The Thai Convention 2012

A month ago I went to Thailand to attend the Thai porcelain painting convention with my  Australian friend, Ingrid.  I was very excited because I finally met her in person. She and I became good friends immediately. We shared a hotel room and spent the  whole time of the convention together.

The Thai convention belonged to the Thai government and our mutual friend, Helga who had been supporting the convention.  We also met her in person for the fast time. After the convention, I stayed at Helga’s house for a while. I will write about it later. We  met anther mutual friend, Bond in person for the first time in Thailand too! He was a really sweet guy and we spent a lot of time together.

It was my first time to visit Thailand, and the Thailand was very exotic.  I used to  Korean Airline and the food was very good. Japanese sushi!!! I became a fan of Korean Airline!

The Thai Convention

When I arrived at the airport in Thailand, I couldn’t find Ingrid soon. I was really nervous because I couldn’t understand Thai language at all. I walked around many times to find her. When I finally met her, I was so happy and hugged her!

Ingrid and I were so exited that we chatted, chatted and chatted and I stayed up too late. I guess we went to bed at three am.

The following day, Ingrid and I couldn’t get in the same bus for sightseeing. Ingrid got in the number 1 bus and I got in the number 2. I met many Australian painters in our bus and became friends with them.  Although I wasn’t used to the Aussie accent, while chatting with them, I became used to it.

The sightseeing buses took us to some temples, a porcelain shop, some places relates to Thai royal families.

I saw a lot of beautiful hand painted Thai traditional paintings called Benjarong in a shop.

Thai Style Porcelain painting shop

Thai Style Porcelain painting shop

Thai Style Porcelain painting shop

Thai Style Porcelain painting shop

Thai Style Porcelain painting shop

I bought some hand painted Benjarong to my American moms, friends and my kutani painting teacher.

Souvenirs for my American moms

Souvenirs for my American moms

After we enjoyed shopping, we went to a Thai food restaurant to eat lunch. I ate lunch with my new Aussie friends. Thank you so much, my Aussie friends! I really really enjoyed hanging out with you, all!!!! My favorite Thai food at the restaurant was crab curry, and it was really good.

In next fall Australia has a big international convention. I hope many people will go there!  http://www.facebook.com/APATNSW

My New Aussie Friends

Then, we stopped by some temples and some places relate to the Thai royal families via cruising.

cruising

Cruising with my dear Aussie Friends

Some Nice Views From Cruising

A Thai Garden

A Thai Garden

A Thai Garden

A Place for Ancient Thai Kings

After we enjoyed the places, we arrived at the place for the opening ceremony. Bond was waiting for Ingrid and me there.

The Opening Ceremony for the Thai Convention

An Amazing Night View of Sirroco in Bangkok

After the ceremony, Bond took Ingrid and me to an amazing place! Thank you so so much, Bond!!!!!

An Amazing Night View of Sirroco in Bangkok

Food Stands in Bangkok

Every night Bond took us to many interesting places. While walking or getting in a taxi, we saw a lot of food stands on the streets.

The next day the Thai convention started.

The Place for The Thai Convention

I took some demo classes.

A Demo Class of Di Curtin From Australia

A Demo Class of Erika Bemme from Germany

Thank you so much for the wonderful demos, Di and Erika!

Inside of the Convention Building

First of all, I was very admired by Thai culture.

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

This is my Australian friend, Ingrid’s piece. She won the third prize with this vase. It was very lovely! Congratulations, my dearest sis, Ingrid!!!!!! I’m so happy for you!

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

I love this piece. It was made a book and the idea was from Helga. She is an incredible artist!

Some Competition Pieces that I loved

My Award Piece

One of my painting teachers, San Do’s exhibition pieces.

Some Exhibition Pieces

Kugelmeier’s exhibition piece.

Some Exhibition Pieces

My Friend, Bond’s Piece

This is my Thai friend, Bond’s piece. He is a beautiful artist and won the Facebook competition! From now on, me, Ingrid and Bond will meet a lot a lot of places and I’m really looking forward to it!!!

Di’s Exhibition Piece from Australia

Di is one of my dreaming artists whom I really wanted to meet in person and I’m so happy to meet her in person. I also saw her demo and her pieces! And plus I could be friends with her!!!!

Ivonne Planos’s Exhibition Piece from Mexico

Ivonne is my dearest painting teacher and Cuban mom. Since I took her class at Gay’s school, the Michigan school, we have been good friends. When I met her again in Thailand, she gave me a very pretty silver bracelet! There will be a big international porcelain convention in Mexico in May  next year, and Gay and I are planning on going there!   http://fmppac.com/

Patrizia Arvieri’s Exhibition Piece from Italy

Patrizia is one of dreaming artists too. I met a lot of European painters through Helga. I will study abroad in some European painter’s painting studios two years from now to learn modern techniques and traditional techniques! She is one of them!! See you two years from now, Patrizia!!

A Set For Queen

At the entrance of the convention building, there was a huge set for Thai queen. My friend, Helga designed and she and her students at Bangsai painted all of the set. It was so beautiful and breathtaking…..

A Benjarong Style Plate

Ingrid and I were so inspired by the Benjaroing painting. It was extremely exotic, different from other painting style, unique and beautiful. Ingrid bought a Benjarong plate. Since I also wanted to buy it, I didn’t have any room for it with my luggage. Since I will go back to Thailand again next year to meet Helga and her students, I want to buy a piece with the Benjarong style next year!

