My piece for this project is based around apples. This is my sketch for the piece. I will be using black ink and colorade paper to finish the piece. I aim to mix both blac and white monochromaic with bright colors.
Dan Kanach came to speak to us about finding a job after college in art and how to market your artistsic skills. This was an interesting lecture because it was a unique approach and gave some really good advice about finding a job from someone with a career in art.
I found it very interesting to see what kind of work he does especially as a design artist. I am uncertain if I would like to do art as a career in the future, but the advice he offered is quite valuable to me if I do end up pursing that path. His artwork is very unique and shows his background in design and art well. He has a unique style and his art is almost entirely digital. As someone who enjoys digital art, I like to learn more about digital artists and how they find work.
I wonder what it is that motivated him to pursue art a career path and if he thinks that was the best descision for him in hindsigjt. I have difficulty figuring out if art would be a career that would be worthwhile and fulfilling for me to pursue.
Shoichi Okumura is an artist known for mixed media and illustration. Okumura's art is inspired by Song dynasty landscapes and take influences from Chinese artistic concepts. A lot of Okumura's art is painted onto wilk which gives it the light and soft texture. Okumura has exhibited in many galleries, typically in Tokyo, including numerous solo exhibitions from 2014 to the present.
Okumura's profile can be found at this link.
Here is a snippet of Okumura's CV:
Solo Exhibitions:
2020 -Paradise Fiction- (Tokyo)
2019 -逍遥花園- / -Strolling The Chinese Garden- (Tokyo)
2018 -仙界模様- / -Vibe of The Hermit world-
2018 -園林漫遊- / -Trip to The Chinese Garden- (Taipei)
2017 -洞天風味- / -Flavor of Chinese Utopia in Grotto- (Tokyo)
2016 -桃源小旅行- / -Tao Yuan Short Trip- (Tokyo)
2015 -山水気分Vol.2- / -Feel of Chinese Landscape Vol.2- (Tokyo)
2014 -山水気分- / -Feel of Chinese Landscape- (Tokyo)
Reaction to Okumura's Artwork:
Artwork: Jet Ski, 73 x 61 cm, 2020
I love this artwork and it has a few elements that I aim to include more in my art. The elements of this piece are set in front of a solid background which gives a dreamy feeling to the painting. This is a common characteristic in Okumura's artwork and it is something that I would like to explore in my own work.
Artwork: Cosmic Touring, 91 x 73 cm, 2021
This piece shows a lot of the same characteristics as the last one but I chose to show this one because it represents another element of Okumura's art that I appreciate. I lot of the different elements seems arbitrary and not overtly related to one another but when they are all combined into the artwork a sense of unity is achieved. I feel like this is something I like to do in my art and want to explore further because I respond to it in others' artworks.
Here is an article from Hi Fructose about Okumura's art. I found it interesting learning about the progression of Okumura's artwork from using Chinese plants that have a specific representation to incorporating plants from around the globe to expand the scope. I love the incorporation of different plants and other natural elements in Okurmura's artwork.
Overall, Okumura is a successful artist who exhibits frequently. I admire the texture that is created by the paint on the silk and the general subjects incorporated in his artwork.