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Scrapbook

Few scraps since 2008.

• Award Ceremony at Irving Art Center
• Solo Exhibition
• Dallas Jazz Scene
• Exhibitions in January 2009
• Amsterdam Bar-Nov. '08
• Duke Elington Band at Cotton Club Tokyo in Octo. '08
• Oxide Gallery Opening Reception in Sep. '08
• Fort Worth Jazz Festival in Sep. '08
• Merchel Ivery Memorial Live at Sandaga in Sep. '08
• Chicago & Niagara Falls Trip with our friends from Japan in Sep. '08
• Las Vegas Trip in May '08
• Spring Art Festivals in Apr. '08
• Junko Otsu One Woman Show at Cafe Izmir in Jan. '08

There was a member show at Irving Art Center in August 2009. And I won the first place in this show from 150 art works. I painted 20 of North Texas jazz players in one painting with unique characters and unique technique of fluent music scene. This combination of two techniques is the first experience of my painting history. And still I'm looking for something new always.
**Left ; Irving Art center Award Ceremony
**Center ; Me and my painting which I've gotten first prize

There was a solo exhibition at one of the art studio in Dallas on May 2nd 2009.
But same day, we had a terrible weather here in North Texas. Almost 60miles/hour wind and heavy rain hit us all. I'll let you know few example about this horrible weather. One of the big scene was the most famous American Football team, Dallas Cowboys' practice facility has been felt down by this wind.This facility has almost same size of Football field. So you can emagine how big it was. Several people were practicing in this dome, and few people injured by this accident.
So that, not so many people were able to visit this exhibition unfortunately. But great jazz piano trio Sam's Band (Sam, Ryan and Bo) played wonderful jazz at studio. And it was great experience and great show.
And special thank you for SOL Studio's member and visitors notwithstanding terrible weather on that day.
**Left ; Set up at SOL Studio.
**Center ; Reception
**Right ; Live Jazz at SOL Studio

**Left ; Dallas Cowboys Training Facility-1-May 2nd '09
**Center ; Dallas Cowboys Training Facility-2-May 2nd '09
**Right ; Neighborhood-Tree fell over-May 2nd '09

Here, I want to explain a little bit about jazz scene in Dallas, Texas.
Of course as you know already many good local band played jazz in live house, bar (see below at "Amsterdam Bar"), restaurant or even charch. But also the most great thing here is that we can hear great jazz more than that. For example, at Dallas Museum of Art, at personal house or even wine cellar. They are a lot of opportunities to listen to the jazz and classical music. This change our life gorgeously and happily. This must be true life, right??
**Left ; Shelley Carrol and Chris McGuire at DMA(Dallas Museum of Art) Jazz Night.
**Center ; Live Jazz at our friend's house in Dallas.
**Right ; Times Ten Wine Cellar.(Scott Bucklin on Piano, John Adams on Base, Mike Drake on Drums.)

Just after new year's day, my art work has been started. I have three opportunities to attend at art exhibitions in January this year. First one is Oxide agallery in Denton. They are new gallery but also good gallery, good people. I like that. Second one is TVAA(Texas Visual Art Association) exhibition. This gallery is located in the middle of Dallas downtown. Third exhibition was at the Fine Art Gallery of Hilton Bella Harbor Hotel in Rockwall. This new hotel has great location, great view and great gallery. At the first reception day of this gallery, they had more than three hundred visitor for this show.
**Left ; TVAA (Texas Visual Art Association) Reception.
**Center ; Hilton Bella Harbor Hotel Out View.
**Right ; At the Reception of Hilton Bella Harbor Hotel.

Here is Ammmmsterdam Bar in Dallas, TX.
One of the most talented and famous jazz saxophone player, Shelley Carrol band plays music from 10:00 night every Mondays.
But this is the amazaing place to listen to the jazz music.
All players are very nice guys, and talented of course.(Shelley Carrol on Saxophone and Flute/Scott Bucklin on Keyboard/Jonathan Fisher on Base and Gary Granger on Drums.--But one of friend of ours, Buddy Mohamed was playing base instead of Jonathan on that day.)
I believe that here is one of the best place to listen to real hot jazz in Dallas, TX.