My Hand Painted Benjarong Cup

I painted this Benjarong cup at the Thai convention. It was my first time to paint with the style.

Amazing Pieces from Bangsai Station

These pieces are painted by Bangsai painters. They have been taught by Helga. They’ve won a lot of winning prizes and all of them are amazing painters. I was completely overwhelmed by their paintings. I really want to become a much much much better painter!!!!!!

My Favorite Landscape From Bangsai Station

This Landscape was just just just amazing!!!! I really loved it and I really want to paint like this!!!! This is my goal for landscape painting!

Bangsai

We could explore around Bangsai with some artists. It was very funny though, before I went to Thailand, I was really looking forward to meeting Patrice and Marie-Claire who have been publishing a porcelain magazine in Switzerland in person. However, I couldn’t recognized who were Patrice and Marie-Clarie. When I recognized them, it was the fourth day for us in Thailand. Since then, we have become good friends! Ingrid and I enjoyed exploring around Bangsai with Patrice and Marie-Claire. Their magazine is very nice and I love it! If you are interested in it, contact Patrice or me here!   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Magazine-Art-Porcelaine/246259595444652

Bangsai

The Royal Lodge,Bangsai Arts& Crafts Training Center, Ayuttaya Province,Thailand.

Bangsai

Bangsai

After enjoyed looking around Bangsai, Ingrid, Marie-Claire and I went to a very old temple. According to a tour guide it is 300 years old.

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

It was very interesting! In the temple there were some Buddha statues. A monk has been selling some gold leaves to stick them on the Buddha statues. All three of us, Ingrid, Marie-Claire and I bought the gold leaves and stuck them on the different Buddha. While sticking the leaves, I pray ed our good luck. Although we don’t stick some gold leaves on some Buddha statues, we also do the similar things in Japan. I think compared to Japanese Buddha’s faces, Thai Buddha’s faces are thinner. Even though both our countries are Buddhism, our Buddha statues’ faces are different. Isn’t it interesting? I love going to some spiritual places; temples, shrines, churches or whatever.

A 300-Year-Old Temple

A 300-Year-Old Temple

I forgot the snack’s name, but Ingrid and I became addicted to the snack, lol! It was like a crape from France, but different. The center thing is made from sugar. The wrapping thing has a lot of different flavors and my favorite one was a banana flavor. Ingrid liked kiwi’s one. We enjoyed them in the bus on the way to the hotel where we stayed.

A Overweight Buddha Statue

This statue made me laugh. The guardians are pigs and the Buddha is overweighted. I know most of Thai people are thin, and I don’t know why this Buddha is there.

At the Bansai Station With Helga and Her Students

After the convention, I separated from Ingrid and stayed with Helga and her husband Robert. She took me to a lot of places. I met a lot of Thai rich people and some European people through her. One day Helga took me to one of her Thai friend’s birthday party. I meet some Royal families like King and Queen’s cousin and a granddaughter. I also had lunch with a German couple. I enjoyed eating lunch with Ann, Donattella and her son, Patrizia, Patrice, Marie-Claire and Erika another day too. She also took me to the Bangsai station.

I showed her students how to paint some pieces of jewelry there.

The Bangsai Station

Helga’s Desk at the Bangsai Station

Bangsai People’s Jewelry Pieces

Mui’s Demonstration

I went to the Bangsai station twice and the second day Patrice and Marie-Claire also went there with us. One of Helga’s students, Nui demonstrated how to paint Benjarong to Marie-Claire and me. I love learning and I really enjoyed seeing it. Mui painted a demo piece for each Marie-Claire and me! Thank you so much, Nui!!

Samsack, the Bangsai teacher took Patrice, Marie-Claire and me around to the Bangsai station. The Bangsai station has a lot of sections for hand crafts. I bought a hand made basket.

The Bangsai Station

The Bangsai Station

Mango from Thai!

Helga took me to a lot of restaurants and all foods were extremely good, but I really really miss mango from Thai!

The Thai convention and my trip in Thailand was perfect! I want to say thank to Helga, Robert, Ingrid, Bond, my Aussie friends, Patrice, Marie-Claire, Ann, Patrizia, Donatella, Erika, Ivonne, Lety and many people whom I met there. Thank you so much!

The Thai convention, Ingrid and Helga made me think about my vision. I started thinking we might be able to have the similar international convention in Japan. I thought Bangsai and our Kutani village seemed to be very similar. Since the Thai convention was really good at showing Thai culture and Thai painting, I think if it would be possible, I also want to try to have our Japanese convention in Kutai.  I reported the Thai convention to my Kutani teacher and he also is very interested in my idea. I hope we can have our international convention in Kutani,  Japan in the near future. I hope we can show our traditional painting style, Kutani and a lot of Japanese culture there!!!

I also started preparing my online shop to sell Japanese brushes, colors, white porcelain, my hand painted pieces, my textbooks and I want to create my online school in the near future and want to teach how to paint with my techniques with a lot of video clips in English. I also want to start studying abroad in some European countries to learn both classical techniques and modern techniques and how to design two years from now.  I have to improve my English comprehension skills further to make my new dreams come true!! I also want to create my own art style when people look at my pieces, they can guess they are mine. I’d like to learn a lot of techniques from now on to create my own style!

I definitely will go back to Thailand next year again to meet Helga, Robert and Bangsai people! See you next year!!!! I’m looking forward to going to Chaing May with Helga next time.

I’m planning on writing my last trip in America this year with Dixie and Charles on next my blog entry. They took me to a lot of places and I really enjoyed it. Please visit my blog again!