(image source:http://www.viralzcreen.com)

Here is a video I found very useful as a designer. It may not be about the work of design but it is how you should do things. These tip will not always apply but I'm sure will give you confidence and strength when working in the design world. What I liked about the video also it was advice collected from him fans/viewers. Defenetly an influential video when I start my future work.

markcrilley:

Art Advice From You! Tips About Drawing & the Creative Life

In Cold weather , Soup helps you to warm up the inside. heat is energy .It is the energy within you.Which is how I was influenced to come up with the concept 'Cold on the outside ,warm in the inside'.

my development pages

 for reference:How does the human body keep itself warm in cold temperatures#
 ( I actually found this in a different better looking site, unfortunately I can't find any more)

''Good food nourishes your spirit; it's impossible to feel depressed in the face of a great Italian meal. One chilly evening in Florence, I went to a trattoria and ordered minestrone. Its rich aroma arrived at the table first, then a smiling waiter placed in front of me a steaming bowl of soup sprinkled with melting shards of Parmesan cheese. The tomatoes tasted of summer, the beans were rich and hearty, and a swirl of pesto on top made me want to swoon. The soup filled my senses and my stomach, and left me feeling content.''

Read more: Oprah:spirit/Why You Should Drink Soup in the Winter,Joy of Soup

This directed my project to heat as energy :'Enhance your Spirit'

Towada Lake is situated between the borders of the Aomori and Akita prefecture , the north side of Japan. Towada Lake is a carter lake which also happens to be the largest carter Lake in the Honshu island. 

In Sri Lanka we don't have Volcanoes nor Carter Lake. Which why I am so thrilled to find out people live their.

My development page

What happens in this festival ?

The festival has fireworks, Dancing,Music ,Kamakura, Ice sculptures, igloos huts and many other fancy items Like a normal festival. 

But the other side that I also see is that : You stay in very cold weather then you eat, drink, keep your self warm and entertained.


My influenced watercolour painting:

(image source:http://www.pbase.com/lglogan/image/101495546)

(image source:http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/japan-271/2013-winter-again-4143155.html)

(image source:http://www.worldtravelingmilitaryfamily.com/2008/06/lake-towada-snow-festival.html)

Coming Back to my project "The Japanese Soup restaurant".

Now that I was at a point of knowing what I was having in my restaurant I still needed a drive for my design. This is where I saw my self in a limbo, finding it hard to escape because I couldn't find the right direction to hed. It was hard to select that perfect match of story/festival/event/person etc. in Japan that I wanted to be inspired on to do my project. Thus I headed to think of my self and compare soup with me .
 ''When would I need soup?'' was my question to myself.

I weekly travel to Kandy(my home town) from Colombo. Kandy weather is much more humid and cold compared to Colombo. And when it comes to Food in these two places I notice how I eat more in when Kandy(really not because I'm home, just don't have much interest when I'm in Colombo).
          And when it comes to soup: I would enjoy a hot delicious bowl of soup in Kandy more. Its like the same situation when you are sick :p.
          Simply saying, I would enjoy a bowl of soup in cold weather than in in hot weather. It just feels right.

my sketch

This is how I was influenced to categorize my self to see what type of Japanese item i was was going for. I ended up searching for Winter Festival. Thus Brought me to the ''Towada Lake Winter Festival''

What I'm most influenced through Gothic Architecture is its detailed designing. Exterior and Interior. Such wonderful pattern and designs through out their buildings. They have a nice balance of it that it doesn't look over done (to my point of view) . I'm guessing  it also has to to do with the very high roof and arches. The feeling too is well restore in the building that we eventually come to its state.

my sketch

(image source:http://www.agefotostock.com/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/LKF-279816)

When I was searching the designs and the general look of restaurants these days, I randomly came across a McDonald's video that awed me.
                        I also got to know about the new out look that they are trying bring in from my friend who is studying about it for an essay in a different module. The essay was also a reason that encouraged me check the video out.

