Mt. Fuji at Fuji-Q

The backdrop to Fuji-Q is of course Mt. Fuji! So...riding rollercoasters at super fast speeds while twisting upside down, I saw Mt. Fuji! Never thought I would see Mt. Fuji flying upside down but you never know...

Fuji-Q

Fuji-Q

Roppongi Hills and Mori Tower

Morning walk to the station

The mornings are full of hurried school children in their uniforms, black suited men with briefcases, and women scurrying in their floral skirts and high heals. On the train, people are either sleepy with their chin to their chest or deeply involved in a manga book or maybe some other drama fantasy. I was the foreigner studying my flashcards. The ride is overall pleasant despite the fact that I'm standing for 50 minutes but as long as I can read something, it's not so bad.

Wagashi

From wiki: Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits. Today, we had green tea and wagashi. This one pictured is made with white bean. Oishi! My most commonly used word.

Depato

Fancy! The department store had a section of food vendors making gourmet style foods of all kinds. I tried samples of pickled veggies and fried chicken. My host mother was happily giving me samples and after I said oishi (delicious), she decided to go with the sesame chicken.

Tsuki Shrine, Urawa

Trying to keep up...walking to the Temple campus in Tokyo. My host mom and dad show me the way as a practice run! After I'm shown the route we head to Ginza for some Sunday window shopping and udon noodles. Yum!

Ginza

Shopaholics heaven!

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Next stop, the art museum for a look at samurai swords, kimonos, and National Treasure objects!

After a full day of walking around Tokyo, we returned Urawa station. The walk home is a winding pathway that I remember by specific landmarks since there are no street signs. Watch this short clip for an interesting story that also explains how addresses operate in Japan. The streets are also shared with pedestrians, bikers, and cars. Many of the neighborhood streets don't have sidewalks because there isn't room. When we got home, I could feel the jetlag setting in a took a nap. I woke up to the sounds of my host family's grandchildren playing in the living room. They are sooo cute! We all ate a beautifully prepared meal (fish, different types of rice, miso soup, and a salad) and then after, played with the kids. What an amazing day!

MFA Thesis

MFA Thesis

This was a my MFA exhibition at Temple Gallery, Tyler School of Art. It's titled Festival Gate. The materials are cardboard and screenprinted paper. It was a blast to create and couldn't have done it without the help and support from my mom and friend Kara. Thanks you two!

My "Enchanted Hollow" is being torn down. I will use the printed fabric to make functional art objects such as a quilt, apron, shirt, bag...anything that can be made out of printed fabric. The cardboard will be recycled or reused by me and the staples and tape that I used to construct it will be balled up and turned into ornaments (I think). My forest will complete its artistic cycle.

After visiting the grounds of the Emperial Palace in Tokyo, we wandered through Hibiya park. It really was this magical.

Osaka! Our last night in Osaka was filled with color and warm bath waters. This picture was taken near where we stayed close to the center of the city. I can't show the pictures of the baths from Spa World because that would be illegal. The baths were like theme park. We could be in Spain, Greece, a mountain cabin, or a Helsinki Sauna...all while still in Japan.

Shibuya! Katie and I watched the crowds fill the edges of the streets and cross the white stripes every five or less minutes. Where do all these people come from? We talked over our shared Starbucks latte after walking all over the area. As you can see our view was nice. A hard spot to snag but we got it.

 

Last week I was in NYC visiting galleries and museums with friends from school. I also made some friends outside of the Guggenheim. These three patiently waited for a piece of my cranberry scone but unfortunately for them the crumbs ended up in my scarf.

Final Countdown

Final Countdown, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I only have two weeks left of my first semester! My review is next week and I can hardly believe it. This is a picture from the Schuykill river. I took many pictures this gorgeous fall day. One of the highlights of my bike ride is the river trail with a variety of bridges mixed with fall trees.

I'm still here!

DSC03800, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

It's been quite some time since I've posted. I don't know who reads this but I do know there are a few people that I promised I would write consistently on this blog as a way to keep in touch. I've been putting it off and time has just flown by.

As a general update I'm loving it out here! I feel so lucky that I have this time to explore what I want and how I want. It was almost too free if that's even possible! I've been thinking/researching many subjects and of course it's hard to include all of these things at once.

One of my classes, the History of Modern Craft has been really interesting. I just learned about Candace Wheeler, one of America's first textile/interior designers and a leader in women's rights. She developed a business that gave women the opportunity to make a living through applied arts. She was able to infuse her personal beliefs, design aesthetic, and artistic talent into a business that helped unify the relationship of craft/art/design. I'm looking at her right now as an example of qualities I would like to practice myself...

Want to know more go here and here.

See..but now it's gone.
Go to Pats Steaks. It's delicious! Been there twice already.

My Trusty Companion

DSC03775, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

This is my main bike that's been though thick and thin (ice, snow, mud, potholed streets) This was my first bike purchase after I learned that a Kmart huffy really isn't a nice bike. I remember thinking that $300 for a bike was a lot of money and I almost didn't buy it. Since I've had it, it's transformed into a perfect commuter with a few upgrades.

