Here is a cup with one of my illustrations printed on it. Kawachi Artist Materials had a run of Artist cups for sale, and this was the illustration I submitted. I don’t know how many actually sold, but I got a free cup none-the-less.

My younger brother and I started a joint blog together, with Chihiro illustrating the characters and other images. Check it out.

Chihiro’s work place, she works at an art supply store called Kawachi, recently wrapped up, well the final day is actually tomorrow, its first staff show. Here are the two painting/drawing that she submitted. They are not tributes to David Bowie, but, as she says, paintings done to process his passing.

Here is a silk screen done by Chihiro. Silk screening utilizes a variety of stenciling techniques. The one used here to make the image is a masking film Rubylith, thus instead of a photocopy blocking out the image, the blocked out image was done through cutting out the negative.

Here is another charcoal done by Chihiro. The cropping, the bold black lines, the gentle shading, and the slight color all work together to make a powerful image.

A triptych done by Chihiro using charcoal. She doesn’t usually draw abstract images, but these three here show her ability to easily explore abstraction. While they are a bit old, they are still some of my favorite drawings that she has done. Perhaps it is the unrefined quality of them that makes them attractive.

Here are two quick character sketches of two characters in our comics that we are collaborating on, which you can read here. They are Jun’s older sister, Claire, and Claire’s best friend, Andrea, both of which will appear many times throughout the story.

Claire is sort of tom-boyish, even more so than Jun and Andrea. A bit moody, and aloof at times, she is perhaps Jun’s only real friend.

Andrea is a true dork if ever there was one, which at times makes her rather obnoxious. Though more sporty than either sister, she never buys into the jock mentality and stays friends with them.

There are, perhaps, an innumerable amount of reasons as to why one should use a reusable bag instead of a plastic disposable bag when out shopping for whatever one might shop for. Yet it seems many forget that, even were one to agree with or know about these reasons, there are many who cannot afford the eight or so plus dollars to purchase one. Also the rhetoric employed by proponents of reusable bags often isolates or alienates people who might otherwise try to make the switch.

Indeed, it is a difficult switch in a lifestyle when so many of us have, and do still, grow up surrounded by convenience. Most don’t have the discipline to wean themselves from relying on convenience, more so if one finds themselves within poverty.

Even still, it is odd that I have rarely read about reusing the plastic disposable bags that reusable bags are supposed to supplant. They are still viable bags even after their contents are removed. Of course, they are more likely to have a tear form, or a sudden break that leads to catastrophe, as illustrated in this silkscreen by Chihiro, which she printed on a reusable bag. While not this reason alone, this reason is still a heavy contender as to why to switch to using reusable bags when shopping.