After watching this video I was really impressed and inspired. I loved the design, the new theme. It was very nature friendly too.
Yes! it doesn't look like the typical McDonald but then again it serves right. In a world running fast and time running out where people are too busy , a design like this brings a peaceful mind making the able to enjoy what the eat. I love the layout of that they've used as seen on the above video; in a not much of a big space they've been able to show more space in the building , it also looks very comfortable.

(image source:http://futuristicnews.com/mcdonalds-and-fuel-station-project-for-the-georgian-vacation-resort/)

In Scandinavian Interior Designs too we see minimalist features.

(image source:http://www.home-designing.com/2010/05/tranquil-scandinavian-style-interiors)

(image source:http://freshome.com/2012/12/03/top-10-tips-for-creating-a-scandinavian-interior/)

(image source:http://www.archiexpo.com/prod/hay-a-s/scandinavian-design-chairs-57433-649878.html)

(image source:Surface Pattern Design-Blog)

I love how comfortable and stylish these designs look. Their use of colour is what interest me the both.

Even though these designs were done years ago the look very modern.

As mentioned before in my previous post minimalistic could be tricky.
But I would like to show some contemporary influential examples that show  how modern and creative yet we can be.

                     

charming japanese home blurring indooroutdoor boundaries kofunaki house

Sou Fujimoto- http://www.designboom.com

 Now that we've come across Japanese: Its Architecture and interior design is not a topic we can skip.

Its unique designs and minimalist feature always have captured my eye. They are a culture who well understand the imperfection at its best, which why I guess they've design are unique and carter their needs.

Being minimalist is a difficult task because you don't get much at your hands, you want have much options.

(image source:http://www.busyboo.com/2008/01/10/japanese-architecture-interior-design/)

                                      They used a minimal number of materials which didn't stop them from being decorative. In the above picture we see is Fusuma door with a lovely traditional painting . It serves two needs: one as a separator/door, two as a decorative panel(painted wall) within the room.

(image source:http://japansheartandculture.blogspot.com/2010/06/tokonoma.html)

Curious on what this is?! This is an item I wanted to have in my layout of the exhibition.

What I've realized is that through this module many of us will be showing another side to our character. And showing that at the same time will give more depth and diversity on what each of us are trying to say.

'who we are and who we think we are''

To create this it was I was influenced by the rotating billboard. 

(image source:http://blogs.wsj.com/photojournal/2009/02/11/pictures-of-the-day-112/)

(image source:http://tympanus.net/codrops/2009/12/16/creating-a-rotating-billboard-system-with-jquery-and-css/)

Luckily I also remember watching making this on a programme''Art Attach'' or ''M.A.D'' ; I can't quite recall which , anyhow I still remembered how to make it.

                                        So many cuisines and so many ethnics in this world it was hard to pick a restaurant that I would be interested on. Personally I love food. If possible I would have been those people whose taste food for living, but then again I don't eat everything for various reason.
                               There are 22 students in the class and we all get to do our own type . So I wanted my 1st choice to be unique it self so I won't have to go through a fight :P.
                                      I didn't know Ramen restaurants exists ,as in I had no idea that there were so many type of preparation until I watched a subscribed channel on YouTube. (sorry! I am unable to find the link:checked the channel I thought had the video but I couldn't[migrationology-Mark Wiens]. Yet pretty sure there was was video cause I remember the feeling.Will try to find it)

                                           (image source:http://www.slashfood.com/tag/ramen+noodles/)

some other videos I found.

                              Personally I love Ramen ! never had one but ever since I've started to watch Japanese and Korean teledramas I've always wanted to have one. And that is how I was lead to my Restaurant selection Ramen. Which evidently led to Japanese Soup Resturant on selection day.

(image source:http://traveljapanblog.com/wordpress/2009/10/scene-from-a-japanese-restaurant/)

(image source:https://www.facebook.com/yutakafood)

Day by day we grow harder it becomes to reach our it, live our it and keep our it. But this doesn't mean we must forget it.

