Ink (42 page)
And then I remembered Yuki’s words, that whoever I watched the fireworks with would be there for me forever.
Could I really trust Jun? Even Tomohiro was unpredictable. He’d treated Shiori like a jerk tonight. What if he did that to me—again? Who was really telling the truth here? I needed a better hand of cards to compete. I had to learn what it really meant to have ink trapped inside me, to be linked to the Kami.
Another burst of sound in the sky, but no color, just a brief oily shimmer as it splayed across the sky. And then suddenly everyone was screaming and scattering across the road.
Ink descended on us like a black rain, warm as the drops splattered down my face and stained the sleeves of my
yukata.
Another firework burst, all ink instead of color, raining down on the crowd with a faint sheen. A woman ran past, covering her head with her hands. She bumped me into the railing and I fell forward. I dropped the milk tea, trying to grab at the railing before I fell headfirst onto the beach. And then two sets of strong hands grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me back.
Tomo. And Jun. Saving me together.
“Let’s get out of here!” Tomohiro shouted. I nodded and he grabbed my wrist, pushing his way through the crowd. I turned to look at Jun. He stood there silently watching me leave, the ink dripping down his cast, running down his skin in trails of black. When I looked back again, he was gone in the frantic swarm of people.
“Was it you?” I shouted, but Tomo didn’t answer. I couldn’t have heard him over the screams anyway. The black ink pounded down as we ran for the train station, as we were soaked by the very truth of it.
Nothing was normal, and I’d known it, deep down. It wasn’t something I could run from. The ink hadn’t forgotten me.
My fate was raining down from the sky.
MEET THE COVER ARTIST, PETRA DUFKOVA
HOME:
Petra was born in Uherské Hradišteˇ
,
Czech Republic, and currently lives in Munich, Germany, where she is busy with her new son, Maximilian.
EDUCATION:
Petra studied art at a technical school for applied arts. She earned her modelist/stylist degree from the international fashion school ESMOD in Munich, with a prêt-à-porter collection.
AWARDS:
2008 Best Illustration Award for her collection at the China Fashion Week, in addition to numerous design awards.
MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Today Petra works as a freelance illustrator, stylist and as a fashion designer for Marcel Ostertag. Her illustration style is a combination of traditional method and modern look with a focus on fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Her inspiration comes from many areas—books, magazines, art exhibitions and fashion shows, and just walking around her city with her eyes open.
Petra developed her art style after experimenting with aquarelle, a traditional technique of painting in transparent, rather than opaque, watercolors. From there, she developed her own art style, which often combines watercolors with ink. The cover art for
Ink
is an example of this style.
A Q&A WITH ROSS SIU, INTERIOR SKETCH ARTIST
WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED?
I was born in Hong Kong and lived there until age seven. I was then raised in the very rainy but beautiful city of Vancouver. Right now I reside in Osaka, Japan.
WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?
I am a graduate of the IDEA Program of Capilano University in North Vancouver.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE AN ARTIST?
I don’t think I ever actually
decided
to be an artist. Creating art was always a part of my being. It has been that way probably since I was first exposed to drawing, which, as far as I can recall, began when a family friend taught me how to draw robots when I was around four years old.
WHAT MATERIALS DID YOU USE TO MAKE THE DRAWINGS FOR
INK?
I used pencil crayons to sketch; a bit of tracing paper; then finished with fine-liner, oil-based markers and Chinese calligraphy ink.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS OF CREATING
THE DRAWINGS.
The creative process was very pleasant. We had good communication; the author and creative team knew what they wanted and were very encouraging to me. I am pleased that they are happy with the results.
WHAT ELEMENTS OF JAPANESE CULTURE HAVE INFLUENCED YOU AS AN ARTIST?
Their modesty and humbleness, respect for tradition, attention to detail, obsession with perfection, and their loyalty to those things have always influenced me as an artist.
YOU CURRENTLY LIVE IN OSAKA—ARE THE CITY OR PEOPLE AN INSPIRATION FOR YOU?
The people here do inspire me, because their attitude is more laid-back and casual. They laugh and joke around a lot more than people do in other parts of Japan, which is important to me.
DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH BEING A FOREIGNER
IN OSAKA? IS IT A PLACE YOU COULD STAY AND
MAKE YOUR HOME?
I enjoy many things about Osaka. The convenience of trans-portation; the abundance of great restaurants; the truly convenient convenience stores; the great routes for bike rides; the beautiful, unique scenery—all these things have made the city really easy to get comfortable with. That said, the space feels too confined here for me to want to make it a per-manent home. But who knows what the future will bring!
WHERE HAS YOUR WORK BEEN ON EXHIBIT?
My exhibitions include:
Vorld (2008)—Chickennot Gallery (Kyoto, Japan)
Personal Circles (2009)—iTohen Gallery (Osaka, Japan)
Can I Have an Easy Life (2012)—Galaxy Gallery (Osaka, Japan)
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