Shelley Carrol is top saxophone player in Duke Elington Band. He travels a lot not only in the U.S.A., but also worldwide.
Especially to Japan, he goes twice or three times a year.
This photo is from October '08 Live Concert at Cotton Club Tokyo.(This time, he had played not only at Cotton Club Tokyo for three weeks, but also one week in Nagoya, too.)
He kindly invited us for this show on October 24th.
One day in advance from this day, we took lunch together with Shelley and Marty Morell who was a drumer of Bill Evans Trio few years go back. They like very much Japanese Cuisine. Of course Sushi, Sashimi. Almost every foods from Japanese cuisine, they prefer very much. (Marty says that he have very often Sushi-Party with his friends in his house in Florida.)

Oxide Gallery in Denton has been opened September 2008.
There was a Gallery Opening Reception on September 30th.
This photo is from my booth. I exhibited 6 paintings there and all paintings in this photo were mine.
At the entrance area of this gallery, the most busy traffic area of this gallery. Almost from 250 to 300 guests came to this reception on that day.
It was a great reception.

There was a great great great jazz festival in Fort Worth in September 2008.
Of course many good local bands attended from morning to night for three days.
But the most greatest thing was that we could listen to the music from world-wide famous jazz musician like "David Sanborn Quartet", "Randy Brecker with Local Big Band(Even they said "Local Big Band, the members of this group was Extraordinary Super Luxury Member around North Texas Area.)" and "Lee Retenour Quartet" for free on a final day.
They are my and especially my husband's favotite musicians since long time ago back.
**Left; David Sanborn Quartet
**Center; Randy Brecker. (This local big band was also very wonderful and fantastic.)
**Right; Lee Retenour Quartet

Here's Sandaga Jazz House in Dallas had held the "Merchel Ivery Memorial Live" with splendid member in September '08.
Shelley Carrol who is a top saxophonist of Duke Elington Band on tenor-saxophone, Brad Leali who is a professor of University of North Texas on alto-saxophone, Internationally very famous Steve Turre from NY on Trombone, the most popular and busiest drummer in North Texas Andrew Griffith, Kelly Durbin on Piano and so on.
After intermission, Bernard Wright who use to be a member of Milse Davis Group for a while joined for this gig. Very nice jazz and special night.

Five friends of ours in Japan came to visit Chicago, Niagara Falls in September '08.
One of them is an architect. So that we visited many of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago area, and ate great sea food like King Crab from Alaska and Lobster from Main at Shaw's Crab House, and very great prime rib at Chicago Chop House, too. Besides we didn't forget to visit signature room at John Hancock Building of course. So that we'd gotten at least few pounds weight from this trip. (Oops!)
Niagara Falls were magnificent. Huge amount of water coming from Lake Erie, and go through to Canada. Uncountable water falling every minutes, every seconds. Why Lake Erie doesn't have any water shortage problem?? This is my simple question.
**Left; Chicago Downtown (Near from Chicago Tribune and Chicago River)
**Center; Chicago Night View from Signature room(95th floor), John Hancock Building, Chicago
**Right; Niagara Falls from the boat "Maid of the Mist".

I and my husband visited Las Vegas in May '08. It was my 6th visit to Las Vegas, and uncountable for my husband because of his business reason. (I believe. Joke.)
Almost once a two years, we visit Las Vegas and are surprised by new hotels. Almost every hotels in Las Vegas Boulvard has more than 3,000 guest rooms (some hotel has almost 8,000 rooms). And we enjoy many of atractions not only pay program but also free atractions like volcanic eruption at The Mirage, battle of pirates at Treasure Island, magnificence of fountains show at Bellagio and so on.
As everybody knows that Las Vegas used to be the biggest casino city. But they are shifting from just "casino city"(adult city) to synthetic city with casino and amusement city (for children & adults). Very gorgeously & beautifully city. We love Las Vegas to visit.
**Left; Hotel New York/New York
**Center; In side of Hotel Venetian (Unbelievablly this is the in side of the building.
**Right; Night view of Hotel Bellagio's water show & Hotel Paris.(From terrace of Hotel Bellagio.)

There are many Art Festivals in spring every year around here.
One of these photo is from the art festival of City of Southlake. And two of them are from Fort Worth Festival.
Almost of this season, we have always fine days, and enjoying not only fine arts and fine food, but also very nice music from local band. Jazz, country, rock'n'roll. But they are always good musicians.

There was my first one woman exhibition at Cafe Izmire in Dallas in January '08.
This is the first one woman show for me. Only 15 paintings. But it was great for me because my first experience.

Please contact me through my e-mail address. (See "Contact" page.)