the park with my friends and my family to see the flowers.

Many many things have changed, and I'm now in London and seeing the beautiful flowers again.

How life is miracle and strange to keep going like this...

PBFA Book Fair: Children's, Illustrated and Modern First Editions

I went to the book fair for children's books today.

It was held in Hilton Olympia Hotel London.

I actually didn't expect anything before I went, I went to there just for have a look for my research.
However there were hundreds of antique books and so many pretty, interesting and beautiful illustrations.
The most of therm were very expensive as they were antique books, but I felt I was so lucky to visit the book fair.

we enjoyed our journey;)

■more detail about the book fair: 

http://www.pbfa.org/book-fairs/illustrated-childrens-%26-modern-first-editions-/4212