Colored-pencil art

This weekend, Tetsu planned another surprise outing for us.  He seems to like to take me places where I have no idea what to expect.  He often finds places of interest in the local newspaper and that is how he finds events and restaurants etc.  Sometimes his plans work out, sometimes they don't, but this weekend was a definite success!

We drove about an hour south and went deeper and deeper into the countryside.  Where are we going?  We ended up on a very narrow country road that ended in a deeply shaded un-asphalted parking area with three cars.  Are we even in the right place?  We backed out and went looking for a main entrance, but no, we were in the right place.  

A short walk through the forest let out on a very bright open lawn overlooking a river, with benches and tables and a large white building called "Days of Our Childhood Museum".  

It was a private museum of a local colored-pencil artist name Yuji Ando!  A rather famous colored-pencil artist, as it turns out, whose art has been featured all over Japan on posters, CD covers, magazine covers, textbooks etc.  I never knew!

Tetsu knows that I've been interested in art recently...  loose watercolor, urban sketching, colored-pencils, crayons, and he was sure I'd be interested in visiting the museum.  It was wonderful!  The artist mostly depicts scenes from Japanese life and the countryside and his work included small items as well as huge murals (how did he ever color his huge canvases with just colored-pencils?!  Imagine how long and how many pencils he used up!!!)  

So inspiring though far beyond what an amatuer color-er like me can ever hope to achieve.  I should think so!  That's why he's the famous artist and I'm a new admirer!  Anyway, the artist's work was wonderful!

As expected, no photos were allowed in the museum but at the small bookshop (only one staff member who worked the entrance desk and the bookshop) there were many postcards and even some of Mr. Ando's picture books... one of which I decided to buy because of the beautiful way colors are used and to maybe teach me more about color-pencil drawing for myself.  

And there was also some illustrated blank postcards with no color for people to try on their own.  Well, I've never much been interested in coloring books for adults but one postcard...  How hard could it be?  

First, as a sample, I chose one of Mr. Ando's postcards with a hydrangea theme.  Ah... The way he draws rain is so beautiful!

Well, I couldn't do that but I bought a blank postcard to try out coloring hydrangeas.

And I did my best!

I have more respect for coloring books now!!  It was great fun!  I'm going to do some more experimenting with my colored-pencils and see what more I can learn from studying Mr. Ando's picture book!  

On the way out Tetsu took my picture at the pretty colored pencil objects in the forest.  I'm falling in love with colored-pencils!