Bike Ride to School

Screen shot 2010-08-23 at 12.15.07 AM, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

It's not as long as it looks. Google says it's 8.5 miles but it's mostly flat and over half of it is on the Schuykill river trail which is a nice paved wide trail. I'll be riding most days (I think) and we'll see how I hold up as it gets cold. I'm kind of a wimp with cold weather. Although, I've decided that I'm joining a local team for racing Cyclocross which is going to be in some cold weather so I better toughen up! It's supposed to be very popular in New England with races every weekend that I could do. There's only one problem: I don't have a Cyclocross bike. And people wonder why I need three and now I need another? I actually do ride them all and have ridden each bike at least a couple of times since I've been out here. I've looked on craigslist for a bike with no luck. I will make it work...even if I have to sell one to get one. I'm really attached to my bikes though, and I would hate to part with one :(

I had a doodle on a piece of receipt paper from Mark's Bistro that I found in my purse. Yesterday, I made a pattern from it. I haven't played around with color yet - just put a purple background in it. On the patio of Mark's there's an assortment of potted plants that make it feel like a garden and welcome guests with happy colors.

View on top of the MET

DSC03755, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

This view is on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art which overlooks Central Park. You can see one bamboo stick because there is currently a large installation of intertwining and roped together bamboo creating a network of pathways on and above ground. It was very fun!

Pit Stop

DSC03740, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

Everyone who knows me will not be surprised by this photo. I had to have a mini cupcake before walking around the Garment District. They didn't have the Nutella Crunch, so I opted for red velvet which was not disappointing.

Lush in an Urban City

DSC03731, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

Exotic Plants

DSC03732, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

In Rockefeller Center there were beautiful plants. Inspiration for color and design.

DSC03709, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

The textile hanging in the corner is actually a cover for me clothes. This is the other print from Japan. I hemmed the sides and used Velcro pieces to adhere it. The storage boxes closer are my sewing/fabric/art supplies which will be in my studio at school eventually. I'm pretty much all settled in now and I've made my space work in a comfortable, livable way.

My Loft

bed, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

To maximize space, I put together this bunk bed. It's been a while since I've literally had to climb into bed.

Curtains

DSC03715, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

These are the curtains I made yesterday from fabric from Japan that was given to me by a friend.

Desk as seen from my bed

DSC03716, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I have just enough room! I love my bookshelf/lamp. My books fit into it perfectly.

Work area

DSC03718, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

Until I have access to my studio at school, I've made room under my bed for working on projects. Yesterday I sewed some curtains for my room and a cover for my cubbies that I keep clothes in. This Kenmore heavy duty machine was my friend's grandmother's. For a time she lived in Okinawa and used the machine there. How ironic is it that my friend ended up teaching in Okinawa now, near where her grandparents lived? Also, the fabric that I made my curtains and cover with were from Japan, given to me by a new friend that I made in Pittsburgh on my way here.

Entrance of my room

DSC03719, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

As I walk in my room to my right is this nice little area that I have art supplies, my jewelry box, and scarfs-oh and my Swedish rain hat.

I had to re-post this picture so it's out of order but this was the first morning of our trip out to Philadelphia.  One last goodbye to Tommy.  Wonder if he will even notice I'm gone...

The Wissahickon Park, which is part of Fairmont Park has miles of biking/hiking trails the creek winding through it. Certain sections are deep and people can actually swim in it. It's really beautiful because of the dense trees huge rocks that you can climb on. I'm lucky to live just a short bike ride away from this or the city. I have the best of both worlds.  If you look closely, you can see Frances in the picture.  Like a ninja, she blends into the background with her black getup.  We rode to the trail from Manayunk.  I had my mountain bike, but Frances braved some rough terrain on her vintage foldable bike from the Omaha Bike Community Bike Shop. 

On our way to the grocery store as we were walking through the hills of Manayunk, we found a new friend. This friendly pig was chomping away on something - I'm not sure what. I'll be back to visit and maybe next time I'll get its name. Its tail was wagging away just like a happy dog. It's the ugliest cute pet I've seen!

In Pittsburgh, we stayed with some friends of France's who keep chickens in their back yard. I fed them peanuts which I had to crack open for them and they quickly pecked them out of my hand. They sure know how to pose for the camera.

From the wide open spaces of Omaha yards and streets to the narrow one-way streets of Manayunk, we traveled in our 14 foot U-haul truck. At first, I was a little nervous to drive it but before I new it, we were winding through the Appalachians like it was nothing. The trip was smooth with fun stops along the way to stay with friends in Columbus and Pittsburgh.

"One dolla, one dolla!"

DSC03497, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

He doesn't look too happy with this price. Good thing it was high. I would have missed Tommy.

Stuff, stuff, and stuff

DSC03500, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I'm finally feeling recovered from this weekend's garage sale. In it was my stuff, my friend's, mom's, mom's friend, brother of a friend...you get the idea...a lot of stuff. My friend is moving to Japan to teach and she was selling almost everything she owned. Many questions run through your mind when allowing yourself to let go of objects. It does feel good and freeing though. We celebrated our life changes this weekend and look forward to accumulating rich experiences rather than things in the coming years.

Philly illustration by Julia Rothman

On the Design*Sponge website was the Philly guide. I'm visiting this weekend so it couldn't have come at a better time. New home...I'm almost there.

Untitled...at this point, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

This painting was an experiment. I guess all art is anyway. I had this blank canvas and decided to drip India ink over it, then another mixture of paint, and then I envisioned circles, then stripes of color. The circles needed to have one more dimension so I added a clear gloss to make them pop. I'm still deciding what to call it.

Macro Micro World, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I was recently going through all of my things to prepare for my move. Trying to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of can be tough, especially when you look at something and think, "I could make something out of this." That is my struggle. Of course most things end up not being used. However, I found this woodblock print that I did in 2007 in black and white. I decided to use it like a coloring book with gouache. It's very springy.

Mazatlan, Mexico

DSC03165, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I took so many pictures but this one is my favorite. The way the sun was shining looked heavenly. The banister frames the landscape and the way the sun brightens the white makes a great contrast. I feel warmer just looking at it.