JODI MESSINA-NOZAWA

My first mailing of 2008

2008-03-04T15:53:00.012-05:00

I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone!

UPDATE (April 26th): Thanks to everyone that I have heard from so far!
I will be sending out a new mailing in June.

Mira Stroika and The Stumblebum Brass Band at Don Pedro's

2008-03-04T14:36:00.033-05:00

Mira was amazing again. Go Mira! So much energy in this show which made it lots of fun to draw. A beautiful performance by Mira. The Stumblebums were a lot of fun to draw and listen to as well. Kota took this video of Mira while I was drawing these pictures.

Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at the Beacon Theatre

2008-02-17T17:59:00.078-05:00

© Jodi Messina-Nozawa

On February 15th, Kota took me to see two of my current favorite bands-Budos Band (funk/afro-beat), and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (soul/funk/r&b). They played at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side and the show was so much fun. We were sitting in the fifth row middle section so we had a great view of the stage which made it easy to draw. I used up half a sketchbook since I couldn't stop drawing once I started. These are a few of the quick drawings that I did at the show. My husband, Kota, took the photos while I was drawing. The video isn't from the show that I saw but it's a good example of their live performance.

Drawings of the Japanese curry restaurant

2008-02-09T11:34:00.008-05:00

Birthday guy

Kenny, my husband's business partner

Yuui

Ami the new bartender

Mr. J from the Midtown Go!Go! Curry! restaurant

Reportage of musicians

2008-01-20T21:21:00.009-05:00

The Stumblebum Brass Band and Mira Stroika
at Karma Lounge on the Lower East Side

© Jodi Messina-Nozawa

I did some of these drawings on the platform of the 2nd Ave. subway station (Lower East Side) and some of them at the Karma Lounge. Amazing performances by both groups! What a great reportage night. Everyone was so much fun to draw and the music was the perfect music to draw to. Thanks to Mira, Mira's musicians and The Stumblebum Brass Band.

Reportage scroll

2008-01-15T23:29:00.013-05:00

Profile drawings

2008-01-10T22:35:00.005-05:00

© Jodi Messina-Nozawa

I drew these drawings of a couple that I saw on the Lower East Side (a N.Y.C. neighborhood). They both had these fantastic profiles and I couldn't stop drawing them! I think they noticed me staring at them but they were so into each other that they didn't seem to care so they made great models.

Subway drawings

2008-01-10T22:29:00.005-05:00

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

2007-12-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

Wow. This is too good- what an amazing voice.

Hot Cocoa in Soho

2007-12-07T11:01:00.010-05:00

Night of 1000 Drawings at ARTISTS SPACE in Soho
38 Greene Street, 3rd floor
Thursday, December 13th, 5-10 p.m.

These are the reportage drawings of Greene St. in Soho that I did for the upcoming Night of 1000 Drawings exhibit in Soho. The gallery is on Greene St. so I thought it would be good to do a reportage about the holiday season in that neighborhood. I stood outside in the cold for about 2 hours to do thumbnails and the right portion of this drawing was completed then as well. I drew the left portion of the drawing in my studio later on that night.

More Haitian dancers reportage

2007-12-01T18:15:00.012-05:00

Here are some more quick gesture drawings that I did at the
Haitian Dance Ensemble performance. A few of these are sketches I did at the 51st St. subway station where I saw them for the first time.

And some photos my husband took...

Drawings of Ayiti Dans Ansan'm (Haitian Dance Ensemble)

2007-11-20T15:51:00.014-05:00

© Jodi Messina-Nozawa

This group was amazing! What a fun drawing day. I saw this group of dancers about a week ago at the 51st St. subway station in Manhattan and luckily I had my sketchbook and was able to draw them right then and there. They told me that they were only going to be here for a few weeks but that they would be performing in Brooklyn before they go back home to Haiti. So me, my illustrator friend Katie and my husband went out to see them perform this past Sunday. My husband took tons of great pictures and Katie and I did lots and lots of quick gesture drawings. We were drawing REALLY quickly since they were moving around so fast! We all had such a good time and on top of the whole two hours being an amazing experience this event was a fund raiser for a children's orphanage in Haiti that one of the performers had been raised in for part of his childhood.

Drawings from Africa and Asia in Animal Kingdom

2007-11-13T19:50:00.013-05:00

These are some thumbnails and drawings that I did in Walt Disney World. The black and white African dancers drawing is part of a large scroll (appx. 14 inches X 20 feet long) that was completed in one day.

Drawings of Chinese New Year lions and dragons

2007-11-13T15:18:00.016-05:00

I love Chinese New Year!!! These are part of an ongoing series.