Some more pen on paper meandering from the pocket sketchbook. Where is it leading? Who knows, like most quests of discovery the journey is often more important than the destination.
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Last year I was commissioned to create the illustrations for a web-only pop-up book "Mori no Yosei Monogatari" to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Japanese Sellotape manufacturer Nichiban (you can still see the book by clicking on the book icon here).

It was an advertising campaign more than a children's book commission. To emphasise the eco-friendly policy of the company I was asked to create the images in a deliberately traditional style.
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Here's a sad story of our times. A couple of years ago I was commissioned to work on a brand new logo to revamp the dated image of Skylark, a well known but financially troubled family restaurant chain, with branches all across Japan. Hard did I work, well did the designer pitch the designs, but unfortunately the presentation was cancelled, as so often happens in advertising today.

No I'm not panicking, but all the bleak news of recession, failing industries, belly-up banks and job losses make it well to shore up the defences against whatever may loom on the horizon. So Spring cleaning this year for me is all about polishing up my business as an illustrator, updating my website, focusing on work, hopefully getting some new children's stories on paper. Publishing is getting tougher by the week we hear, if the public has less money to spend then book sales will suffer.

Passing the time on a train journey.

All I need is my trusty pocket sketchbook and I'm a happy man.
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I've decided to try running a Japanese language blog for my clients and friends in Japan. I expect some of the material may repeat themes in this blog, and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update it, but if you read Japanese please have a look.
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