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Slide show of "Everyday Scenes from Leaves and Branches of the Tree of Life" Exhibition of works by K. Ikeda 「生命の木の葉っぱと枝の間におきる毎日の出来事」ケン・イケダ個展スライドショー

'Graduates Going Abroad "道都大卒業生たち海外へ」

Yoshida (striped shirt) was an outstanding student in my sculpture class. However, he was a painting major. He recently decided to further his study in painting by attending art school in Paris.　「私の彫刻の従業で優秀だった吉田君（０８’卒安田ゼミ）は絵画を習いにパリへ」

Masa Oohashi here working on a thesis project has gone to New Zealand to fulfil his dream of becoming a special makeup artist.　大橋将史君卒業制作の作業中。彼は（０４’卒イケダゼミ）はスペシャルメークアップアーチストを目指してニュウージランドへ行った。

Yuhi Kazama putting a finishing touch on one of his thesis project piece. Kazama has received a full grant to study art in Germany. 風間雄飛君（０５卒’イケダゼミ）は卒業後中島ゼミと東京造形大学の大学院で版画を学んだ。最近聞いた情報によるとドイツで留学できる大金つきの賞をもらい、ドイツで美術を学んでいるらしい。

As soon as I learned from a New Year letter that one of the Dohto University graduates has gone to Paris, France for a post graduate study in art, I read in mail that another is hurrying to get aboard a plane to Venice from airport in London and left me at that. Apparently he is going to attend a graduate school in England within week and is taking a tour of Italy before the school opens.

For some reason there seems to be a mini trend to go abroad for study or practice art among some of the students that I have taught at Dohto University in Japan. Not that Japan is culturally dead. There's plenty of art activities in Japan and standard of modern art is very high there. It seems some left because they might have thought their personality and art style fits better oversea and thereby have better chance to flourish. And then there are others who probably have thought they may learn new things from a foreign school and perhaps, a change of scenery may inspire them more. Still others such as Masa Ohashi left for other countries for a purpose that can be attained better in other countries. In his case, Masa left Japan couple years ago for New Zealand to see if he can become a special makeup artist. So far as far as I know, there seems to be one graduate in France, one in Germany, one in Holland, one in New Zealand, and two in England. There's none in US and I won't go over the reason, but I hope in near future there would be few.

Isao Umeda has recently moved to England to attend a graduate school in England. Here he is giving a performance while exhibiting work in Nagano Japan.　梅田力君 は今年の一月からイギリスの大学院入学。上の写真は長野の高校を教えていたころ、個展をひらいた時のものでギターをひいているのが彼。

お正月の便りでパリへ卒業生が絵を学ぶために行ったと聞いたすぐあとメールで別な学生がイギリスの大学院（？）へ一月に入学し、大学の授業が始まる前の観光なのか、今ベニス行きの飛行機に乗り遅れるから失礼というメセージが来た。

何故か最近ミ海外へ行き、美術活動するのが道都大学の卒業生の間でミニートレンドであるようだ。日本の美術文化が貧しいからではない。むしろ、私が見たところ近代美術に関しては結構日本のレベル高いと思う。海外で活動している道都の卒業生たちの学生のころを思い出すとみんなエネルギッシュな性格の持ち主だ。イギリスに移住している佐々木エミリなどこの点、飛びぬいていた。中では彼らたちの作品や性格から見ても、海外のほうにあっているような人たちが多い。それと大橋将史君のように、特別な目的で海外へ行った卒業生もいる。彼のばあい、ペシャルメークアップアーチストを目指してニュウージランドに二年以上前に移住した。あと海外へ行く魅力はヨーロッパの伝統や外国のちがう雰囲気が魅力のよう。大変だっと思うが、新しいことを学びながら刺激を受ける彼らたち、ちょっとうらやましい。子供たちの才能を信じ、伸ばそうとと応援している親たちがいるからでのトレンドだ。

Garden wall of Emiry's house in England before repair.　修理する前のエミリの庭の壁。イギリス

Garden wall after the repair 修理後のエミリの家の庭の壁

Emiri Sasaki has been living and actively making art in England for several years. She recently moved to a town that retains some traditional English scenery. Here she has begun teaching art to kids, and married an Englishman. Above are photos of her most recent home project of repairing a garden wall.

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佐々木エミリ（９９卒ナットリゼミ）は卒業後すぐイギリスに行き、ロンドンあたりで美術活動していた。最近は古風な風景の町に住み、そこでイギリス人と結婚し、子供たちに美術を教えているらしい。彼女の昨年の家のプロジェクトは庭の石の壁の修理で上の写真はそれを語っている。

Nakajima Print Seminar Still Going Strong 「中島プリントゼミー今もあいかわらず活動的｝

Professor Nakajima walking around the dyeing section of recent seminar exhibition

Student gathering at Nakajima seminar room

For many years, Nakajima silk print seminar has been the pride of art and design department at Dohto University in the suburb of Sapporo Japan where I taught sculpture before returning to Oregon. Its silk screen print program is probably one of the strongest, if not the best in entire Japan. Each year its students and graduates participate in numerous exhibitions and win many regional, national and even international awards in print competitions. Few years ago, there was one, Shuhei-kun who even won the grand prize in international competition in India with an award of trip to there. Together with professor Katsuhiro Naito, who is one of the leading lithograph printer in northern Japan teaching lithograph and etching and young stars, Izumon Mikami teaching dyeing and woodcut print and Morisako-kun teaching illustration, Dohto University probably has the best print program in northern Japan. I hope school realizes that and give them full support.