Development sketches

My concept model

We all as human are Equal but then again we are different as individuals. We have our own talents and interests. Then again as human we a bonded with each other.

My development sketches.

My influence :Equal but individually different visually like a chain. Thus helped forming the exhibition layout.

''ID ME'' an exhibition project, with a clear explanation in the title its self of what we are to give away but with alot of soul searching.

(image source:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=393059230815272&set=a.324372914350571.75609.324353557685840&type=1&theater)

     
                                                                 The Child within you!
Looking at my room I saw many of my childhood still with me.I still wished for more :even as an adult I wish I had them.To me they were the root of everything .

               

my sketches

''You were my companion when I was young; you were the seed of my life.''

There is a child that I see within myself Due to the attachments of childish interest. To me growing up Isn't Giving these things away but to the 3rd eye it is. Thus I end up questioning myself because I haven't done a lot of growing up in that sense.

I wasn't into books with the words but then again it improved my art skills. I even drew things I was afraid of like animals which made them beautiful. My Childish interest being the root of everything makes it hard to give it away.'' -My narrative for the project

I was soo happy when I got a feedback on the day of the exhibition , she told me she too think the same way .

Freedom! hmmmm...doesn't the Sky seem to play a very important with it. As I've mentioned in my  previous posts: the birds and many human expression can be related to the sky. In the expressions  most of their expressions are facing upwards.

The Sky was the main part of the project that led me to the colours

Human expression + extracted shape from bird + Freedom in Kanji : Influence on making the selected final Massing of the retail Project

concept model shape that lead to the exterior design

The development page section shows how I've tried to fit the shapes and forms into the design

Looking up we see so much joy in those birds , Flying so freely.

Development page - bringing out shapes

One of my idea : a glass mural(sort of :P)

''Oh! free bird,up so high

how poised and elegantly you fly,

Beauty of freedom I may see

Oh!how I long to be by your side

Flying in that heavenly sky,

With my with my arm so wide and free''

                        -KimSoulArt

Model yet again we meet......
          I'm not a fan of models but then again I enjoy what I do. Now that I've come to an concept ('Freedom') in my retail project. If you've seen my previous post on my influences on statue of liberty and Freedom expression (http://kavigotinfluenced.blogspot.com/2013/08/statue-of-liberty.html and http://kavigotinfluenced.blogspot.com/2013/08/freedom-expression-imagery.html), you'll find it easy to understand the below sketch I did on the model.

model sketch

Freedom-Model

                       The model is made using Paper Mache and then later rapped with newspaper(Freedom of speech).

I wish I had put some time to the model as well because there are many fascinating things we can do with paper mache:http://ultimatepapermache.com/,http://whimsypapermache.blogspot.com/

       To me 'Freedom' was a tangible and non-tangible source . Thus for some time I had a hard time figuring it out. The easiest thing to do at such points is 'Google'. Well, it'll lead you to an idea that will help you proceed. And that is how I was lead to freedom as an expression in imagery.  

My freedom expression sketches

The above sketches were done on how I thought freedom was expressed and relating some images found on the internet. After I did my sketches I brought them out to simple shapes trying my best to maintain its emotion and expression

The Statue of Liberty
                                    One of the greatest examples for freedom. Below you see are some development pages where I extracted shapes and material.

sketching things out

this is my favourite: The outline structure is very unique,poised and built.To my opinion this is one reason for its attraction.

Structure brought out to its very simple form. material

One of my massing attempts

                                                                                my mind map


These were my influences throughout the project , leading me to colours,materials and design

multi-tasking women

What they do and what they want

Multi-tasking makes women busy as they have to balance many lives.Thus makes them urge for freedom.And this is how I got to my next design influence "Freedom".

note:sorry! but the image sources in the development pages are unknown. My apologize for not jotting down the sources in the proceeding of this project.(managed to find thishttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=248943281896999&set=a.105923482865647.4635.105916989532963&type=1&theater)