The heart of Nakajima seminar is its huge, annual seminar exhibition and photo above shows the recent seminar exhibition and gathering of students at Nakajima seminar room. When I was at Dohto, Nakajima seminar was almost always filled with students that its almost like they were working and partying at the same time. And looking at the photos that Mai Mai Sugimoto sent me lately, that has not changed.

私がオレゴンに帰る前教えていた道都大学の美術部でもっとも活躍していたのは中島プリントゼミだった。おそらく、この分野では全国でも最も優れたプログラムか少なくてもその一つだろう。　毎年中島ゼミの学生や卒業生たちは様々な展示会に参加したり、、地方や国内そして国際のプリント大会にも参加し、多くの賞をもらっている。数年前はインドの国際大会で大賞をもらった学生もいた。そのゼミの中心活動がゼミ展で今年も１２月に開いたらしい（上の写真）。私が道都で彫刻を教えていたころは中島ゼミ室にはいつも学生たちが集まっており、パーティをしながら仕事をしているようににぎやかで生徒たちは楽しんで制作しているようだった。ある札幌の教育大学から卒業後シルクプリントを学びに来学生は「毎日が祭りの中で作業しているようだ」とどう反応すればいいのかわからないように言っていた。最近、卒業生の杉本マイから送ってきた写真（上）を見ると昔とかわらないようだ。中島先生も元気でいるよう。

Saying goodbye to year 2009 and welcoming 2010 and a new decade「２００９年に にさよなら－よろしく２０１０年」

"Year of Tiger' watercolor print by H. Okajima　
岡島秀夫先生のトラの年賀の水彩プリント、習字はたぶん奥さんの静子さんが書いたものだろう

I've received a photo and card from two people from Japan that deals with New year. One a photo of one of my former students from Dohto University, Nozomi Sakae(class of 2009) saying goodbye to year 2009 by bowing while wearing a cow outfit as year 2009 was the year of cow. She still keeps very close in touch with me. The other a card made of water color paint that depicts tiger as this year is the year of tiger. It was painted by Dr. Hideo Okajima who was a former president of Dohto Jr. College and a dean of agriculture department of Hokkaido University. He is a very close friend of mine as we used to go sketching and visit museums and galleries in Hokkaido together. Although Dr. Okajima is in mid 80's, as can be seen in this painting, he still paints superbly. Calligraphy on the right although unmentioned is probably is done by his wife, Shizuko who is a very accomplished calligrapher in her own right.

Hopefully, this year and this coming decade will be a very good one for all of us.

Nozomi in cow outfit bowing good bye to year 2009
栄さん、２００９年ごくろうさまと。。。

二人の親友から年末挨拶の写真とカードが届いた。一つは道都大学卒業生（安田ゼミ２００９）の栄希さんからで彼女は牛の服装でご苦労さんの挨拶して２００９年にお別れを伝えた写真を送ってくれた。もう一つは、水彩でトラの絵を描いて２０１０年を迎えた岡島秀夫先生からのカードだ。岡島先生は今は退職していられるが、長い間道都大学の短大の学長を勤め、それ以前は北大の農業学部長を勤めた科学者だ。水彩とスケッチが大変上手な方だ。昔、私はよく岡島先生と一緒にスケッチにいったり、ギャラリーや美術館を見学したりしていた大変親しい仲間でありながら、恩を受けた方だ。このトラの絵でわかると思うが８０代に入っても大変素晴らしい絵を描いている。書いてはいないが、おそらく右の習字は奥さんの静子さんのものだろう。

どうか新年とこれからの１０年、素晴らしい時代を迎えることを願いたい。

Slides of Opening of K. Ikeda's Focus Show and of Drawing Exhibition of Black Fish Gallery Artists[ブッラクフィッシューギャラリーでの個展のオプニングースライド」

You can see the slide show of Opening of my Focus show at Blackfish Gallery along with Blackfish gallery artists drawing exhibition show at the address below. Or open directly at link to Blackfish blog on below right. Courtesey of Mario Caoile.

私のブラックフィシュギャラリーでの個展とメンバのドローイングショーのオプニングのスライドショーこちらの住所で見られます。直接に右下のブッラクフィシューのブローグのリンクでも開けます。友人で同じメンバのマリオ氏が撮ったスライドショーです。

http://blackfishgallery.blogspot.com/2010/01/drawings-group-show-and-kanetaka-ikeda.html